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This study outlines the development of a cost-effective, extended-release febuxostat (FEB) tablet using activated charcoal as an adsorbent to enhance drug release. FEB, a BCS Class II drug, presents formulation challenges due to low solubility and high lipophilicity. We evaluated eight formulations with varying FEB-to-charcoal ratios using FTIR and DSC for physical interactions and followed USP standards for overall assessment. The optimal 1:0.25 FEB-to-charcoal ratio demonstrated a consistent 12 h zero-order release pattern. In vivo studies indicated a significantly extended plasma profile compared to immediate-release tablets. The optimal tablets demonstrated acceptable hardness and disintegration times. This innovative approach enhances patient compliance, improves bioavailability, and reduces production costs, offering a promising solution for controlled FEB delivery.

The accurate diagnosis of toxoplasmosis has critical importance in pregnant women. Nanotechnology and molecular biology are making possible opportunities for accurate and rapid diagnosis of many infectious diseases. The aim of our study was to compare nano-gold ELISA with ELISA and PCR for diagnosis of toxoplasmosis using surface antigen grade 1 (SAG1) in pregnant women seeking antenatal care in outpatient clinics. PCR showed the highest diagnostic values than nano-gold ELISA and ELISA regarding sensitivity (97.3% versus 89.2% and 83.8%); specificity (100% versus 94% and 88%); and diagnostic accuracy (98.9% versus 91.95% and 86.2%), respectively. There is no statistical difference between PCR and nanogold ELISA results. Nano-gold ELISA had a significant improvement in diagnosis than the traditional ELISA method. Most likely with the assistance of nanoparticles, more antibodies enter the antigen-antibody complex because of the considerable improvement in the surface area of nano-gold particles. Although PCR had higher diagnostic values than nano ELISA, nano ELISA is cheaper and easier than PCR. We recommend nano-gold ELISA with SAG1 as a promising technique in the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis and survey studies.

Food additives spread around the world may have potentially harmful effects; Propolis is considered a natural additive that meets the increasing demand for natural antioxidants and antimicrobials in place of synthetic preservatives. Different concentrations of water extract of Propolis (WEP) were assessed; the pH and microbiological quality of raw milk were evaluated, as well as the quality characteristics and bioactives in manufactured yoghurt. WEP 20% was the best concentration compared to WEP 5% and 10% and exhibited an acceptable pH value of milk for 48 hours. The addition of increased concentrations of WEP 20% (1, 2, and 3%) resulted in a significant decrease and gradual reduction of the total bacterial, coliform, yeast, and mold counts compared to the control group. Propolis-supplemented yoghurt had higher pH values than the control group. Yoghurt groups treated with 1% and 2% WEP achieved the highest scores and significantly different (P<0.05) with control and 3% WEP groups in sensory examination until the end of the storage period. Furthermore, the counts of yeast and mold progressively decreased with the addition of higher concentrations of WEP throughout the storage period as 2%, 3% WEP groups were significantly different (P<0.05) with control and 1% WEP groups. The total phenolic, flavonoid content and antioxidant activity of yoghurt treated with WEP were improved and significantly different (P<0.05) compared to the untreated group. In conclusion, the raw milk and yoghurt preserved with propolis improved the quality of milk and increased bioactivity and nutritional benefits of yoghurt by elevating its antioxidant capacity. As a consequence, the produced yoghurt in our study proved that it is an acceptable product with functional, probiotic potential and has health-promoting properties that might be commercialized.

In Palestine, breast cancer (BC) is the most prevalent cancer among women. This study explored the relationship between eligibility for BC screening and the time taken for seeking medical advice for possible BC symptoms. It also identified the barriers hindering early presentation among screening-eligible and ineligible Palestinian women. Palestinian females from governmental hospitals, primary healthcare centers, and diverse public venues across 11 governorates within Palestine were recruited using convenience sampling. A modified, translated-into-Arabic version of the BC Awareness Measure was utilized for data collection. The questionnaire comprised three sections: sociodemographic information, duration for seeking medical advice upon recognizing each of 13 possible BC symptoms, and barriers impeding early presentation. The final analysis included 2796 participants, with 2168 (77.5%) ineligible for BC screening and 628 (22.5%) eligible. The proportion of participants who would seek medical advice immediately varied depending on the nature of BC symptoms. Approximately half of participants in both the screening-eligible (n = 1097, 50.6%) and ineligible (n = 293, 46.7%) groups indicated that they would seek immediate medical advice for ‘lump or thickening in the breast.’ Similarly, about half of participants in both groups reported an inclination to seek immediate medical advice for ‘nipple discharge or bleeding’ (screening-eligible: n = 954, 44.0%; screening-ineligible: n = 280, 44.6%). Less than half of participants would seek immediate medical advice for other BC symptoms. Screening-eligible women were more likely to seek advice within a week for six out of 13 possible BC symptoms than screening-ineligible women. Among screening-eligible participants, 9.9% (n = 62) acknowledged a delay in seeking medical attention upon recognizing a potential BC symptom. Emotional barriers were most frequently reported, with ‘disliking the visit to healthcare facilities’ identified as the leading barrier among screening-eligible participants (n = 38, 61.3%). No association was found between BC screening eligibility and the total or type-specific number of reported barriers. Differences in immediate medical advice seeking for various BC symptoms were observed between screening-eligible and ineligible groups. Emotional barriers were the most prevalent in both groups. Tailored interventions to enhance BC awareness and address barriers to early presentation are essential.

Background Semantics is the study of meaning, and it pertains to the meanings of linguistic expressions such as words, phrases, grammatical forms, and sentences. Studying semantic development for preschool children has several applications in research design, assessment, and intervention. In English and most Indo-European languages, there is a long tradition of examining aspects of child language by computing different developmental indices from spontaneous language samples and by applying different language tests. However, for the Arabic language, these aspects are lacking in this valuable area of research. Thus, this study aimed to develop and standardize a comprehensive test for assessing semantic language development suitable for preschool children in Arabic-speaking countries. The constructed Arabic semantic test (AST) was administered to 120 typically developed Egyptian Arabic-speaking children between the ages of 2 to ≤ 4 years divided into 4 age groups, with a 6-month age interval between each group. Children’s responses were statistically analyzed to assess the test’s validity and reliability. Ranks of percentiles were calculated to describe the semantic language development in preschool Egyptian Arabic-speaking children. Results A statistically significant difference was found over the scores of the Arabic semantic test in both receptive and expressive aspects of semantics among the 4 participating age groups. Semantic growth was positively correlated to the chronological age of the participating children, with good validity and reliability of the test. Conclusions The Arabic semantic test is a valid and reliable test that can be applied to assess semantic development among preschool Arabic-speaking children.

Background Early diagnosis is crucial to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with breast cancer (BC). Awareness of BC symptoms plays a key role in this. This study aimed to evaluate the Palestinian women’s awareness of BC symptoms and determine factors associated with good awareness. Methods This was a national cross-sectional study conducted from July 2019 to March 2020 in Palestine. Convenience sampling was used to recruit adult women from hospitals, primary healthcare centers, and public spaces located in 11 governorates. A translated-into-Arabic version of the validated BC awareness measure was utilized for data collection. The awareness level was categorized based on the number of symptoms recognized into: poor (0 to 4), fair (5 to 9), and good (10 to 13). Results Of 6269 approached, 5434 participants completed the questionnaire (response rate = 86.7%). A total of 5257 questionnaires were included in the analysis: 2551 from the Gaza Strip and 2706 from the West Bank and Jerusalem (WBJ). Participants living in the WBJ were more likely to be older, have higher monthly income, and suffer from more chronic diseases than participants living in the Gaza Strip. The most frequently identified BC symptom was ‘lump or thickening in the breast’ ( n  = 4887, 92.9%) followed by ‘lump or thickening under the armpit’ ( n  = 4394, 83.6%). The least frequently identified symptoms were ‘pulling in of the nipple’ ( n  = 2665, 50.7%) and ‘change in the position of the nipple’ ( n  = 2710, 51.6%). A total of 2191 participants (41.7%) demonstrated good awareness of BC symptoms. Participants from the Gaza Strip were more likely than participants from the WBJ to have good awareness (47.0.0% vs. 36.7%). On the multivariable analysis, being ≥ 40 years, completing a post-secondary education, knowing someone with cancer, and visiting hospitals and primary healthcare centers were all associated with an increase in the likelihood of having good awareness. However, living in the WBJ was associated with a decrease in the likelihood of having good awareness. Conclusion Less than half of women included in this study showed good awareness of BC symptoms. More targeted educational interventions are needed to promote Palestinian women’s awareness of BC symptoms to facilitate early diagnosis.

Background The discussion about breast cancer (BC) causation continues to be surrounded by a number of myths and misbeliefs. If efforts are misdirected towards reducing risk from false mythical causes, individuals might be less likely to consider and adopt risk-reducing behaviors for evidence-based BC causes. This national study aimed to assess the awareness of BC causation myths and misbeliefs among Palestinian women, and examine the factors associated with having good awareness. Methods This national cross-sectional study recruited adult women from government hospitals, primary healthcare centers, and public spaces in 11 governorates in Palestine. A modified version of the Cancer Awareness Measure-Mythical Causes Scale was used to collect data. The level of awareness of BC causation myths was determined based on the number of myths recognized to be incorrect: poor (0–5), fair (6–10), or good (11–15). Results A total of 5,257 questionnaires were included. Only 269 participants (5.1%) demonstrated good awareness (i.e., recognizing more than 10 out of 15 BC mythical causes). There were no notable differences in displaying good awareness between the main areas of Palestine, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank and Jerusalem (5.1% vs. 5.1%). Having chronic disease as well as visiting hospitals and primary healthcare centers were associated with a decrease in the likelihood of displaying good awareness. Myths related to food were less frequently recognized as incorrect than food-unrelated myths. ‘Eating burnt food’ was the most recognized food-related myth ( n  = 1414, 26.9%), while ‘eating food containing additives’ was the least recognized ( n  = 599, 11.4%). ‘Having a physical trauma’ was the most recognized food-unrelated myth ( n  = 2795, 53.2%), whereas the least recognized was ‘wearing tight bra’ ( n  = 1018, 19.4%). Conclusions A very small proportion of Palestinian women could recognize 10 or more myths around BC causation. There is a substantial need to include clear information about BC causation in future educational interventions besides focusing on BC screening, signs and symptoms, and risk factors.

The Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH) established a National School-Based Screening Program (NSBSP) for health screening of schoolchildren. Students from specific grades were systematically screened for several health problems, including obesity, visual and auditory problems, dental cavities, scoliosis, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the prevalence of these health problems among primary school students based on secondary data obtained from the NSBSP. We included 444,259 screened school children from the first and fourth grades of 50% of the selected schools (both private and public) across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) during the academic year 2018–2019. Among them, the most prevalent health problems identified were dental cavities (38.7%), eye refractory errors (10.9%), and overweight and obesity (10.5%); the less prevalent problems included ADHD (2.81%), auditory problems (0.6%), and scoliosis (0.48%). A greater prevalence of most health problems was observed in girls more than boys. The NSBSP successfully aided the detection of health conditions with high and low prevalence among primary school students in the KSA, and thus, the identification of health problems of specific concern. Implementation of effective school health services for the prevention, early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of these health problems are imperative.

In recent years, medicinal plants have gained significant attention in modern medicine due to their accessibility, affordability, widespread acceptance, and safety, making herbal remedies highly valued globally. Consequently, ensuring medicinal plants’ quality, efficacy, and safety has become a critical concern for developed and developing nations. The emergence of multidrug-resistant microorganisms poses a serious global health threat, particularly in low-income regions, despite significant advancements in antimicrobial drugs and medical research over the past century. The rapid spread of these multidrug-resistant infections is primarily attributed to improper prescriptions, overuse, and unregulated access to antibiotics. Addressing these challenges, the standardization of plant-derived pharmaceuticals could pave the way for a transformative era in healthcare. Preserving and leveraging the historical knowledge of medicinal plants is essential before such valuable information is lost. Recently, there has been growing interest among natural and pharmaceutical scientists in exploring medicinal plants as potential sources of antimicrobial agents. This current review aims to identify the most common pathogens threatening human health, analyze the factors contributing to the rise of drug-resistant microorganisms, and evaluate the widespread use of medicinal plants across various countries as alternative antibiotics, highlighting their unique mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance.

Feline coronavirus (FCoV) is widely circulating among domestic cats (Felis catus). The zoonotic origin of the emerged severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the biological characteristics of CoVs, including the ability to cross interspecies barriers, facilitate its emergence in different animals, including cats’ populations. The current study is the first to report the serological investigation on the presence of FCoV and SARS-CoV-2 in domestic cats living with COVID-19-positive owners in the UAE. A total of 83 sera were collected from domestic cats living with COVID-19-positive owners (by RT-qPCR). The cats were sampled during the period between February and May 2022 in Al-Ain and Abu Dhabi Cities, UAE. Detection of FCoV and SARS-CoV-2 was carried out by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). FCoV antibodies were detected in 54 samples (65%). The frequencies of FCoV were significantly higher in purebred cats (48%; 40/83) and in the cat group with outdoor access (49.4%; 41/83). SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in collected sera revealed 8 samples (9.6%) with positive results. Four samples (4.8%) showed positive results for both FCoV and SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. In conclusion, FCoV is widely circulating within cats’ populations involved in the study. The antibodies for SARS-CoV-2 were detected in cats’ populations but at a low prevalence rate. COVID-19-positive people should avoid close contact with their cats. Future serological testing of large cats’ populations is crucial for providing a good understanding of COVID-19 dynamics in cats.