Introduction: Dietary habits in Saudi Arabia have been shifting toward the Western diet, which is high in fat, salt, and sugar, leading to a high obesity rate. Different dietary strategies such as the Ketogenic Diet (KD), Intermittent Fasting (IF), Gluten Free Diet (GFD), and Calorie Restriction Diet (CRD) have shown an influential role in weight loss. This study aimed to compare trending diets and correlate different types of diet with obesity and lifestyle among adults in Saudi Arabia.Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed on Saudis and non-Saudis over 18 years old. We used convenience sampling, an online questionnaire distributed via social media channels, including WhatsApp, LinkedIn, and Twitter. SPSS 28 software was applied for data analysis. The chi-square test was used to determine associations between different variables. Statistical significance was considered at a value of p less than 0.05.Results: Most participants were females residing in the Eastern and Central regions of Saudi Arabia. Although most do not follow any dietary plan, they exhibited acceptable exercise and lifestyle. The minority of the study population followed different types of diet plans, such as KD, IF, and GFD. The purpose of most of the participants who have used these strategies was for weight loss but failed to sustain the dietary plan for more than 1 month.Conclusion: Obesity remains a challenging issue in Saudi Arabia. Adherence to dietary regimes could help in controlling obesity. Increasing the awareness of the benefits of each dietary plan for health, choosing the appropriate one, and sustaining a balanced nutrition pattern.

Secreted phosphoprotein-1 (SPP1) expression is differentially altered in many malignancies and could serve as a potential prognostic biomarker. Recent findings indicated that SPP1 possesses a broader role in bladder cancer (BC) pathogenesis than previously envisioned; however, the underlying mechanisms governing its expression, cellular localization, prognostic value and immune-related role in bladder cancer remain poorly understood. The expression and the prognosis value of SPP1 were assessed using immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining on a tissue microarray. SPP1 expression was correlated with the clinicopathological parameters, and survival analysis was calculated using a Kaplan–Meier plotter. Bioinformatics analysis of TCGA data was queried using UALCAN, CIBERSORT and TIMER datasets to decipher the biological processes enrichment pattern, protein–protein interactions and characterize tumor-infiltrating immune cells, respectively. IHC revealed that SPP1 expression is significantly associated with tumor type, stage, grade and smoking status. The Kaplan–Meier survival curve showed that low SPP1 expression is an unfavorable prognostic indicator in bladder cancer patients (p = 0.02, log-rank). The significant increased expression of the SPP1 level is associated with evident hypomethylation of the gene promoter in cancer compared to normal tissues in the TCGA-bladder dataset. Missense mutation is the most frequent genetic alteration of the SPP1 gene. Protein–protein interactions demonstrated that SPP1 shares the same network with many important genes and is involved in many signaling pathways and biological processes. TIMER reported a significant correlation between SPP1 expression and multiple immune cells infiltration. Furthermore, the expression of SPP1 was found to be positively correlated with a number of immune checkpoint genes such as PD-1 and CTLA4. The current investigation indicates that the SPP1 protein could serve as a prognostic biomarker and merit further investigation to validate its clinical usefulness in patients with bladder cancer.

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide. High-income countries have a greater incidence and mortality rate of breast cancer than low-income countries. As a result, raising awareness about breast cancer is crucial in increasing the chances of early detection and treatment. Social media has evolved into an essential tool for Breast Cancer Awareness Month campaigns, allowing people to share their breast cancer stories and experiences while also providing a venue for education and support. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the level of public interest in searches linked to breast cancer among a sample of high-income nations with a sizable internet user base from 2012 to 2022. We also sought to compare the proportional search volume for breast cancer during Breast Cancer Awareness Month with that during other months of the year. Methods: Google Trends was used to retrieve data on internet user search behaviors in the context of breast cancer from 2012 to 2022. Seven countries were evaluated in this study: Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, and the United States, in addition to global data. Breast cancer relative search volume trends were analyzed annually, monthly, and weekly from 2012 to 2022. The annual percent change (APC) was calculated for each country and worldwide. Monthly and weekly data were used to identify potential trends. Results: A fluctuating pattern in APC rates was observed, with a notable increase in 2018 and a significant decrease in 2020, particularly in Saudi Arabia. Monthly analysis revealed a consistent peak in search volume during October (Breast Cancer Awareness Month) each year. Weekly trends over a 20-year period indicated significant decreases in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States, while increases were noted in Ireland. Heatmap analysis further highlighted a consistent elevation in median search volume during October across all countries. Conclusions: These findings underscore the impact of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and suggest potential influences of governmental COVID-19 pandemic control measures in 2020 on internet search behavior.

Stem cell therapy provides a viable alternative treatment for degenerated or damaged tissue. Stem cells have been used either alone or in conjunction with an artificial scaffold. The latter provides a structural advantage by enabling the cells to thrive in three-dimensional (3D) settings, closely resembling the natural in vivo environments. Previously, we disclosed the development of a 3D scaffold made from cotton, which was conjugated with arginyl-glycyl-aspartic acid (RGD), to facilitate the growth and proliferation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). This scaffold allowed the MSCs to adhere and proliferate without compromising their viability or their stem cell markers. A comprehensive analysis investigation of the molecular changes occurring in MSCs adhering to the cotton fibers will contribute to the advancement of therapy. The objective of this study is to analyze the molecular processes occurring in the growth of MSCs on a cotton-RGD conjugated-based scaffold by examining their gene expression profiles. To achieve this, we conducted an experiment where MSCs were seeded with and without the scaffold for a duration of 48 h. Subsequently, cells were collected for RNA extraction, cDNA synthesis, and whole-transcriptomic analysis performed on both populations. Our analysis revealed several upregulated and downregulated differently expressed genes in the MSCs adhering to the scaffold compared with the control cells. Through gene ontology analysis, we were able to identify enriched biological processes, molecular functions, pathways, and protein–protein interactions in these differentially expressed genes. Our data suggest that the scaffold may have the potential to enhance osteogenesis in the MSCs. Furthermore, our results indicate that the scaffold does not induce oxidative stress, inflammation, or aging in the MSCs. These findings provide valuable insights for the application of MSCs in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Background: The rise in vaping use across high-income countries is driven partly by marketing, advertising, and flavors promoted by e-cigarette producer firms. The current study aim is to examine the potential variation in the relative research volume on vaping products between countries with highest level of tobacco banning internet advertising and those with no ban on tobacco internet advertising. Method: We used weekly relative search volume (RSV) data produced by Google Trends (GT). A total of eight countries included in the study, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, United States, Ireland, New Zealand, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia. The countries were regrouped into ban in internet advertising countries, and the no bans in internet advertising countries. Results: The trend test indicates a statistically significant upward trend in GT vaping search volume across all the included countries. However, the percentage increase of search volume for the ads no ban group was higher than ban group. There is a statistically significant difference in median between the two group, ( P < 0.0007), (median, 6.25 [IQR, 0.103] for the ban in internet advertising countries vs (median 7.5 Interquartile Ranges (IQR), [0.542] for the no bans on internet advertising countries. Conclusion: Countries with stringent bans on online tobacco advertising have shown lower levels of vaping-related search interest, indicating the potential effectiveness of such regulations. Our research underscores the importance of emphasizing comprehensive bans on tobacco advertising and sales online could help mitigate the upward trend in vaping interest.

Background Stem cell therapy represents a good alternative therapy to the degenerated or damaged tissue. Stem cells have been used solely or in combination with a scaffold. The latter offers a structural advantage as it allows the cells to grow in 3 Dimensional (3-D) conditions mimicking thein vivoenvironments. We have previously reported the development of a 3-D Arginyl-glycyl-aspartic acid (RGD)-conjugated cotton-based scaffold for the growth and proliferation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). The scaffold allowed the adhesion of the MSCs and their proliferation without compromising their viability and their stem cell markers. In depth analysis of the molecular changes in the MSCs adhering to the cotton fibers will result in better therapy. Our work aims at identifying the molecular events happening in growing MSCs on the cotton-RGD conjugated-based scaffold through their gene expression profiles. In this study we have seeded MSCs with and without scaffold for 48 hours. Celle were collected for RNA, cDNA synthesis and whole transcriptomic analysis run on both populations. Results Our analysis revealed several up-regulated and down-regulated differently expressed genes in the MSCs adhering to the scaffold compared to the control cells. Gene ontology analysis identified enriched biological processes, molecular functions, pathway and protein-protein interaction in up-regulated and down-regulated genes. Conclusions Our data suggest that the scaffold might have enhanced potential to induce osteogenesis in the MSCs. The results also suggest that the scaffold does not induce oxidative stress, inflammation and aging of the MSCs. Our findings provide useful data for the MSCs applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.