The aim of the present study was to investigate vitamin D status among female out-patients in Saudi Arabia during the summer and winter seasons.

Data were retrospectively collected using medical record abstraction.

A multidisciplinary hospital in Riyadh between January and December 2009.

Saudi females (age ≥19 years; n 1556) attending out-patient clinics for various complaints comprised the studied population. The population was subdivided into two groups depending on the date of their visit where blood samples were collected: summer (n 659) and winter groups (n 897). The summer group was further subdivided into premenopausal (age 19–49 years; n 425) and postmenopausal subgroups (age ≥50 years; n 234). Similarly, the winter group was subdivided into premenopausal (n 543) and postmenopausal subgroups (n 354). Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) were measured using HPLC.

The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (25(OH)D <50 nmol/l) was high in both premenopausal and postmenopausal groups (80 % and 68 %, respectively) during the summer, as well as during the winter (85 % and 76 %, respectively).

A high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among Saudi female out-patients was observed throughout the year despite the routine supplementation with 10–20 μg vitamin D3 for postmenopausal women. Clinicians should seriously consider determining the vitamin D status of Saudi females routinely and prescribing them proper supplementation.

This is a copy of the slides presented at the meeting but not formally written up for the volume.

Magnetic nanoparticles have found utility in many biological applications, including imaging, cancer therapy, drug delivery, sensing and hyperthermia for tumor therapy. Hyperthermia is raising the tissue temperature between 41.5 - 46 degrees Celsius to kill cancerous cells while preserving the normal cells. Due to the fact that many robust synthetic strategies exist for iron oxides which results in high quality, monodisperse and crystalline nanoparticles, hyperthermia applications have traditionally used magnetic oxide nanoparticles. On the other hand, new materials for hyperthermia that combine the advantages of stability with those of magnetic behavior are desirable. We report the synthesis of MnZnFe, CoGdZn and ZnGdFe nanoparticle systems which are ideal for biological applications over magnetic oxides due to their conjugation chemistry, and surface chemistry. We present an AC magnetic heating studies of these nanoparticle systems which exhibit magnetic field heating. The frequency dependence of the heating follows general trends predicted by power loss equations and is similar to traditional materials. The heating pattern of Zn-Gd-Fe (20mg/ml) using alcohol thermometer at 961 kHz and 433 KHz and the heating pattern of Mn-Zn-Fe [Zn = 0.5 conc.](20mg/ml) using alcohol thermometer at 961 kHz and finally the heating pattern of Co-Gd Zn [Zn = 0.2 conc. Gd (1-X)] (20mg/ml) using alcohol thermometer at 961 kHz are reported. X Ray Diffraction studies and SQUID magnetic measurements and TEM and EDX particle size and constituents measurements are also included for the nanoparticle systems. In conclusion, high quality heating nanoparticle composites were developed for hyperthermia treatment of cancer. The composites generate sufficient heat at room temperature and stops heating at the Curie temperature Tc of the respective nanoparticle system.