Search

Objective: Differential effects of linagliptin and vildagliptin may help us personalize treatment for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). The current study compares the effect of these drugs on glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in an artificial neural network (ANN) model. Methods: Patients with T2DM who received either vildagliptin or linagliptin, with predefined exclusion criteria, qualified for the study. Two input variable datasets were constructed: with or without imputation for missing values. The primary outcome was HbA1c readings between 3 to 12 months or the reduction in HbA1c levels. Results: The cohort comprised 191 individuals (92 vildagliptin and 99 linagliptin). Linagliptin group had significantly higher disease burden. For imputed dataset, HbA1c was lower with linagliptin at 3 to 12 months (7.442 ± 0.408 vs. 7.626 ± 0.408, P < 0.001). However, there was a small yet significant difference in HbA1c reduction favoring vildagliptin over linagliptin (-1.123 ± 0.033 vs. -1.111 ± 0.043, P < 0.001). LDL level, uric acid, and the drug group were identified as predictors for HbA1c levels. In the non-imputed dataset HbA1c at 3 to 12 months was lower with linagliptin (median ± IQR: 7.489 ± 0.467 vs. 7.634 ± 0.467, P-value < 0.001). However, both linagliptin and vildagliptin exhibited similar reductions in HbA1c levels (both median ± IQR of -1.07 ± 0.02). Predictors for HbA1c levels included eGFR level and the drug group. Conclusion: Linagliptin effectively lowers HbA1c levels more than vildagliptin including in patients with comorbidities. DPP4-I choice is a constant predictor of HbA1c in all models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Body fat distribution is a predictor of metabolic health in obesity. In this Classics in Diabetes article, we revisit a 1985 Diabetes article by Swedish investigators Ohlson et al. This work was one of the first prospective population-based studies that established a relationship between abdominal adiposity and the risk for developing diabetes. Here, we discuss evolving concepts regarding the link between regional adiposity and diabetes and other chronic disorders. Moreover, we highlight fundamental questions that remain unresolved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquaponics is an environment-friendly system that combines fish and plant crop farming together. The goal of the study was to ascertain the effects of Epsom salt on the growth of water spinach and tilapia in media-based and nutrient film technique (NFT) of aquaponics systems. The Epsom salt was applied to the leaves (T1) at 5% and the roots (T2) at 373 kg/ha fortnightly, while T3 was the control. Water spinach seeds were planted in media beds, and tilapia were stocked in fish tanks at a density of 3.55 ± 0.51 kg/m3. Fish were fed commercial floating pelleted feed with a 30% protein content at the rate of 3% body weight twice daily. Fish growth and water quality parameters were measured periodically. The result interpretation showed that the highest mean length and weight gain, specific growth rate, and fish production were found in T2, where the food conversion ratio (FCR) was the lowest (1.43 (± 0.02)). The control (T3), in comparison, showed a higher FCR (2.02 (± 0.12)) and lower values for all growth parameters, with the exception of fish survival. The T1 in the media bed system had the tallest plants (79.33 ± 7.02 cm), whereas the T2 had the longest and heaviest roots. However, in the NFT system, T1 had the highest water spinach output, followed by T2 and T3, indicating that Epsom salt in the NFT system functioned better in water spinach production than in the media bed system. To optimize the Epsom salt dose in both NFT and media bed aquaponics systems, more research is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pancreatic cancer is a relatively uncommon type of cancer, although it is often very aggressive and highly metastases to other parts of the body. Investigating a potential gene marker or gene targeted therapy can improve the patient's early prognosis and/or treatment. Objectives: In this study, we identify Integrin Subunit Alpha 2 (ITGA2) as a potential target in inhibiting pancreatic cancer progression. Materials and Methods: Cell cycle analysis, gene expression level, and cell proliferation assay are implanted in this study as investigational methods. Twotailed student's t test is used to compare between the studied groups. Results: Cell cycle analysis for the transformed cell lines revealed increasing in G0/G1 phase and entering the cells the cell cycle arrest (quiescence) after knocking down ITGA2 expression. On the other hand, knocking down the ITGA2 effect, the mesenchymal to epithelial transition and the migration possibility of the cell lines by inhibiting the expression of metastatic marker vimentin. Furthermore, ITGA2 can manipulate the tumor microenvironment by downregulating Extracellular Matrix proteins (ECMproteins) LAMB3, and LAMC2. Conclusion: ITGA2 downregulation reduces the cell proliferation, induces the cell cycle arrest, and reduce the possibility of metastasis in pancreatic cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Around the world, population growth and urbanization are rapidly increasing, resulting in high waste generation. When waste is not properly managed, it creates serious health issues, and methane (CH4) generation and other toxic pollutants will lead to global climatic changes. The technologies that involve converting the waste into electricity, biofuel, etc... are very expensive and amount to 20-50% of municipal budgets. An automatic waste segregating and composting system, which helps to segregate the waste into metal and biodegradable materials by using an Arduino and various sensors, is proposed. After being crushed in the composting process, biodegradable waste is used to make fertilizers and achieve the required level of compost by maintaining and controlling its parameters. By using an ultrasonic sensor, the system determines whether the bin is empty or full. It also gives data about the bin status by using "THINGVIEWFREE" app. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Jornal of Biotechnology Research Center is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: The spread of monkeypox (mpox) worldwide poses a severe threat to human life. This virus leads to a disease with symptoms similar to smallpox in humans. To combat this threat, improving public knowledge and perception toward mpox is vital for public health preventive measures.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out in Yemen from December 2022 to March 2023 to investigate public perception and knowledge of mpox. Individuals were approached through social media platforms using a convenient sampling approach. Linear regression was used to determine the association between participants' knowledge (dependent variable) and explanatory variables.Results: A total of 853 individuals consented to take part in the study. A significant proportion of respondents had a low knowledge level (N=572, 67.06%). Most participants knew about the nature of the diseases (75%, n=641), transmission mode (78.1%, n=668), hand sanitizer preventive measures, and skin- related symptoms. However, only 20.8% (n= 178) knew that diarrhea is not a symptom, and 25.4% (n= 217) knew antibiotics are unnecessary for mpox management. A proportion of 57.7% (n=492) of the participants feared human mpox, and 47.7% (n= 407) thought it was a conspiracy. Most participants had a good perception of local and international health authorities controlling the disease. Age, education level, having a health-related certificate, and receiving a 2-dose vaccination for COVID-19 had statistically significant associations with mpox knowledge level (P < 0.05). Social media platforms were the most often used information source about mpox (78.3%, n= 668), followed by articles (41.1%, n=351).Conclusion: The study reveals a low public knowledge about mpox in Yemen, emphasizing the need for targeted educational campaigns, especially via social media, to strengthen public health measures and disease control. Addressing Knowledge gaps and correcting misconceptions is crucial for improving preparedness and response to the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optical fibres are generally used to provide a guided path to optical signals. Optical fibres are classified as multi-mode or single-mode fibres. Multi-mode graded index (GRIN) optical fibres have been prevalent in short-range optical networks, while single-mode GRIN fibres are used for long-range links. Another potential application of optical fibre is the optical delays in numerous applications, such as quantum computing, network buffering, data synchronization, pattern correlation, etc. This paper conceptualizes a novel application of an asymmetric GRIN optical fibre for possible enhanced optical delays. An asymmetric GRIN parabolic profile with helical structure geometry has been proposed for this task. A detailed analysis has been presented to investigate the effects of various parameters of the proposed geometry. Further, a guided propagation has also been demonstrated with the help of ray optics and the Helmholtz wave equation to assess the feasibility of the proposal. The presented investigations revealed that the geometrical length of the proposed structure is significantly compact compared with the traditional GRIN fibre, proving it beneficial for optical delays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trauma is the number one cause of death among Americans between the ages of 1 and 46 years, costing more than $670 billion a year. Following death related to central nervous system injury, hemorrhage accounts for the majority of remaining traumatic fatalities. Among those with severe trauma that reach the hospital alive, many may survive if the hemorrhage and traumatic injuries are diagnosed and adequately treated in a timely fashion. This article aims to review the recent advances in pathophysiology management following a traumatic hemorrhage as well as the role of diagnostic imaging in identifying the source of hemorrhage. The principles of damage control resuscitation and damage control surgery are also discussed. The chain of survival for severe hemorrhage begins with primary prevention; however, once trauma has occurred, prehospital interventions and hospital care with early injury recognition, resuscitation, definitive hemostasis, and achieving endpoints of resuscitation become paramount. An algorithm is proposed for achieving these goals in a timely fashion as the median time from onset of hemorrhagic shock and death is 2 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: The viral agent of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) continues to spread worldwide, leading to a global pandemic. this may negatively affect students' mental health who have to maintain their learning efforts. Therefore, we aimed to assess students' perceptions of the online learning programs designed for university students in Arab countries during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Methods: This cross‐sectional study was conducted on university students using a self‐administered online questionnaire in 15 Arab countries, including 6779 participants. The actual sample size was calculated using the EpiInfo program calculator. The validated, piloted questionnaire assessed the effectiveness of internet‐based distance learning applications used in these countries during the pandemic. The SPSS version 22 was used. Results: Among the 6779 participants, 26.2% believed that their teachers diversify learning methods, 22.0% thought that their teachers were able to treat the weakness the students have, and 30.7% agreed that their teachers efficiently communicate with them through COVID‐19 internet‐based learning process. Around 33% of students participated in lectures effectively, 47.4% submitted their homework within accepted deadlines, and 28.6% thought that their colleagues did not cheat during exams and homework. Around 31.3% of students believed that online‐based learning had a role in directing them towards research, and 29.9% and 28.9%, respectively, believed that online learning had a role in developing analytical thinking and synthesis skills. Participants reported many suggestions to enhance the process of internet‐based distance learning in the future. Conclusion: Our study suggests that online‐based distance learning in Arab countries still needs more improvement as students still are more inclined toward face‐to‐face teaching. However, exploring the factors that influence students' perceptions of e‐learning is vital for improving the quality of online‐based distance learning. We recommend exploring the perceptions of educators regarding their experience towards online‐based distance learning during COVID‐19 lockdown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work investigates the medical image denoising (MID) application of the dual denoising network (DudeNet) model for chest X-ray (CXR). The DudeNet model comprises four components: a feature extraction block with a sparse mechanism, an enhancement block, a compression block, and a reconstruction block. The developed model uses residual learning to boost denoising performance and batch normalization to accelerate the training process. The name proposed for this model is dual convolutional medical image-enhanced denoising network (DCMIEDNet). The peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) and structure similarity index measurement (SSIM) are used to assess the MID performance for five different additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) levels of σ = 15, 25, 40, 50, and 60 in CXR images. Presented investigations revealed that the PSNR and SSIM offered by DCMIEDNet are better than several popular state-of-the-art models such as block matching and 3D filtering, denoising convolutional neural network, and feature-guided denoising convolutional neural network. In addition, it is also superior to the recently reported MID models like deep convolutional neural network with residual learning, real-valued medical image denoising network, and complex-valued medical image denoising network. Therefore, based on the presented experiments, it is concluded that applying the DudeNet methodology for DCMIEDNet promises to be quite helpful for physicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding healthcare professionals' perceptions towards a computerised decision support system (CDSS) may provide a platform for the determinants of the successful adoption and implementation of CDSS. This cross-sectional study examined healthcare professionals' perceptions, barriers, and facilitators to adopting a CDSS for antibiotic prescribing in Jordanian hospitals. This study was conducted among healthcare professionals in Jordan's two tertiary and teaching hospitals over four weeks (June–July 2021). Data were collected in a paper-based format from senior and junior prescribers and non-prescribers (n = 254) who agreed to complete a questionnaire. The majority (n = 184, 72.4%) were aware that electronic prescribing and electronic health record systems could be used specifically to facilitate antibiotic use and prescribing. The essential facilitator made CDSS available in a portable format (n = 224, 88.2%). While insufficient training to use CDSS was the most significant barrier (n = 175, 68.9%). The female providers showed significantly lower awareness (p = 0.006), and the nurses showed significantly higher awareness (p = 0.041) about using electronic prescribing and electronic health record systems. This study examined healthcare professionals' perceptions of adopting CDSS in antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) and shed light on the perceived barriers and facilitators to adopting CDSS in AMS, reducing antibiotic resistance, and improving patient safety. Furthermore, results would provide a framework for other hospital settings concerned with implementing CDSS in AMS and inform policy decision-makers to react by implementing the CDSS system in Jordan and globally. Future studies should concentrate on establishing policies and guidelines and a framework to examine the adoption of the CDSS for AMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Infantile colic is a difficult experience met by the parents in the first few months of an infant’s life. Infantile colic is traditionally defined by the Wessel’s criteria “rule of 3s” in an infant who is well-fed and otherwise heathy. The cornerstones in the management of infantile colic are parental reassurance and education. Objectives: To assess the maternal knowledge regarding infantile colic causes and management strategies and to identify the association of some sociodemographic factors with their knowledge. Subjects and method: A cross-sectional study was done among mothers in Central Pediatric Teaching Hospital during their visit to consultation, emergency room, and any ward of the hospital with infant's age ranged between 1-5 months with infantile colic, corresponding to modified Wessel criteria. One hundred seventy-two participants were interviewed face to face using a questionnaire of 45 questions. Results: From total of 172 mothers, the majority of infants’ ages were two months and most of them were males and they were on mixed feeding. The majority of mothers’ ages between 20-24 years old and they were housewives with 61.0% of them were secondhand smoke. The majority (76.2%) of the mothers depend on family and friends as a sources of knowledge. They were thinking that colic attacks would increase because of the food the mothers ate, due to the mothers not keeping themselves warm, and formula feeding. The behavioral soothing techniques most widely used were keep baby in a sitting position when feeding; massage the baby, lay them a cross your lap and gently rub their back, placing baby in a dim, quiet room, and changing mother’s diet and drinking if the mother breast feeding. Almost all mothers (90.7%) said that the drops had a benefit in the treatment of colic and change in formula effective in reducing the symptoms of infantile colic. Conclusion: The parents should be informed that infantile colic is a self-limiting condition, will not harm their babies. They also should be use the pharmacological treatment under the supervision of doctor assurance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Of the total 47 species in the subgenus Acanthosentis, 43 have been reported from the freshwater fishes of Asia. Amin et al. (2017) provided a key to the 23 species of the genus Acanthogyrus reported from the Indian subcontinent. The present study reports two new species: Acanthogyrus bispinosa n. sp. and A. garciai n. sp. from Cirrhinus mrigala Hamilton and Labeo calbasu Hamilton, respectively, and two previously described species: A. golvani Gupta and Jain, 1980 and A. hereterospinus Khan and Bilqees, 1990 from L. rohita Hamilton and L. catla Hamilton, respectively. A. bispinosa n. sp. comprises 3 circles of 6 proboscis hooks each. Trunk spines in A. bispinosa n. sp are divided into two groups: anterior and posterior separated by unarmed region, which has not been previously reported in the subgenus. Anterior spines are present in 7–8 and 7–10 circles in females and males, respectively, whereas posterior spines are in 23–28 and 31–38 circles in males and females, respectively. A. garciai n. sp. comprises 3 circles of 6–8 hooks each and a single set of trunk spines is present in A. garciai n. sp., comprising 35–42 and 25–45 circles in males and females, respectively. All four species were also characterised based on the 18S, 28S, and ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rRNA molecular markers. The Bayesian inference tree generated based on these markers showed distinct identities of all the species, with a significant molecular divergence, ranging from 3.2 to 53.6%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Corticosteroids play a significant role in managing the vast majority of inflammatory and immunologic conditions. To date, population-based studies on knowledge and attitudes concerning corticosteroids are scarce. This study aims to comprehensively assess knowledge, perception, experience and phobia toward corticosteroid use among the general population in the era of COVID-19. Methods: A cross-sectional self-administrated questionnaire was used to collect the data from 6 countries. Knowledge and corticophobia scores, descriptive statistics and logistic regression were computed. Results: A total of 2354 participants were enrolled in this study; the majority were females (61.6%) with an average age of 30. Around 61.9% had been infected previously with COVID-19, and about one-third of the participants had experience with corticosteroid use. The mean knowledge score was relatively satisfactory (8.7 ± 4.5 out of 14), and Corticophobia ranked a high score in all countries. Age, female gender, and history of COVID-19 were positively correlated with developing corticophobia. Conclusion: Our study highlights that the general knowledge about steroids was satisfactory. However, the phobia toward its use upon indication is high. Therefore, enhancing awareness and providing essential counseling regarding the rational use of corticosteroids may reduce corticophobia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The molecular origins of homochirality on Earth is not understood well, particularly how enantiomerically enriched molecules of astrobiological significance like sugars and amino acids might have been synthesized on icy grains in space preceding their delivery to Earth. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) identified in carbonaceous chondrites could have been processed in molecular clouds by circularly polarized light prior to the depletion of enantiomerically enriched helicenes onto carbonaceous grains resulting in chiral islands. However, the fundamental low temperature reaction mechanisms leading to racemic helicenes are still unknown. Here, by exploiting synchrotron based molecular beam photoionization mass spectrometry combined with electronic structure calculations, we provide compelling testimony on barrierless, low temperature pathways leading to racemates of [5] and [6]helicene. Astrochemical modeling advocates that gas-phase reactions in molecular clouds lead to racemates of helicenes suggesting a pathway for future astronomical observation and providing a fundamental understanding for the origin of homochirality on early Earth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The document titled "565 Empowering Community Organizations with the Team Science Community Toolkit" discusses the development of a toolkit designed to empower community organizations (COs) in achieving equity in community-engaged research (CER). The toolkit was co-created by community and academic partners and incorporates the Science of Team Science and User-Centered Design principles. It includes templates, checklists, and interactive tools to support COs in all stages of the research process. The toolkit has undergone validation through focus groups and usability testing, and participants expressed enthusiasm and a sense of empowerment. The impact of the toolkit is currently being evaluated. [Extracted from the article]

This paper presents a Chaos–Infused Moth–Flame Optimizer (CI-MFO). The parent algorithm is modified to account for deviations in search agent (moth) flight trajectory and variations in the flame orientation for an enhanced balance between exploration and exploitation tendencies. Actual photographic evidence showing light traces of such phototactic moths in-flight has been used to model flight path deviations using Chaos Theory. This approach considers their intelligence and erratic flight behavior (when subjected to excessive crowding). The performance of the developed CI-MFO algorithm is investigated comprehensively using a suite of fifty-eight benchmarking functions, including seven unimodal, six multimodal, ten fixed-dimension multimodal, six CEC-2005 hybrid-composite, and twenty-nine CEC-2017 hybrid-composite functions. The proposed algorithm's effectiveness is tested against several classical algorithms and some modified metaheuristic optimization algorithms in terms of obtained mean optima and standard deviations, and scalability analysis is also performed. The paper concludes by solving several real-world problems and comparing the proposed algorithm's performance against several reported algorithms. The proposed algorithm exhibited a substantially better solution-finding ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: COVID-19 infection is normally followed by several post-COVID effects. This study aimed to investigate to evaluate menstrual changes in females following COVID-19 infection, and to evaluate female perception about the effect of COVID-19 on their menstrual cycles. Methods: During this cross-sectional survey-based study, a convenience sample of 483 women from Jordan and from Iraq, who had infected with COVID-19 were invited to fill-out the study questionnaire. Results: The study was conducted on the females, with a median age 31 years old. Results showed that 47.2% of them (n = 228) suffered from a change in the number of days between two consecutive periods, as well as from a change in the amount of blood loss. Also, more than 50% of them believed that COVID-19 infection may cause changes in the amount of blood loss during the cycle (n = 375, 56.9%), and changes in the number of days between the two consecutive periods (n = 362, 54.2%). Regression analysis showed that participants with higher educational level (bachelor or higher) (Beta = -0.114, P = 0.011), and those living in Iraq (Beta = -0.166, P<0.001) believed that COVID-19 has lower tendency to cause menstrual changes. In addition, non-married females (Beta = 0.109, P = 0.017), and those who are current smokers (Beta = 0.091, P = 0.048) believed that COVID-19 has higher tendency to cause menstrual changes. Conclusion: his study revealed that COVID-19 infection could affect the menstrual cycle for the females. Further prospective studies should be done to confirm these findings and evaluate how long these menstrual irregularities lasted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated changes in the average grain size and hardness values of 253 MA austenitic stainless steel (ASS) and determined the grain growth kinetics as well as a hardness empirical model. A 35% multi-pass cold rolling process was employed to reduce the thickness of a 253 MA austenitic stainless steel pipe. Then, the rolled steel was annealed at 1100 °C for various soaking times of 0, 900, 1800, 2700, and 3600 s in a tubular furnace under a hydrogen atmosphere, followed by quenching to room temperature in the cool zone of the furnace. Then, micro-Vickers hardness measurements were done using a force of 0.3 N and the grain size changes were observed. A line intercept method was applied to measure the change of the 253 MA austenitic grain size. The results show that the average grain size of 253 MA ASS (austenitic stainless steel) increased with soaking time, while the hardness values decreased. Additionally, an equation modeling the predicted grain growth and hardness values was obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In the current study, the views of Jordanian regarding sharing medical reports for research purposes were investigated during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, motivators and barriers regarding sharing of medical records were examined. Methods: This observational survey-based cross-sectional study was conducted using an electronic questionnaire during the COVID-19 pandemic (second half of 2020). The questionnaire link was disseminated through two social media platforms (WhatsApp and Facebook), targeting Jordanian adults (age >18 years). Results: In this study, 1,194 participants agreed to complete the study survey. Results showed that 58.3% of them (n = 696) reported to be willing to share their medical data. while 17.6% of the participants (n = 210) showed hesitancy to share their medical information. The most important motivators as perceived by the study participants were helping other patients who have similar health conditions (n = 995, 83.3%). Moreover, fearing from stigma (n = 753, 63.1%), and the lack of confidence in data security and privacy (n = 728, 61.0%) were among the main barriers preventing participants from sharing their information. Finally, results showed that participants with higher educational level (bachelor or higher) (OR = 0.299, P<0.001), or those living in center of Jordan (OR = 0.270, P<0.001) showed a lower tendency to share their medical data. While participants those who have shared data before showed a higher tendency to share their medical data (OR = 2.524, P<0.001). Conclusion: In this study, many of the participants had a positive attitude towards sharing biomedical data for scientific research during the COVID-19 pandemic, many had doubts in the control over their data. Thus, policymakers and data users should address the concerns and values of patients and understand their preferences in favor of an ethically scrupulous use of data in research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) is a rare but distinct hematological neoplasm with overlapping features of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN). Individuals with CMML have persistent monocytosis and bone marrow dyspoiesis associated with various constitutional symptoms like fevers, unintentional weight loss, or night sweats. It is established that there is a strong association of CMML with preceding or coexisting autoimmune diseases and systemic inflammatory syndromes affecting around 20% of patients. Various molecular abnormalities like TET2, SRSF2, ASXL1, and RAS are reported in the pathogenesis of CMML, but no such mutations have been described to explain the strong association of autoimmune diseases and severe inflammatory phenotype seen in CMML. Germline mutation in SH2B adaptor protein 3 (SH2B3) had been reported before to affect a family with autoimmune disorders and acute lymphoblastic leukemia. In this report, we describe the first case of a female subject with many years of preceding history of multiple sclerosis before the diagnosis of CMML. We outline the evidence supporting the pathogenic role of SH2B3 p.E395K germline mutation, connecting the dots of association between autoimmune diseases and CMML genesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Jordan Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences is the property of University of Jordan and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective: The objective of the present study was to explore the barriers and supporting factors for adherence among HIV patients and to explore their needs for pharmaceutical care services.Methods: This study utilizes in-depth interviews with HIV patients. Out of 50 patients approached, a total of 30 patients agreed to participate in the study. The researchers used a predesigned topic guide. The interview guide included two parts; the first one focused on the assessment of HIV patients' adherence to their treatment. The second part focused on patients' need for pharmaceutical care services.Results: Three main themes emerged from the interviews. Those included patient-related factors, medication-related factors and Healthcare professional related factors. This study found that a number of barriers that decreased adherence in HIV patients included stigmatisation, fear from disclosure, dosage form of the drug, adverse events and poor cooperation from healthcare professionals. On the other side supporting factors included family and friends support, electronic mobile reminders, feeling responsible to raising children, religious beliefs and feeling improvement while using therapy. Furthermore, the study illustrated that HIV patients need to have a specialist pharmacist in their healthcare team who delivers specialised pharmaceutical care services which may increase patients' adherence.Conclusions: The current study reveals a margin for medication adherence improvement in HIV patients. Patients in this study demonstrated the need for a pharmaceutical care. Future disease management and clinical pharmacy services programs should address the current study findings in order to improve the health service for HIV patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives This study aimed to explore the experiences and views of domiciliary coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients towards pharmaceutical care services provided during their infection. Methods This was a single-centred observational study conducted among home-treated COVID-19 patients (n = 500), who were tested positive for COVID-19 in a medical centre in Lebanon. Key findings Out of the 500 home-treated COVID-19 patients invited to participate in the study, 279 patients completed the questionnaire. Although the participants had a good view of pharmacists caring for COVID-19 patients (mean view score: 17.79/25), their treatment experiences were unsatisfactory (mean experience score: 1.51/4). Conclusions COVID-19 patients reported minimal involvement of pharmacists in their treatment. Therefore, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare authorities should intervene in restructuring, guiding and reviewing unrealized new pharmaceutical services to COVID-19 outpatients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined the effect of prior austenite grain size on twin density and hardness of austenitic stainless steels (ASS). The 253 MA and 316L ASS were subjected to multipass cold rolling to reduce thickness up to 2.3 mm. Subsequently, the rolled steels were heat treated at 1100°C at 0, 900, 1800, 2700, and 3600 seconds in a tubular furnace in a hydrogen atmosphere. At the end of the annealing time, the rolled steel was quenched in the cooled zone of the tubular furnace until it reached room temperature in a hydrogen atmosphere. Then, microstructure observation of ASS was done to identify the austenitic grain size and annealing twin, and a hardness test was performed using the micro-Vickers hardness scale. The line intercept method was used to measure the changes in 253 MA and 316L austenitic grain sizes. ImageJ software was used to measure grain size and twin length. The results showed that austenite grains of both steels grew normally; 253 MA ASS had a lower SFE and K value than 316L ASS, which indicated that 253 MA ASS had sluggish grain growth, smaller grains, more easily formed annealing twins, and higher twin density. The Hall-Petch coefficient, K', of 253 MA ASS was higher than 316L ASS, which resulted in a higher hardness value. The Sellars, Pande and Hall-Petch models were shown to predict austenite grain sizes, twin density, and hardness in 253 MA and 316L ASS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a response to a letter regarding a study titled "Perceptions and Knowledge of Public Towards Emerging Human Monkeypox in Yemen: A Cross-Sectional Study." The authors express their appreciation for the comments and acknowledge the limitations of their study, including the sampling methodology, concentration on adult participants in Sana'a, and potential desirability bias. They clarify that the points raised in the letter largely align with the strengths and limitations already acknowledged in their published work. The authors remain open to further clarifications or concerns. [Extracted from the article]

Despite being recognized as a key component towards reducing global GHG emissions, many challenges remain throughout the hydrogen value chain. Hydrogen storage is one critical aspect, since proper storage is essential for its wide scale deployment. One storage option is the chemisorption of hydrogen in metals and intermetallic alloys (i.e., metal hydrides). This approach can potentially address issues on safety, infrastructure, and cost which currently hinder the transition toward a hydrogen economy. The only suitable method for determining appropriate hydrogen storage materials is through experimentation which is resource intensive. There are many parameters that can affect the hydrogen storage capacity of a material; databases on previously investigated materials can be used to narrow down future investigation to the most promising candidates. Machine learning (ML) techniques can be employed to determine how different properties predict for hydrogen storage capacity. ML can use previously compiled data to generate a classification model that can be utilized for determining and predicting a material's viability for hydrogen storage. This paper uses the hyperbox ML technique to generate interpretable decision rules to predict if a metal hydride is a good candidate for hydrogen storage. A case study which specifically focuses on complex and magnesium hydrides is used to demonstrate this approach. The generated decision model had a false positive rate of 22.0 % and false negative rate of 36.8 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study were showed more developed in 3rd treated groups compare with control, 1st and 2nd treated groups, which were treated by chitosan-bovine cardiac myosin polymer in 50: 50, while control group treated with gentamicin antibiotic and chitosan group only by chitosan powder, bovine cardiac myosin group by myosin powder, gross pictures were showed similar in all groups at 1-3 days after surgery, 2nd and 3rd groups were loss edema above wound of surgery and wound line were showed until 9 days in 3rd treated group, while wound line in 2nd group were disappeared until to 10-13 days after surgery. Histopathological changes is very important to evidence the bovine cardiac myosin- hydrogel was effect to accelerate wound healing and speed recovery, collagen and fibers matrix in histopathology slides reveal to speed healing and the role of bovine cardiac myosin in wound healing, in conclusion the bovine cardiac myosin is highly effect in wound healing, in recommended ; to more study in this protein specially biochemical study and cytologyical study to knowledge the main elements whose play roles in tendon injury. Each group was tenoctomized the Achilles tendon, two groups were treated with one joule red laser and one joule green laser for 10 minutes daily for 14 days, laser beam applied vertically on the tendon dorsally, while the control group leaves to conventional recovery. The red laser group was showing significant values at P £ 0.05 in most items or parameters while green laser group was showed convergence with a control group except few items at P £ 0.05, as well as a red laser group show better healing sonographically while histopathologically, images reveal no different in all groups at microscopic observation. In conclusion, laser therapy mainly depends on wavelength more than density and red laser better than green laser in treatment of Achilles tendon injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been recently recognized as key players of gene expression in cerebral pathogenesis. Thus, their potential use in stroke diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy is actively pursued. Due to the complexity of the disease, identifying stroke-specific lncRNAs remains a challenge. This study investigated the expression of lncRNAs HIF1A-AS2 and LINK-A, and their target gene hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) in Egyptian stroke patients. It also aimed to determine the molecular mechanism implicated in the disease. A total of 75 stroke patients were divided into three clinical subgroups, besides 25 healthy controls of age-matched and sex-matched. Remarkable upregulation of lncRNA HIF1A-AS2 and HIF1-α along with a downregulation of lncRNA LINK-A was noticed in all stroke groups relative to controls. Serum levels of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), phosphorylated-Akt (p-Akt), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and angiopoietin-1 (ANG1) as well as their receptors, malondialdehyde (MDA), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were significantly increased, whereas brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels were significantly decreased particularly in hemorrhagic stroke versus ischemic groups. Eventually, these findings support the role of lncRNAs HIF1A-AS2 and LINK-A as well as HIF1-α in activation of angiogenesis, neovascularization, and better prognosis of stroke, especially the hemorrhagic type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Community pharmacists play a pivotal role in healthcare worldwide. Their role became more critical during the COVID‐19 pandemic. This study aims to investigate the community pharmacists' preparedness and responses to the COVID‐19 pandemic and how efficiently they were prepared to contain and prevent the spread of infection. Methods: An online questionnaire was distributed to community pharmacists in Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Jordan through social media platforms. A scoring system was developed to measure their level of adherence to the preventive measures of the global infection. Results: The total included responses were 800. Around 44% of the pharmacists reported spending less than 15 min/d reading about COVID‐19 updates. Although more than half of them were reviewing official sites, 73% of them were also retrieving information through non‐official channels. Additionally, almost 35% of them were directly contacting customers without physical barriers, 81% reported encountering infected customers, and 12% wore the same facial masks for more than a day. Moreover, 58% of the pharmacies reported the absence of door signs requesting infected customers to declare the infection, 43% of the pharmacies were not limiting the number of simultaneous customers, and 70% were not measuring customers' temperatures prior to entry. Collectively, the mean total score of applied protective measures was 10.12 ± 2.77 (out of 17). Conclusion: The level of preparedness of the community pharmacies in these three Middle Eastern countries was not adequate for facing the COVID‐19 pandemic. Health authorities in these countries should closely monitor their adherence to the protective guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasma hyaluronan (HA) increases systemically in type 2 diabetes (T2D) and the HA synthesis inhibitor, 4-Methylumbelliferone, has been proposed to treat the disease. However, HA is also implicated in normal physiology. Therefore, we generated a Hyaluronan Synthase 2 transgenic mouse line, driven by a tet-response element promoter to understand the role of HA in systemic metabolism. To our surprise, adipocyte-specific overproduction of HA leads to smaller adipocytes and protects mice from high-fat-high-sucrose-diet-induced obesity and glucose intolerance. Adipocytes also have more free glycerol that can be released upon beta3 adrenergic stimulation. Improvements in glucose tolerance were not linked to increased plasma HA. Instead, an HA-driven systemic substrate redistribution and adipose tissue-liver crosstalk contributes to the systemic glucose improvements. In summary, we demonstrate an unexpected improvement in glucose metabolism as a consequence of HA overproduction in adipose tissue, which argues against the use of systemic HA synthesis inhibitors to treat obesity and T2D. Hyaluronan is a naturally occurring linear polysaccharide that together with collagens, enzymes, and glycoproteins forms the extracellular matrix. Here the authors show that adipose tissue overproduction of Hyaluronan reduces fat accumulation in mice fed high-fat diet and improves systemic glucose homeostasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims of the Study: This study aims to determine females' views, experiences and attitudes regarding the caesarean section (CS) and to explore the factors that increase the prevalence of CS in Jordan. Design: This is a cross‐sectional study using a questionnaire that was distributed electronically through social media websites. Study participants included 1005 females with a history of at least one CS. Awareness, experiences about CS, complications and reasons for performing CS were investigated. Settings: The participants were recruited from all Jordan cities by social media and emails. Findings: Most of the respondents stated that the source of their knowledge about CS was from the internet (36.2%) followed by family and friends (31.6%). The majority of respondents were satisfied with their CS experience (72.8%). More than half of the participants (56.9%) reported that CS carries no risk for infants. About 53% of respondents stated that the most common reason leading women to choose to give birth via CS is the fear of labour pain. However, the majority of the respondents disagree with performing CS under maternal request (59.2%). Conclusions and Implications: This study indicated that Jordanian females do not have reliable sources of information about CS. This leads to lower awareness of CS and its complications, and, as expected, CS is more likely to be performed by privately insured women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Homeothermic vertebrates produce heat in cold environments through thermogenesis, in which brown adipose tissue (BAT) increases mitochondrial oxidation along with uncoupling of the electron transport chain and activation of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1). Although the transcription factors regulating the expression of UCP1 and nutrient oxidation genes have been extensively studied, only a few other proteins essential for BAT function have been identified. We describe the discovery of FAM195A, a BAT-enriched RNA binding protein, which is required for cold-dependent thermogenesis in mice. FAM195A knockout (KO) mice display whitening of BAT and an inability to thermoregulate. In BAT of FAM195A KO mice, enzymes involved in branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) metabolism are down-regulated, impairing their response to cold. Knockdown of FAM195A in brown adipocytes in vitro also impairs expression of leucine oxidation enzymes, revealing FAM195A to be a regulator of BCAA metabolism and a potential target for metabolic disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aims to explore home-treated COVID-19 patients' experiences and perceptions of pharmaceutical care services offered during their sickness. Methods: This is a cross-sectional online questionnaire study, where a 30-item questionnaire was texted via a link to COVID-19 patients who were tested positive previously. A list of anonymised numbers was obtained from different COVID-19 testing centres. The study received ethical approval from the Institutional Review Board at the King Abdulla University Hospital/Jordan University of Science and Technology. Key findings: A total of 268 patients who were previously diagnosed with COVID-19 agreed to participate in this study. Only 22.9% of patients reported taking medications regularly. Almost one-third of respondents (28.7%) indicated that pharmacists were involved in prescribing medicine to patients. Almost half the respondents (49.6%) stated that they or their caregivers obtained information and advice about their medicine from the pharmacists. Only 54.9% of the respondents agreed/strongly agreed that pharmacists have enough scientific information to provide the necessary medical assistance to COVID-19 patients. Patients who work in the medical field, and who always get their medication from the same pharmacy, showed better perception towards pharmaceutical care services that might be provided to COVID-19 patients (P < 0.01). Conclusions: Pharmacists had an unsatisfactory contribution to the management of the disease in outpatient settings. Moreover, there was a poor perception of the pharmacists' role including their knowledge, communication skills and counselling skills. Thus, it is essential to improve pharmacists' knowledge and practices about infectious diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The objective of this study was to explore community pharmacists' perspectives on administering COVID-19 vaccine in community pharmacies in Jordan. Methods: Purposeful sampling was used to identify a list of 100 community pharmacies which were approached to participate in the study. Twenty-three interviews were needed to reach data saturation. In-depth interviews were conducted, recorded, transcribed and analysed using NVivo 11 software. Interviews followed a previously prepared and validated 12-item interview guide. The interview guide discussed pharmacists' perspectives on providing the COVID-19 vaccine in community pharmacies. Key findings: The three overarching themes which described the participating pharmacists' views towards administrating the COVID-19 vaccine in community pharmacies were advantage, support and barriers. The reported advantages included expediting the COVID-19 vaccination process, convince people to take the vaccine, increased patient accessibility to vaccines and aiding the healthcare system in the vaccination process. Respondents indicated that they would be more willing to administer the COVID-19 vaccine if they received the needed support from the Ministry of Health and the Pharmacists Association. Furthermore, from the respondents' perspectives, the main barriers to this practice were having no confidence in the vaccine, risk of adverse effects and lack of training and expertise. Conclusions: Respondents reported a positive attitude towards administering the COVID-19 vaccine in community pharmacies. Respondents highlighted that they could help fighting the pandemic through administering the vaccine and expedite the vaccination process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was showed excellent healing of grape seed extract of eye corneal ulcer of pigeons compare with control and gentamicin groups. Grape seed extract which composite many biochemical components have bioactive to recover and heal ulceration of the cornea. Cornea is a connective tissue to have collagen and fibers and the defect of cornea, therefore, the recovery is slow. The grape seed extract group showed good healing of corneal ulcer that evident the extract has good bioactive component assist in healing compare two groups. Histopathological images reveal to excellent healing. In conclusion the grape seed extract is an excellent agent to treat eye, corneal ulcer in pigeons and other animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and predictors of polypharmacy in hospitalised patients in Jordan to help guide healthcare efforts in decreasing the burden on the healthcare system. Methods: This cross‐sectional study was conducted at the University of Jordan Hospital in Amman, Jordan. During the study period, a convenience sample of patients admitted to the internal medicine and surgical wards were approached to take part in this study. Following patients' recruitments, patients were interviewed and their medical files were reviewed to obtain demographic and clinical information regarding their medical conditions and their regular use of medicines. Then, the prevelence of patients with polypharmacy were identified, and factors predicting polypharmacy among them were determined. Results: Among the 300 participants who agreed to participate in this study, females represented 45.3% of the recruited sample (n = 139), and around 48.0% (n = 144) of the study sample were elderly people (≥65 years old). Most of the recruited patients (n = 248, 82.7%) were found to use polypharmacy (≥ 5 medications). Hypertension was the most frequent medical condition among study participants (n = 240, 80.0%) followed by diabetes (n = 185, 61.7%). Results of logistic regression analysis showed that polypharmacy was only significantly affected by patients' age (OR = 2.149, P‐value =.024) and monthly income (OR = 0.336, P‐value =.009), while other factors were not associated with polypharmacy. Elderly patients (≥65 years) were found to have polypharmacy more significantly than non‐elderly patients. Also, those with lower monthly income (<500 JD) were found to use lower polypharmacy compared with those with higher monthly income (>500 JD). Conclusion: The present study showed that polypharmacy is prevalent among patients in Jordan. While polypharmacy was not affected by smoking status, gender, BMI and educational level, it was significantly affected by monthly income and age. Further plans should be put in place to reduce polypharmacy, starting with effective pharmaceutical care services leading to treatment optimisation and ensuring desired treatment outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fullerenes (C60, C70) detected in planetary nebulae and carbonaceous chondrites have been implicated to play a key role in the astrochemical evolution of the interstellar medium. However, the formation mechanism of even their simplest molecular building block—the corannulene molecule (C20H10)—has remained elusive. Here we demonstrate via a combined molecular beams and ab initio investigation that corannulene can be synthesized in the gas phase through the reactions of 7-fluoranthenyl (C16H9˙) and benzo[ghi]fluoranthen-5-yl (C18H9˙) radicals with acetylene (C2H2) mimicking conditions in carbon-rich circumstellar envelopes. This reaction sequence reveals a reaction class in which a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) radical undergoes ring expansion while simultaneously forming an out-of-plane carbon backbone central to 3D nanostructures such as buckybowls and buckyballs. These fundamental reaction mechanisms are critical in facilitating an intimate understanding of the origin and evolution of the molecular universe and, in particular, of carbon in our galaxy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The present study aimed to exploring community pharmacists' willingness and readiness to test for COVID‐19 in Jordan. Methods: Purposeful sampling was used to identify a list of 30 community pharmacies, which were approached to participate in the study. Twenty interviews were needed to reach data saturation. In‐depth interviews were conducted, recorded, transcribed, and analysed using NVivo 11 Software. Interviews followed a previously prepared and validated 10‐item interview guide. The interview guide discussed pharmacists' willingness and readiness to test for COVID‐19. Results: Twenty community pharmacists were interviewed for the purpose of the present study. Interviews took place during April 2020 and the mean interview duration was 23.30 minutes. Respondents had a mean age of 36.4 years and a mean experience of 8.8 years. The majority were female (70%) and 50% held a BSc in Pharmacy. Regarding respondents' willingness to test for COVID‐19 emerging themes were helping other healthcare professional, willingness to contribute to official efforts in fighting COVID‐19, acting as an accessible testing cite, willingness to carry out home testing. Regarding respondents' readiness to test for COVID‐19 emerging themes were Pharmacists lack basic testing skills, pharmacies are not ready to preform tests and the need for training and certifying. Conclusion: Jordanian pharmacists are willing to test patients for COVID‐19 in community pharmacies, however, they thought they are not ready enough to undergo such tests and needed extra training and better safety precautions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The development and production of novel vaccine to prevent COVID-19 is an international imperative to human lives. For that purpose, clinical trials have to be carried out as per international ethical standards. The current study was undertaken to examine the willingness to participate in COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials and to determine factors that might affect their decision to participate. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional survey study was carried out among the public in Jordan. During the study period, a convenience sample of adults (aged 18 years or above) were asked to participate via an online self-administered survey that was designed to evaluate the willingness to participate in COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials and to determine factors affecting their decision to participate. Results: Results showed that, among participants (n=1,287), 36.1% reported to be willing to participate in clinical trials of the vaccine. Additionally, a lower percentage (18.1%) were willing to allow their children to participate. Motivators that encourage participation were the desire to return to normal life (73.2%), followed by the desire to help in finding a treatment for COVID-19 infection (68.1%). Barriers towards the participation were not wanting to be challenged by the virus (54.7%), fear (40.7%), lack of time (40.4%), and mistrust in pharmaceutical companies (38.9%). Finally, results showed that higher educational level was associated with lower willingness to participate (P=0.001), whereas having a previous participation in clinical studies is associated with a significantly higher willingness to participate in COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials (P< 0.001). Conclusion: A good portion of Jordanians are positive regarding participation in clinical studies of COVID-19 vaccine. Educational level and previous participation in clinical studies were among the determinants of such willingness. In addition, fear and lack of time were among the barriers of participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]