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Study of GCA, CSA and genetic hybrids of wheat grain quality traits (Triticum aestivum L.), Adana, Goz, 2 July, Site Mall, Research 22, Rashid, Milano, Sham 6, Aba 99. and Abu Ghraib. Half hybridization to obtain (45) hybrids. These hybrids were grown with my knowledge using the RCBD design for the first generation 2018 and 2019 and the second generation 2019 and are suitable for the characteristics (good plant yield and protein content). The method and method of camels and fathers against groups of camels and fathers plus camels was significant at the (1%) level for recovery, while the method of sweeping on camels was not significant for the characteristic that enables it to work. The 2019 generation for the protein percentage and the first generation 2019 for the average total protein percentage in the other generations for the protein percentage and that the ratio of components between the estimators was less than intelligent for the plant productivity characteristic and for all generations, the first generation 2018 for the protein percentage and the next generation 2019 the first alternative 2019 for the protein percentage and the first generation 2019 for the protein percentage. The first 2018 for the protein percentage and the first generation 2019 The next 2019 The first alternative 2019 for the protein percentage and the first generation 2019 This is important for additional and non-additional effects. 4 and 7 are superior. Hybrids (1x8), (6x9) have their own general ability to achieve maximum accuracy.

This article examines the role of human rights in international investment arbitration. A review of the historical origins of human rights and international investment law shows that the two fields are inextricably connected and share significant similarities, particularly in terms of their norms and principles. However, their separate origins and development has also given rise to ambiguities and tensions as to how human rights considerations can be invoked in international investment arbitration and by whom. The article examines the various contexts of such invocations and analyzes human rights references in investment treaties. It argues that ambiguities and tensions are especially problematic because they carry not merely theoretical but practical implications. It shows that the trend of convergence and overlap between the two fields is growing and concludes by arguing that greater integration of human rights law into international investment law and arbitration is not only desirable but essential for the unification of public international law and addressing many of its ambiguities.

There are several approaches for the calculation of capillary pressure curves in porous media including the centrifuge method. In this work, a new installation of centrifuge test is introduced and compared with the traditional setup. In the first setup, which is a standard approach in labs, the core face closest to the rotational axis is open to the non-wetting phase, while the farthest face is open to the wetting phase where strictly co-current flow is generated in rotations; labeled Two-Ends-Open (TEO). In the second setup, which is proposed as a new approach, only the outer radius surface is open and is exposed to the light non-wetting phase; labeled One-End-Open (OEO). This setup strictly induces counter-current flow. The two systems and their corresponding boundary conditions are formulated mathematically and solved by a fully implicit numerical solver. The TEO setup is validated by comparison with commercial software. Experimental data from the literature are used to parameterize the models. It is mathematically, and with examples, demonstrated that the same equilibrium is obtained in both systems with the same rotational speed, and changing the installation does not influence the measured capillary pressure. This equilibrium state is only dependent on the rotational speed, rock capillary pressure properties, and fluid densities, not the installation geometry, relative permeabilities, or fluid viscosities. However, the dynamic transition trend and saturation profiles were found to be dependent on the applied installation. It was observed that the OEO setup takes almost identical equilibration time as the TEO setup for mixed-wet states, although it needed much longer time in water-wet states. The presence of threshold capillary pressure significantly increased the time scale of the OEO setup. Also, it was found that in contradiction to the TEO setup, the dynamic saturation profile in OEO was rarely influenced by viscosity ratio. To conclude, the performed history matching analysis demonstrated that the OEO setup can be applied for the calculation of counter-current relative permeability from the production data with reasonable accuracy.

Saudi Arabia has now opened its markets to foreign investors in line with its strategy to diversify its economy. However, investors need to feel confident that Saudi enterprises are being monitored and regulated appropriately. This study identifies the impact of improvements in Saudi corporate governance practices among insurance firms. The effects of corporate governance on the financial performance of 35 insurance firms listed on the Saudi stock market are examined from 2008 to 2014, including Shariah-compliant and life insurance firms. Four different methodologies are used: the generalised least squares random effect, fixed effect models, a difference-in-differences (DID) measurement for comparisons, and the probit model with average marginal effect to address endogeneity. The results indicate that firm performance is affected by information asymmetry. The 2009 exogenous shock from the Saudi regulatory change to board composition and audit committee size shows a positive effect on performance in the DID comparison. However, an increase in independent board and audit committee members has a significant negative effect. Other findings indicate that an increase in CEO (Chief Executive Officer) age has a positive effect on performance, as do three pay variables (director incentives, CEO and top executive pay, and above-the-mean director incentives). However, when CEO and top executive pay increases above the mean, the effect turns negative; this also happens with a change in CEO from poor performance. The results support the importance of Saudi insurance industry corporate governance regulation and reflect the improved governance perspectives of the Saudi Capital Market Authority and Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency.

لا يختلف اثنان في أهمية دراسة تراث الإمام علي () لما انطوى عليه المجتمع ولما له صلة وثيقة في ذاكرة الشعوب الإسلامية التي آمنت بحقه وعدله التي اكتسبت مكانة كبيرة وأهمية متميزة في المصنفات التي عنيت بسيرة الإمام علي (ع) وعلى الرغم من مرور خمسة عشر قرناً على استشهاده ، ولا شك في أن المحاولات ستستمر جيلاً بعد جيل في دراسة منهجه مادام الظلم شائعاً . وقد استطاع الإمام علي () بسابق ايمانه وبخبرته التي اكتسبها من ملازمته النبي (ص) وقدرته في الجانب الفكري والسياسي والعسكري ومدى تأثيره في مسار الوقائع والانشطة البشرية أن يعطي صورة صادقة عن الإسلام في عصره وان يضيف بطريق غير مباشرة جانبا من احوال ذلك العالم السياسية والاقتصادية والثقافية التي امتاز به . وقد تناول الباحث في هذه الدراسة دور الإ مام علي () في احداث الفتنة وتضمنت محورين الأول منها تناول موقف الإمام علي () من الانتقادات الموجهة ضد عثمان بن عفان

Patients with cardiac conditions may suffer from anxiety related to prognosis and further rehabilitation. Anxiety could be exacerbated by different factors including miscommunication, which could be attributed to the linguistic barrier, that exists among health care providers. At Saud Al-Babtain Cardiac Center (SBCC), nurses who are non-native Arabic speakers could have difficulty communicating disease-related information at different stages of nursing care. Is it possible to identify the language barrier as a source of anxiety for admitted patients with cardiac diseases? In this cross-sectional, descriptive study, 50 patients were included following the diagnosis of cardiac disease and post-cardiac surgery. A questionnaire that measures anxiety level showed that patients who were handled by Arabic-speaking nurses reported less collective mean for the anxiety domain statements of (20.08) versus those who were handled by Non-Arabic-speaking nurses (28.55, P value = .041). Our finding indicates that anxiety levels increased when there was a language barrier between nurses and patients, which could affect the quality of care delivery at SBCC.

This study attempted to investigate and unveil the linguistic planning among the Arabs in old times by reading available modern literature and references, and comparing them to what was written by Arab scholars in classical literary. The aim of the research was to see the beginning of linguistic planning among the Arabs, the implied topics in their books and scientific values. The result of the research showed the linguistic planning known by the Arabs before the advent of Islam, Quraish known political organization mentioned in the Koran, the codification of the Koran during the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) era, the order of Abu Bakr to Omar bin al-Khattab on arabization of education to other Arabic speakers, Omar bin Abdul ‘Aziz’s effort in codifying the Sunnah, and the innovation of Khalil ibn Ahmad Faraaheedi in prosody, and Qomoha and Benoit’s ways in correcting linguistic errors.DOI : 10.15408/a.v3i1.2910

Abstract: Ovarian cancer (OC) presents a diagnostic challenge, often resulting in poor patient outcomes. Platelet RNA sequencing, which reflects host response to disease, shows promise for earlier OC detection. This study examines the impact of sex, age, platelet count, and the training on cancer types other than OC on classification accuracy achieved in the previous platelet-alone training data set. A total of 339 samples from healthy donors and 1396 samples from patients with cancer, spanning 18 cancer types (including 135 OC cases) were analyzed. Logistic regression was applied to verify our classifiers’ performance and interpretability. Models were tested at 100% specificity and 100% sensitivity levels. Incorporating patient age as an additional feature along with gene expression increased sensitivity from 68.6% to 72.6%. Models trained on data from both sexes and on female-only data achieved a sensitivity of 68.6% and 74.5%, respectively. Training solely on OC data reduced late-stage sensitivity from 69.1% to 44.1% but increased early-stage sensitivity from 66.7% to 69.7%. This study highlights the potential of platelet RNA profiling for OC detection and the importance of clinical variables in refining classification accuracy. Incorporating age with gene expression data may enhance OC diagnostic accuracy. The inclusion of male samples deteriorates classifier performance. Data from diverse cancer types improves advanced cancer detection but negatively affects early-stage diagnosis.

Mast cells are mobile secretory cells with a variety of biological tasks such as phagocytosis, processing of antigens, cytokine production, and the release of both newly formed and preexisting physiological mediators. This study aimed to investigate and establish the relationship between mast cells and various stages of periodontal diseases. A total of 36 soft tissue samples, 12 each of normal healthy periodontal, dental plaque periodontitis, and chronic periodontitis were selected. Samples were collected from patients with periodontal surgery in chronic periodontitis and plaque periodontitis. Samples were stained with 1% toluidine blue (TB), immunohistochemistry for CD117 expression, and observed under a light microscope for the presence of mast cells. All data were analyzed using SPSS. The mast cells were found to be highest in the chronic periodontitis group, followed by the dental plaque periodontitis group, as compared to the healthy periodontal group. The quantitative study of mast cells using TB staining showed statistically significant differences among the three groups. However, the results showed no statistically significant difference in the expression levels of CD117 in the plaque periodontitis and healthy periodontal group but showed a statistically significant difference between chronic periodontitis and healthy periodontal group. Thus, an increase in mast cells in human periodontal diseases suggests that these cells are crucial for developing chronic periodontitis. [ J Adv Biotechnol Exp Ther 2025; 8(1.000): 182-191]

In today’s expanding cities, pipeline networks are becoming an essential part of the industrial infrastructure. Monitoring these pipelines autonomously is becoming increasingly important. Inspecting pipelines for cracks is one specific task that poses a huge burden on humans. Undetected cracks may pose multi-dimensional risks. In this paper, we introduce the Pipeline Leak Identification Emergency Robot Swarm (PLIERS) system, an industrial system that deploys Internet-of-Things (IoT), robotics, and neural network technologies to detect cracks in emptied water and sewage pipelines. In PLIERS, a swarm of robots inspect emptied pipelines from the inside to detect cracks, collect images of them, and register their locations. When the images are taken, they are fed into a cloud-based module for analysis by a convolutional neural network (CNN). The CNN is used to detect cracks and identify their severity. Through extensive training and testing, the CNN model performance showed promising scores for accuracy (between 80% and 90%), recall (at least 95%), precision (at least 95%), and F1 (at least 96%). Additionally, through the careful design of a prototype for a water/sewage pipeline structure with several types of cracks, the robots used managed to exchange information among themselves and convey crack images to the cloud-based server for further analysis. PLIERS is a system that deploys modern technologies to detect and recognize cracks in pipeline grids. It adds to the efforts of improving instrumentation and measurement approaches by using robots, sensory, IoT principles, and the efficient analysis of CNNs.

Financial markets in Lebanon are constrained by government influence, Islamic financial principles, and some barriers to foreign participation. Productivity in the Lebanese financial sector ranks below its occidental counterpart in spite the fact that regulatory, supervisory, and accounting standards are generally consistent with international norms. This paper aims to give the reasons and recommendations of the failure of applying the optimal management information system in the Lebanese Financial Sector. Our results show that the reasons include among others the systems by it selves, their functionalities, but also, companies’ strategy and human capital issues.

Self-nanomicellizing solid dispersion is a new formulation that combines the advantages of solid dispersion and nanomicelles strategies to increase drug oral bioavailability. The strategy involves utilizing a suitable carrier to create a solid dispersion that self-assembles into nanomicelles when it comes into contact with gastrointestinal fluids. Rebaudioside A is a steviol glycoside that has been reported to possess nano carrier-like characteristics by being self-assembled into nanomicelles in aqueous solutions. Canagliflozin is a novel sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor approved for treating patients with type 2 diabetes. Its oral administration is associated with variable and poor absorption, owing primarily to insolubility in aqueous media. This work aimed to develop canagliflozin self-nanomicellizing solid dispersion systems to overcome its pharmaceutical limitation and enhance oral bioavailability. The solvent evaporation method was selected to prepare a self-nanomicellizing solid dispersion system of canagliflozin. Rebaudioside A was chosen as a nanocarrier after screening several polymers for their ability to improve the solubility of canagliflozin by phase solubility study. The optimized formulations were characterized by solid-state analysis, dissolution studies, particle size distribution, and TEM. The study demonstrates that the self-nanomicellizing solid dispersion of canagliflozin, based on Rebaudioside A (FR5), has a 69.7 nm spherical particle size, stable distribution upon 20-fold dilution, and improved aqueous solubility by over 753.5-fold due to nanomicellization, as determined through scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, dynamic light scattering, and transmission electron microscopy. Moreover, there is a significant enhancement of dissolution rate compared with the physical mixture (PM) and pure drugs, as indicated by higher values of f1 and lower values of f2, which are obtained. The optimized formula of canagliflozin self-nanomicellizing SD (FR5) dissolved well after 30 minutes and demonstrated higher dissolution efficiency (DE) than the intact canagliflozin and physical mixture. The DE% parameter confirms these findings (DE30,FR5 = 70.34%, DE30,PM = 21.91%, and DE30,pure drug = 18.28%. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy reveals mild interactions between the drug and the excipient due to hydrogen bonding, favoring the formation of a stable solid dispersion system with negligible chemical interactions. The study indicates that optimized canagliflozin self-nanomicellizing sold dispersion systems using rebaudioside A are promising methods for improving oral bioavailability.

The aim of this research is to determine the optimal conditions for extracting phenols and flavonoids from the bran of Iraqi proso millet and Ukrainian foxtail millet, whole and defatted, and studying some of their biological characteristics. Petroleum ether, methyl alcohol (60% and 80%), distilled water, and ethyl alcohol at concentrations of 60, 80, 90, and 99% were used as extraction solutions. The flavonoid content was estimated using the Rutin standard curve, and the phenolic content was determined using the Folin-Ciocateau method based on the gallic acid standard curve. The results showed that the concentration of phenolic compounds and flavonoids in proso millet bran extracts were (770.56, 865.38, 1059.94, 883.16, 722.17, 726.12, 587.79, 400.69) µg/g and (188.26, 196.26, 353.60, 671.38, 96.94, 93.60, 117.60, 300.60) µg /g, respectively, and in Ukrainian millet bran extracts (889.08, 1034.80, 1182.00, 1331.17, 1008.19, 990.42, 592.85, 581.43) µg /g and (302.94, 484.26, 758.94, 940.32, 188.26, 97.60, 217.60, 554.94) µg/g respectively. The highest phenolic and flavonoids compounds concentrations were achieved when ethyl alcohol (99%) as extraction solution was used for Ukrainian millet. Therefore, this treatment was adopted in conducting the free radical scavenging test, at different concentrations (0.125, 0.250, 0.500, 0.750, 0.800) mg/ml, as RSA were (24.68, 40.18, 67.56, 81.98, 89.55%), respectively, compared to ascorbic acid at the same concentrations, which were (40.14, 57.34, 73.46, 89.93, 99.55%).

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive and fatal disease, characterized by impaired wound repair, tissue remodeling and fibrosis. Immune system may participate in the development and progression of the disease as indicated by altered activity in IPF sufferers. This study investigates the immune response to the BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine in patients with IPF compared to healthy controls, with a particular focus on evaluation of antibody responses, interferon-gamma release, cytokine profiling and a broad panel of immune cell subpopulations. IPF patients without prior exposure to SARS-CoV-2 had undetectable levels of anti-N IgG antibodies, highlighting their lack of previous infection. After vaccination, IPF patients showed a significant increase in anti-S1 IgG and IgA antibodies, though their levels were lower compared to healthy controls and convalescent IPF patients. Additionally, IPF patients exhibited altered proportions of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and effector T lymphocytes (Teffs) before and after vaccination. Specifically, IPF patients had higher percentages of Tregs with a Th2 phenotype and Th17 Tregs, along with reduced proportions of Th1/17 Tregs. Teffs in IPF patients showed a decrease in Th1-like and Th2-like populations after vaccination. Moreover, IPF patients demonstrated elevated populations of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (Tc) before vaccination and increased levels of γδ Tc cells throughout the study. Alterations in cytokine profiles were also observed, IPF patients showed higher levels of IL-6 and IL-22 compared to healthy controls. These findings suggest a distinct immune response in IPF patients to the COVID-19 vaccine, characterized by differences in antibody production, T cell differentiation and cytokine secretion compared to healthy individuals.

Entrepreneurship is identifying and capitalizing on novel possibilities, and possessing a sharp entrepreneurial acumen is crucial for identifying and exploiting these prospects. The article examines the intricate relationship between proactive conduct, entrepreneurial awareness, and organizational dynamism. The research investigates the influence of proactive conduct on entrepreneurial awareness and the development and use of dynamic skills in entrepreneurial environments.This study investigates proactive behavior, entrepreneurial awareness, and company dynamism via a comprehensive survey of existing literature.The study shows that dynamic capabilities are crucial in connecting proactive behavior with entrepreneurial awareness. The research asserts that the company's capacity to generate and use dynamic capabilities is crucial in enhancing proactive behavior, entrepreneurial awareness, and dynamism.

Background Acute exacerbations of fibrosing interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) are associated with high mortality. We used prospective data from the INBUILD trial to investigate risk factors for acute exacerbations and the impact of these events in patients with progressive pulmonary fibrosis. Methods Patients with progressive fibrosing ILDs other than idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) were randomised to receive nintedanib or placebo. Associations between baseline characteristics and time to first acute exacerbation were assessed using pooled data from both treatment groups using Cox proportional hazard models, firstly univariable models and then a multivariable model using forward stepwise selection. The risk of death was estimated based on the Kaplan−Meier method. Results Over a median follow-up of approximately 19 months, acute exacerbations were reported in 58 (8.7%) of 663 patients. In the risk factor analysis, the final model included diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) % predicted, treatment and age. Lower DLCO % predicted was associated with an increased risk of acute exacerbation with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.56 (95% CI 1.21–2.02) per 10 units lower (p

Background: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a highly prevalent disease. We aimed to assess the symptoms that physicians who see patients with AR perceive as the most bothersome in their patients. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study based on an online questionnaire sent to all members of the Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) initiative. The survey included questions on the physicians' perceptions of patients’ AR symptoms as well as of their own AR symptoms. Results: Among 401 respondents, 155 (38.7%) reported having AR. ARIA members reported nasal symptoms to be the most frequent (89.7%) and bothersome (80.0%) symptoms experienced by themselves. Likewise, nasal symptoms were reported by ARIA members as the most frequent (94.8% in members with AR vs 96.0% in members without AR) and bothersome (57.0% in members with AR vs 67.9% in members without AR) in their patients. We found a significant association (p = 0.001) between physicians’ own symptoms and those perceived as the most bothersome in their patients. Conclusion: Physicians perceive nasal symptoms to be the most frequent and the most bothersome symptoms in AR patients. The physicians' personal experiences with AR may influence their perception of patients’ symptoms.

Background Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions are the leading cause of disability worldwide. In MSK care, access to physical therapy is a major issue. The effectiveness of telerehabilitation phone assessment in improving access to care for MSK conditions has not yet been established in Saudi Arabia. Purpose To compare the effect of using a telerehabilitation phone with face-to-face care initial assessment on access to care, number of sessions and goals achievement at discharge. Methods This is a retrospective unmatched case-control analysis of a total of 724 Epic ® Electronic Medical Records guided by the Evidence standards framework for digital health technologies. Closed referrals from January 1st, 2022, to August 4th, 2022, for adults referred to Physical Therapy for MSK conditions were included. Participants who received a phone assessment were compared to those who received face-to-face care. The t-test was used to compare the means of the lead time, days to second appointment and number of treatment sessions. Univariate logistic regression was conducted to obtain the odds ratio of the outcome factors in the phone group. Statistical significance was set at p ≤ .05. Additionally,we compared the percentage of goal achievement at discharge. Results The lead time in days was significantly lower for the phone group (3.82 ± 5.36) compared to the face-to-face group (15.65 ± 17.71) p

There is a limited understanding of the immunological differences between children and adults that protect children from developing severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Previous infection with endemic human coronaviruses (HCoVs) has been suggested as a factor. In this study, we used 100 paired residual samples collected before and during the COVID-19 pandemic from children in Bangladesh. We compared the changes in their sero-status (no COVID-19 vs. COVID-19) and quantified antibody levels to HCoVs. We found that although 45% of the children seroconverted for IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, there was no correlation between evidence of previous infection with HCoVs and the magnitude of SARS-CoV-2 antibody responses post-infection. Moreover, no differences in the anti-HCoV antibody levels were found pre- and post-SARS-CoV-2 infection.

This review presents current opinions on an uncommon condition called catamenial pneumothorax (CP), which is usually associated with thoracic endometriosis syndrome (TES). TES is characterized by the presence of endometriotic lesions in pleura and lung parenchyma and presents with various clinical signs and symptoms, including catamenial pneumothorax. Their diagnosis is often delayed. Pulmonary endometric lesions, however, often detected in patients with hemothorax and hemoptysis, may be absent in a proportion of cases of pneumothorax. The typical presentation of CP includes signs and symptoms of pneumothorax, which occur along with menstruation, most commonly around 24 h before and 48–72 h after its onset. However, they may not occur during every menstrual cycle. Suggestive CP lesions on conventional radiography (RTG) include pneumoperitoneum accompanying right-sided pneumothorax, lung opacities, pleural effusion, and nodular infiltrates. Chest and abdomen computed tomography (CT), particularly contrast-enhanced, may additionally show pneumoperitoneum and diaphragmatic lesions. The management of CP includes supportive treatment of acute symptoms and causal treatment to prevent recurrent disease. This article presents the pathophysiology of CP, an overview of the diagnostic methods, and the current therapeutic approaches. The necessity for a multidisciplinary approach to the diagnosis of CP and to the choice of the best treatment modality is underlined (promising new therapeutic options are also mentioned); however, international guidelines are still missing.

Paul S. Katz was not included as an author in the original publication [...]

Abstract Background Transcatheter mitral valve-in-valve (TMVIV) or valve-in-ring (TMVIR) replacement offer an alternative therapy for high risk patients. We aimed to highlight the operative and postoperative results of TMVIV and TMVIR procedures. Results We included all patients underwent TMVIV and TMVIR procedures between 2017 and 2020 at two heart centers in Germany. We included a total of 36 high risk patients in our study where 12 received TMVIV and 24 received TMVIR. All patients underwent TMVIV or TMVIR with Edwards Sapien XT or S3 transcatheter valves (Edwards Lifesciences). The mean age was 79 (75–83 years old). The median (IQR) preoperative STS score was 9 (7–13)% and EuroSCORE II was 14.5% (12–16). The majority of our patients were operated via transapical approach (n = 26) and the minority via transseptal approach (n = 10). Out of our records, none of our patients required reopening for bleeding or any other surgical complications. None of our patients required reintervention during the 6 months follow-up period. One mortality was recorded on fifth postoperative day due to low cardiac output syndrome (obviously because of LVOT obstruction by the anterior mitral leaflet). The average blood loss was 200 ml in the first 24 h in patients underwent transapical approach. Average operative time was 93 min and all patients were immediately extubated after the procedure in the operating room (even the patient with echocardiographically documented LVOT obstruction who died on the fifth postoperative day). Length of Intensive Care Unit stay was 2 ± 1.2 days and length of hospital stay was 4.1 ± 1.2 days. In the follow up period, echocardiograms showed normal prosthetic valve function with low transvalvular gradients, no LVOT obstruction in TMVIR cases and no evidence of valve migration or thrombosis (except in one patient). Concerning 6 months readmission, it was recorded in 2 patients due to right sided heart failure symptoms due to preexisting high degree of tricuspid valve regurge which did not disappear or even decrease after the operation and the other patient due to gastrointestinal bleeding. Conclusions TMVIV and TMVIR offer an efficient, safe and less invasive alternative in high surgical risk patients.

Mutations in emerging severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) lineages can interfere with laboratory methods used to generate viral genome sequences for public health surveillance. We identified 20 mutations that are widespread in variant of concern lineages and affect widely used sequencing protocols by the ARTIC network and Freed et al. Three of these mutations disrupted sequencing of P.1 lineage specimens during a recent outbreak in British Columbia, Canada. We provide laboratory validation of protocol modifications that restored sequencing performance. The study findings indicate that genomic sequencing protocols require immediate updating to address emerging mutations. This work also suggests that routine monitoring and protocol updates will be necessary as SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve. The bioinformatic and laboratory approaches used here provide guidance for this kind of assay maintenance.

ABSTRACT: This article reports a case of a 21-year-old woman with refractory B-cell acute lymphocytic leukaemia who presented with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). She remained positive for SARS-CoV-2 by viral culture for 78 days and by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for 97 days. Sequencing of repeat samples over time demonstrated an increasing and dynamic repertoire of mutations.

Several severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 variants of concern (VOCs) emerged in late 2020; lineage B.1.1.7 initially dominated globally. However, lineages B.1.351 and P.1 represent potentially greater risk for transmission and immune escape. In British Columbia, Canada, B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 were first identified in December 2020 and P.1 in February 2021. We combined quantitative PCR and whole-genome sequencing to assess relative contribution of VOCs in nearly 67,000 infections during the first 16 weeks of 2021 in British Columbia. B.1.1.7 accounted for 50% by week 8. P.1 accounted for

Liquid biopsies offer a minimally invasive sample collection, outperforming traditional biopsies employed for cancer evaluation. The widely used material is blood, which is the source of tumor‐educated platelets. Here, we developed the imPlatelet classifier, which converts RNA‐sequenced platelet data into images in which each pixel corresponds to the expression level of a certain gene. Biological knowledge from the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes was also implemented to improve accuracy. Images obtained from samples can then be compared against standard images for specific cancers to determine a diagnosis. We tested imPlatelet on a cohort of 401 non‐small cell lung cancer patients, 62 sarcoma patients, and 28 ovarian cancer patients. imPlatelet provided excellent discrimination between lung cancer cases and healthy controls, with accuracy equal to 1 in the independent dataset. When discriminating between noncancer cases and sarcoma or ovarian cancer patients, accuracy equaled 0.91 or 0.95, respectively, in the independent datasets. According to our knowledge, this is the first study implementing an image‐based deep‐learning approach combined with biological knowledge to classify human samples. The performance of imPlatelet considerably exceeds previously published methods and our own alternative attempts of sample discrimination. We show that the deep‐learning image‐based classifier accurately identifies cancer, even when a limited number of samples are available.

Abstract Background Hepatitis C virus (HCV) causes life-threatening chronic infections. Implementation of novel, economical or widely available screening tools can help detect unidentified cases and facilitate their linkage to care. We investigated the relationship between chronic HCV infection and a potential complete blood count biomarker (the monocyte-to-platelet ratio) in the United States. Methods The analytic dataset was selected from cycle years 2009–2016 of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Complete case data- with no missingness- was available for n = 5281 observations, one-hundred and twenty-two (n = 122) of which were exposed to chronic HCV. The primary analysis used survey-weighted logistic regression to model the effect of chronic HCV on the monocyte-to-platelet ratio adjusting for demographic and biological confounders in a causal inference framework. Missing data and propensity score methods were respectively performed as a secondary and sensitivity analysis. Results In the analytic dataset, outcome data was available for n = 5281 (n = 64,245,530 in the weighted sample) observations of which n = 122 (n = 1,067,882 in the weighted sample) tested nucleic acid positive for HCV. Those exposed to chronic HCV infection in the United States have 3.10 times the odds of a high monocyte-to-platelet ratio than those not exposed (OR = 3.10, [95% CI: 1.55–6.18]). Conclusion A relationship exists between chronic HCV infection and the monocyte-to-platelet ratio in the general population of the United States. Reversing the direction of this association to predict chronic HCV infection from complete blood counts, could provide an economically feasible and universal screening tool, which would help link patients with care.

This study is centered around a set of research questions that aim to explain how sustainability balanced scorecard architectures with sustainability parameters either embedded or treated as a separate perspective relate to environmental investment decision-making. The research also examines the mediating role of sustainability balanced scorecard knowledge and moderating role of strategic risk information. This article presents the results and answers to the research questions via conducting an experimental study approach using a two-factor factorial design. This is possibly the first study that determines, through an experimental procedure conducted with managers working in large manufacturing companies, whether any significant difference exists in environmental investment decision outcomes when decision-makers are presented with either an architecture where sustainability is embedded with the traditional four perspectives of balanced scorecards versus when it is presented as a separate fifth perspective. Furthermore, the development of an integrated model is possibly a significant contribution to the extant literature.

Abstract Background We report our experience of treating anastomotic strictures using a novel type of fully covered metal stent (FCSEMS). This stent, known as the Kaffes Stent, is short-length with an antimigration waist and is easily removable due to long retrieval wires deployed within the duodenum. Methods Sixty-two patients underwent ERCP and Kaffes stent insertion for post-transplant anastomotic strictures following confirmation of a stricture on MRCP. These patients were retrospectively analysed for immediate and long-term stricture resolution, improvement in symptoms and liver function tests (LFTs), stricture recurrence and complication rates. Results Of the 56 patients who had their stent removed at the time of analysis, 54 (96%) had immediate stricture resolution and 42 continued to have long-term resolution (mean follow-up period was 548 days). Of the 16 patients with symptoms of biliary obstruction, 13 had resolution of their symptoms. Overall, there was a significant improvement in LFTs after stent removal compared to before stent insertion. Complication rates were 15% with only one patient requiring biliary reconstruction. Conclusions The Kaffes stent is effective and safe at resolving post liver transplant biliary anastomotic strictures.

Abstract Background Pirfenidone is an antifibrotic agent approved for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The drug is available for Polish patients with IPF since 2017. The PolExPIR study aimed to describe the real-world data (RWD) on the Polish experience of pirfenidone therapy in IPF with respect to safety and efficacy profiles. Methods This was a multicentre, retrospective, observational study collecting clinical data of patients with IPF receiving pirfenidone from January 2017 to September 2019 across 10 specialized pulmonary centres in Poland. Data collection included baseline characteristics, pulmonary function tests (PFTs) results and six-minute walk test (6MWT). Longitudinal data on PFTs, 6MWT, adverse drug reactions (ADRs), treatment persistence, and survival were also collected up to 24 months post-inclusion. Results A total of 307 patients receiving pirfenidone were identified for analysis. The mean age was 68.83 (8.13) years and 77% were males. The median time from the first symptoms to IPF diagnosis was 15.5 (9.75–30) months and from diagnosis to start of pirfenidone treatment was 6 (2–23) months. Patients were followed on treatment for a median of 17 (12–22.75) months. Seventy-four patients (24.1%) required dose adjustments and 35 (11.4%) were chronically treated with different than the full recommended dose. A total of 141 patients (45.92%) discontinued therapy due to different reasons including ADRs (16.61%), death (8.79%), disease progression (6.51%), patient’s own request (5.54%), neoplastic disease (3.91%) and lung transplantation (0.33%). Over up to 24 months of follow-up, the pulmonary function remained largely stable. The median annual decline in forced vital capacity (FVC) during the first year of pirfenidone therapy was −20 ml (−200–100) and during the second year was −120 ml (−340–30). Over a study period, 33 patients (10.75%) died. Conclusions The PolExPIR study is a source of longitudinal RWD on pirfenidone therapy in the Polish cohort of patients with IPF supporting its long-term acceptable safety and efficacy profiles and reinforce findings from the previous randomised clinical trials and observational studies.

ABSTRACT SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence studies may be complicated by vaccination efforts. It is important to characterize the ability of serology methods to correctly distinguish prior infection from postvaccination seroreactivity. We report the performance of the Meso Scale Discovery (MSD) V-PLEX COVID-19 Coronavirus Panel 2 IgG assay. Using serum samples from a prospective cohort of paramedics, we calculated the performance of the V-PLEX nucleocapsid (“N”) assay to classify prior SARS-CoV-2 infections, defined as a (i) history of a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test or (ii) positive serology results using the Roche Elecsys total nucleocapsid anti-SARS-Cov-2 assay. We calculated sensitivity and specificity at the optimal threshold (defined by the highest Youden index). We compared subgroups based on vaccination status, and between models that excluded prior infections 3 to 12 months before sample collection. Of 1119 participants, 914 (81.7%) were vaccinated and 60 (5.4%) had evidence of a preceding SARS-CoV-2 infection. Overall and within vaccinated and unvaccinated subgroups, the optimal thresholds were 828 AU/mL, 827 AU/mL, and 1324 AU/mL; with sensitivities of 0.95 (95% CI: 0.94 to 0.96), 0.95 (0.94 to 0.96), 0.94 (0.92 to 0.96) and specificities of 0.88 (0.86 to 0.90), 0.87 (0.85 to 0.89), and 0.94 (0.89 to 0.98), respectively. N-assay specificity was significantly better in unvaccinated (versus vaccinated) individuals (P = 0.005). Overall optimal thresholds based on the AUC values were higher for samples from unvaccinated participants, especially when examining infections within the preceding 9 months (5855 versus 1704 AU/mL). Overall, V-PLEX nucleocapsid assay cutoff values were higher among unvaccinated individuals. Specificity was also significantly higher among unvaccinated individuals. Different thresholds were required to achieve optimal test performance, especially for detecting SARS-CoV-2 infections within the preceding 9 months. IMPORTANCE Among a cohort of adult paramedics in Canada, we investigated the performance of nucleocapsid (N) antibody detection (measured with a V-PLEX assay) to identify previous COVID-19 infections and compared differences among vaccinated and unvaccinated. Our data indicate that vaccinated and unvaccinated groups require different thresholds to achieve optimal test performance, especially for detecting COVID-19 within the preceding 9 months. Overall, specificity was significantly higher among unvaccinated, compared to vaccinated individuals.

BackgroundAs part of the public health outbreak investigations, serological surveys were carried out following two COVID-19 outbreaks in April 2020 and October 2020 in one long term care facility (LTCF) in British Columbia, Canada. This study describes the serostatus of the LTCF residents and monitors changes in their humoral response to SARS-CoV-2 and other human coronaviruses (HCoV) over seven months.MethodsA total of 132 serum samples were collected from all 106 consenting residents (aged 54-102) post-first outbreak (N=87) and post-second outbreak (N=45) in one LTCF; 26/106 participants provided their serum following both COVID-19 outbreaks, permitting longitudinal comparisons between surveys. Health-Canada approved commercial serologic tests and a pan-coronavirus multiplexed immunoassay were used to evaluate antibody levels against the spike protein, nucleocapsid, and receptor binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2, as well as the spike proteins of HCoV-229E, HCoV-HKU1, HCoV-NL63, and HCoV-OC43. Statistical analyses were performed to describe the humoral response to SARS-CoV-2 among residents longitudinally.FindingsSurvey findings demonstrated that among the 26 individuals that participated in both surveys, all 10 individuals seropositive after the first outbreak continued to be seropositive following the second outbreak, with no reinfections identified among them. SARS-CoV-2 attack rate in the second outbreak was lower (28.6%) than in the first outbreak (40.2%), though not statistically significant (P>0.05). Gradual waning of anti-nucleocapsid antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 was observed on commercial (median Δ=-3.7, P=0.0098) and multiplexed immunoassay (median Δ=-169579, P=0.014) platforms; however, anti-spike and anti-receptor binding domain (RBD) antibodies did not exhibit a statistically significant decline over 7 months. Elevated antibody levels for beta-HCoVs OC43 (P

Background: In developing countries, particularly in Iraq, the use of generic medicines has been increasing in recent years, primarily as a cost-saving measure in healthcare provision. In the Iraqi market, famotidine tablets are available from different pharmaceutical companies. As a result, regular pre-marketing quality testing is required to check the quality and identify which product might safely substitute the innovator product in the event of the innovator brand's unavailability or high cost. Objective: various quality control tests have been conducted to determine the Pharmaceutical Equivalence of the different generic and brands of Famotidine film-coated tablets marketed in Iraq. Materials and Methods: Four different samples of the most commonly available Famotidine 20 mg tablets in the Iraqi market were tested for drug contents, friability, and hardness. Additionally, the in-vitro drug release and kinetics were evaluated. Results: slight differences in the products’ content were found; however, they were within the acceptable requirement of British Pharmacopeia (BP) and The United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) 30, NF 25. Similarly, the friability and hardness were within the excellent range according to the B.P. and USP. The results of our study indicated that the tested brand (Famodin) and the three generic products (Famosam, Ulceran, and Famodar) of Famotidine tablets have a unique pattern of in-vitro release profiles. However, all the tested brands and generic pills complied with the USP specifications for the immediate release dosage forms except for Famosam. Release kinetic for the four tested products indicates first-order kinetic models. Conclusion: The findings revealed that nearly all of the tested Famotidine tablet brands and generics met the pharmacopeial requirements for oral tablets. As a result, if acquiring the innovative brand of famotidine tablets is difficult to obtain, healthcare providers may be advised to use the tested products instead.

Acute bronchiolitis is a common disease in children below 24 months of age. The most common aetiology of this disease is a respiratory syncytial virus infection. Since there is no effective treatment for bronchiolitis, supportive therapy alleviating symptoms and preventing respiratory failure is recommended. Oxygen therapy and appropriate nutrition during the disease are considered effective, particularly in severe cases. The choice of oxygen support is crucial. The present paper discusses oxygen therapy using high-flow nasal cannulas. Moreover, the safety of the method, its adverse side effects and practical pre-treatment guidelines are discussed.

Abstract Background Histoplasmosis is a mycosis caused by soil-based fungus Histoplasma capsulatum endemic in the USA, Latin America, Africa and South-East Asia. The disease is usually self-resolving, but exposure to a large inoculum or accompanying immune deficiencies may result in severe illness. Symptoms are unspecific with fever, cough and malaise as the most common. Thus, this is a case of disease which is difficult to diagnose and very rare in Europe. As a result, it is usually not suspected in elderly patients with cough and dyspnea. Case presentation This is a case of a 78-year-old patient, admitted to our department due to respiratory failure, cough, shortness of breath, fever and weight loss with no response to antibiotics administered before the admission. Chest CT revealed numerous reticular and nodular infiltrations with distribution in all lobes. The cytopathology of BAL showed small parts of mycelium and numerous oval spores. Considering clinical presentation and history of travel to Mexico before onset of disease, pulmonary histoplasmosis was diagnosed. After introduction of antifungal treatment rapid improvement was achieved in terms of both clinical picture and respiratory function. Conclusions Since the risk of Histoplasma exposure in Europe is minimal, patients, who present with dyspnea, fever and malaise are not primarily considered for diagnosis of histoplasmosis. However, taking into account increasing popularity of travelling, also by elderly or patients with impaired immunity, histoplasmosis should be included into differential diagnosis.

The liver parenchyma consists of several cell types, but the origin of this tissue in humans is unclear. Here, the authors perform single cell RNA sequencing of human fetal and adult liver to identify a hepatobiliary hybrid progenitor population of cells, which have a similar gene signature to mouse oval cells.

To date there is limited data on the immune profile and outcomes of solid organ transplant recipients who encounter COVID-19 infection early post-transplant. Here we present a unique case where the kidney recipient’s transplant surgery coincided with a positive SARS-CoV-2 test and the patient subsequently developed symptomatic COVID-19 perioperatively. We performed comprehensive immunological monitoring of cellular, proteomic, and serological changes during the first 4 critical months post-infection. We showed that continuation of basiliximab induction and maintenance of triple immunosuppression did not significantly impair the host’s ability to mount a robust immune response against symptomatic COVID-19 infection diagnosed within the first week post-transplant.

In the absence of head-to-head trials of first-line treatments for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), synthesis of available evidence is needed. We conducted a systematic literature review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials in patients with stage IV NSCLC and high programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression. Patients with other-stage NSCLC or without PD-L1 expression and populations with < 80% stage IV NSCLC were excluded. Outcomes included overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), and treatment-related adverse events. English records from MEDLINE and Embase published through October 2020 were eligible, supplemented by hand searches of other sources. Three evidence networks were constructed based on histology (mixed, squamous, non-squamous). OS and PFS results were analyzed applying Bayesian fractional polynomial random-effects models. Hazard ratios over time with 95% credible intervals (CrIs) and expected differences in OS and PFS between each cancer immunotherapy regimen and the chemotherapy common comparator were generated. Seventeen clinical trials were included after screening 32,527 records. Heterogeneity and risk of bias were generally low across trials. In the mixed-histology network of PD-L1–high patients, expected OS was significantly longer with atezolizumab (estimated difference: 10.4 months [95% CrI: 1.9, 18.2]), pembrolizumab (7.2 [2.2, 12.3]), and cemiplimab (13.0 [4.2, 21.0]) versus chemotherapy but not with nivolumab (3.5 [−2.5, 10.6]) or nivolumab plus ipilimumab (6.7 [−0.5, 14.2]) versus chemotherapy. OS improvements were not significant compared with chemotherapy for any regimen in the squamous and non-squamous networks, except pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy in the non-squamous network. All regimens showed significantly longer expected PFS versus chemotherapy in the non-squamous network, whereas the increases were not significant in the mixed or squamous networks. ORR was significantly higher with pembrolizumab and cemiplimab versus chemotherapy in the mixed-histology network, with sintilimab in the non-squamous network, and with combination regimens, including pembrolizumab or atezolizumab, in the squamous and non-squamous networks, except with atezolizumab plus carboplatin, paclitaxel, and bevacizumab. Survival and safety versus chemotherapy were generally similar across cancer immunotherapies and histology networks. These findings may support treatment decisions for patients with high PD-L1 status receiving first-line treatment for NSCLC.

هذه دراسة نقدية في موضوع العجائبية في قصص القاص والروائي السعودي الاحسائي ناصر سالم الجاسم الذي صدرت له ثمان مجاميع قصصية، فضلاً عن أربع مجاميع لا تزال مخطوطة، وثلاث روايات مطبوعة وواحدة تنتظر مشوارها نحو دور الطباعة والنشر. هذه المجاميع، تتميز بعدة ملامح شكَّلت جمالية نصوصها وتنوعها، لا سيما اهتمامها بالتوظيف العجائبي في بعض متونها السردية التي افردنا لها هذه الدراسة، وقد كان لذلك التوظيف أثره في إثراء النص ومنحه عمقاً وبعداً تأويلياً أسهم بدرجة كبيرة في بناء النص، وسيرورة السرد، فضلاً عن تمريره لإيديولوجيا ناقدة للسائد من مفاهيم باتت متجذرة في المخيلة الجماهيرية العامة. وليس ذلك فحسب، بل إنها، وفي مفاصل محددة من متونها السردية، عملت على توظيف اللهجة الاحسائية، من أجل منح تلك المتون بعداً واقعياً يقربها من متلقيها، ويغدق عليها سمة المصداقية نوعا ما. يؤازرها في ذلك ما رسمته قصصها من فضاءات قُدِّمت من خلال انطباعات الشخصيات السردية، هذه الانطباعات ماهي إلّا تداعيات اتصال الشخصيات مع فضائها وتفاعلها فيه وتوحدها معه، وبذلك أسهمت تلك الفضاءات، وبدرجة كبيرة، في التمكين من قراءة سيكولوجية الشخصيات وكذلك إضفاء صفة العجائبية على النص ككل. من أجل ذلك ستركز هذه الدراسة على تناول البنى التي حققت سمة العجائبية للنصوص، وهي البنية العجائبية للنص، وبنية الفضاء العجائبي، وكما سيتم بيانه في موضعه.

Cellulose acetate (CA) is a biopolymer produced from fronds of date palm (type teperzal) which were taken from the Iraqi groves. The steps used to produce (CA); pretreatment, bleaching, acetylation and hydrolysis. Organosolv pretreatment method was used to remove high lignin content under mild and severe conditions using NaOH as a catalyst at the concentration (0.03) M. The conditions of Organosolv pretreatment were used: temperature (125 °C mild, 160 °C severe), pretreatment time 90 min, and ethanol: water ratio 40:60 wt/wt. The acetylation of cellulose with acetic acid was used to produce cellulose tri-(CTA) and di-(CDA) acetate for two ways: with treated and untreated fronds. The conditions of acetylation reaction were used: temperature (50-55) °C and time (1, 2 & 3) h. The product was characterized by the solubility test, titration method and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results showed that the high percentage of lignin removed was (93%), the best degree of substitution (DS) for (CTA) and (CDA) were 3.01 and 2.60. As well as the excellent solubility percentages for (CTA) with chloroform and mixture of chloroform/methanol were 90% and 84%, respectively. While the solubility percentage for (CDA) with acetone was 95%, these result occurred at pretreatment temperature 160°C, pretreatment time 90 min and reaction time 3 h.

هدف البحث الى التعرف على التنمر لدى تلاميذ المدراس الابتدائية والمقارنة بين التلاميذ على وفق متغير الجنس (ذكور/اناث)، واستخدم الباحثان المنهج الوصفي بالأسلوب المسحي لملائمته مع طبيعة المشكلة، وتمثلت عينة البحث من تلاميذ الصف الخامس الابتدائي في مدرسة المنصور التأسيسية الابتدائية المختلطة بأعمار(11) سنة للعام الدراسي (2019-2020) والبالغ عددهم (199) تلميذ بواقع (100) ذكور و (99) اناث تم تطبيق مقياس التنمر المدرسي والذي يتكون المقياس من (45) فقرة، وبذلك فأن اقل درجة يحصل عليها المستجيب من خلال الإجابة على المقياس هي (45) واعلى درجة هي (135)، قام الباحث بعرض مقياس التنمر المدرسي على مجموعة من خبراء علم النفس التربوي تم حذف بعض الفقرات الغير ملائمة لعينة البحث واصبح المقياس يتكون من (29) فقرة، قام الباحث بتوزيع مقياس التنمر المدرسي على عينة البحث وبعد جمع المقياس وتحليل النتائج توصلت الدراسة الى ان سلوك التنمر المدرسي عند التلاميذ الذكور اعلى منه عند التلميذات الاناث. أي ان المعنوية كانت لصالح التلاميذ الذكور.

Background: E-commerce of medicines has been extensively spread worldwide. Many reasons influence consumers to purchase their medical needs through the Internet, including low cost, availability, accessibility, and time saving. However, most of these medicines are substandard and counterfeit. Aim: To assess the perception of people in the UAE about purchasing medicines from online sources and to evaluate the quality of furosemide tablets from two different sources including illegal online source. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 528 participants in the UAE. The questionnaire included three parts to assess the public perception and experience toward purchasing medicines from online sources. Furosemide tablets, purchased from the UAE market and an illegal online source, were physically and chemically studied to assess their quality according to the British Pharmacopoeia (2018). Results: The survey results revealed that less than 10% of participants have purchased their medicines from online sources and mostly they were nonprescription products (78%). Most common motives for online purchasing were either unavailability in the local pharmacies (43%) or lower cost compared to that in local market (43%). The opinion of participants toward purchasing of online medicines was negative. On the other hand, the experimental analysis showed that online furosemide had failed to pass the chemical assay test (91.0% ± 0.8), which makes it a substandard product. Conclusion: This study showed that few consumers had considered purchasing pharmaceutical products from online sources as a feasible way to save money and time. However, most of them were in doubt about their quality, which encourages health-care providers to guide patients to government-supported websites if required. The study also showed that the quality of online medicines is questionable, indicating that these products are not equally effective as the medicines purchased from a local pharmacy.

Abstract Background Chronic diabetic complications may afflict all organ tissues, including those of the respiratory system. The six-minute walk test (6MWT) is an alternative and widely used method of assessing functional capacity and is simple to perform. However, to our knowledge, the impact of diabetes mellitus on 6MWT performance has not been investigated previously. This research aimed to compare the functional exercise capacity and pulmonary functions in patients with diabetes and in healthy persons. Methods The study included 131 participants: 64 patients with type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and 67 healthy participants (CG). All of the participants were nonsmoking and did not have pulmonary disorders that affected the pulmonary function tests or 6MWT. Metabolic parameters and biochemical markers of inflammation were assessed. Full lung function tests and a 6MWT were performed. Results In the DM group, the walking distance was 109 m shorter than that in the CG (P

Human memory and marginal zone B cells share some features including CD27 expression and somatic hypermutation, but their lineage relationship is still unclear. Here the authors use mass cytometry and sequential clustering methods to show that, despite their shared features, memory and marginal zone B cells represent distinct lineage choices.

When brain metastases form, the blood–brain barrier morphs into the blood–tumor barrier (BTB), surrounded by neuroinflammatory response. Here, the authors show that S1P3 is upregulated in neuroinflammatory response in highly BTB permeable lesions, and modulation of S1P3 could impact BTB permeability.

This paper examines the Arabic origins of some common place names in English, German, French, Latin, Greek, Russian, and Sanskrit from a consonantal radical or lexical root theory perspective. The data consists of the names of around 60 key cities like Birmingham, Brighton, Cambridge, Chester, Derby, Essex, Exeter, Glasgow, London, Manchester, Oxford, Queensville, York, etc. The results clearly show that all such names have true Arabic cognates, with the same or similar forms and meanings whose different forms, however, are all found to be due to natural and plausible causes and different courses of linguistic change. Furthermore, they show that place names play an important role in both near and distant genetic relationships. As a consequence, the results indicate, contrary to Comparative Method and Family-Tree Model claims (e.g. Campbell 2013; Harper 2012-18), that Arabic, English, and all Indo-European languages belong to the same language, let alone the same family. Therefore, they prove the adequacy of the consonantal radical theory in relating English, German, French, Latin, and Greek to Arabic as their origin all because, unlike any other language in the group, it shares cognates with all of them in addition to its huge linguistic repertoire phonetically, phonologically, morphologically, syntactically, and semantically.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a pivotal role in maintaining immunological tolerance, but they can also play a detrimental role by preventing antitumor responses. Here, we characterized T helper (Th)-like Treg subsets to further delineate their biological function and tissue distribution, focusing on their possible contribution to disease states. RNA sequencing and functional assays revealed that Th2-like Tregs displayed higher viability and autocrine interleukin-2 (IL-2)-mediated activation than other subsets. Th2-like Tregs were preferentially found in tissues rather than circulation and exhibited the highest migratory capacity toward chemokines enriched at tumor sites. These cellular responses led us to hypothesize that this subset could play a role in maintaining a tumorigenic environment. Concurrently, Th2-like Tregs were enriched specifically in malignant tissues from patients with melanoma and colorectal cancer compared to healthy tissue. Overall, our results suggest that Th2-like Tregs may contribute to a tumorigenic environment due to their increased cell survival, higher migratory capacity, and selective T-effector suppressive ability.

ObjectiveCurrent guidelines in British Columbia recommend prenatal screening for hepatitis C antibodies (anti-HCV) if risk factors are present. We aimed to estimate frequency of prenatal anti-HCV testing, new diagnoses, repeated and follow-up testing among BC women.MethodsBC Centre for Disease Control Public Health Laboratory data estimated the number of BC women (assigned female at birth or unknown sex) aged 13-49 who received routine prenatal serological screening (HIV, hepatitis B, syphilis and rubella) from 2008-2019. Anti-HCV tests ordered the same day as routine prenatal screens were considered prenatal anti-HCV tests. Assessment of follow-up was based on HCV RNA and/or genotype testing within one year of new prenatal anti-HCV diagnoses.ResultsIn 2019, 55,202 routine prenatal screens were carried out for 50,392 BC women. Prenatal anti-HCV tests increased significantly, from 19.6% (9,704/49,515) in 2008 to 54.6% (27,516/50,392) in 2019 (pConclusionPrenatal anti-HCV testing increased substantially over the study period. However, new HCV diagnoses remained relatively stable, suggesting that a considerable proportion of BC women with low or no risk are being screened as part of prenatal care. The vast majority of women with new HCV diagnoses receive appropriate follow-up HCV RNA and genotype testing, which may indicate interest in HCV treatment. These findings contribute to the discussion around potential for prenatal anti-HCV screening in an effort to eliminate HCV.