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Abstract Background Eating problems are prevalent among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The Brief Autism Mealtime Behaviors Inventory (BAMBI) has great potential for helping physicians quickly detect feeding issues in autistic children. This study aimed to evaluate feeding behavioral problems and their correlation to ASD severity among children with ASD using the BAMBI and Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS). This cross-sectional study enrolled 52 Egyptian children with an ASD. An Arabic version of BAMBI was administered to the parents of these children. Data about the participants’ sociodemographics as well as BAMBI and CARS were collected. Results Our main findings revealed that limited food variety features, such as preferring crunchy food or only sweet foods, were significant problems (57.7% and 52%). The means of the BAMBI and the CARS were 48.11 ± 12.2 and 39.9 ± 9.8, respectively. Living in rural areas, having limited income, elementary education of mothers, unemployed fathers, low birth weight, and neonatal care unit admission, were significantly associated with the BAMBI scale. Children with more severe ASD have a limited variety of behavior during eating than the minimal and moderate ASD groups (p = 0.01 and 0.03, respectively). A statistically positive correlation was observed between the BAMBI and CARS (r = 0.4 and p = 0.02). Conclusions Using the BAMBI scale, Egyptian children with more severe ASD were found to have limited food selectivity. The BAMBI scale was significantly correlated with the CARS, suggesting that the BAMBI may be an effective measure of the severity in autistic children.

Because intercultural communication has become one of the most demanded skills in the current digitalized world, many educational institutions aspire to graduate students who possess intercultural skills and are able to successfully communicate with people from diverse cultures. However, intercultural communication has not received much attention in the Lebanese context, especially in schools. To this end, this paper examines the Lebanese high school directors’ perceptions of intercultural communication. As pragmatists, the researchers employed quantitative and qualitative methods to better understand the problem under investigation. Using a snowball sampling, they surveyed the perceptions of 55 Lebanese directors in private and public high schools and interviewed two informants in the Center for Educational Research and Development. The collected data were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. Then, the derived conclusions were compared to ensure trustworthiness of the findings. Major findings showed that though intercultural communication is a learning outcome in most schools, it is mostly taught at the knowledge level in the foreign language classrooms. Assessment of this outcome is neither systematic nor consistent. It was also shown that directors in private schools tend to be more informed than those in the public sector. Recommendations are made for enhancing intercultural communication skills in Lebanese educational institutions.

Abstract Background The escalating emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted human life due to the ever-increasing morbidity, containment measures, and the associated emotional distress. This study examined the influence of COVID-19-related measures on the lifestyle behaviors of adults living in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Methods The study recruited 638 participants through convenience sampling in Jeddah and Taif cities, Saudi Arabia. Demographic characteristics and COVID-19-related information were collected through an anonymous self-reported electronic questionnaire. Lifestyle behaviors were assessed before and during the quarantine using the Healthy Dietary Habits Index (HDHI)-A and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-SF). Results The study revealed significant changes in the dietary pattern: a reduction in fish intake and increased consumption of French fries and candies. Vegetables and fruit intake increased significantly. Sedentary time > 6 h per day increased from 36.7% pre to 60.8% during the pandemic. Healthy dietary index score and physical activity MET-minutes/week values were respectively 3.5% and 37.9% significantly higher before compared to the full quarantine period. Conclusion The pandemic detrimentally influenced eating habits and physical activity levels that led to weight gain, and hence higher vulnerability to COVID-19 infection and negative outcomes. This analysis provides public health agencies with data to tailor nutrition interventions that mitigate the observed adverse lifestyle behaviors.

Introduction: Despite ‘Target free approach’ being implemented since more than 20 years, the targets related to MCH services are still decided and distributed by top to bottom approach in Gujarat. Irrational distribution of targets may lead to under or over achievement of the targets by SCs and PHCs. Objective: To validate the targets related to MCH services in the rural areas of the Bhavnagar district, Gujarat for the year 2019-2020. Method: A cross-sectional study was carried out to count the actual number of MCH beneficiaries by visiting each house of the selected villages (One village each from a good performing and a poor performing SCs of two randomly selected PHCs from each block of Bhavnagar district) and interviewing a family member of the household. This numbers from the villages were compared with the targets assigned to the respective villages. Results: The actual number of antenatal women was found to be 26.6% lower and 38.8% higher than the assigned targets for early pregnancy registration in the villages of poor and good performing SCs respectively. Similarly the actual number of deliveries was found to be 47.2% lower than the assigned targets for institutional deliveries in poor performing SCs. It was also observed that the actual number of children eligible for full immunization in the respective area was found to be much lower in both the groups of SCs than the assigned targets. Conclusion: Assigned MCH targets were found improper in the villages of Bhavnagar district.

The fifth-generation (5G) cellular infrastructure is expected to bring about the widespread use of connected vehicles. This technological progress marks the beginning of a new era in vehicular networks, which includes a range of different types and services of self-driving cars and the smooth sharing of information between vehicles. Connected vehicles have also been announced as a main use case of the sixth-generation (6G) cellular, with ultimate requirements beyond the 5G (B5G) and 6G eras. These networks require full coverage, extremely high reliability and availability, very low latency, and significant system adaptability. The significant specifications set for vehicular networks pose considerable design and development challenges. The goals of establishing a latency of 1 millisecond, effectively handling large amounts of data traffic, and facilitating high-speed mobility are of utmost importance. To address these difficulties and meet the demands of upcoming networks, e.g., 6G, it is necessary to improve the performance of vehicle networks by incorporating innovative technology into existing network structures. This work presents significant enhancements to vehicular networks to fulfill the demanding specifications by utilizing state-of-the-art technologies, including distributed edge computing, e.g., mobile edge computing (MEC) and fog computing, software-defined networking (SDN), and microservice. The work provides a novel vehicular network structure based on micro-services architecture that meets the requirements of 6G networks. The required offloading scheme is introduced, and a handover algorithm is presented to provide seamless communication over the network. Moreover, a migration scheme for migrating data between edge servers was developed. The work was evaluated in terms of latency, availability, and reliability. The results outperformed existing traditional approaches, demonstrating the potential of our approach to meet the demanding requirements of next-generation vehicular networks.

Abstract The RASopathies are genetic syndromes associated with pathogenic variants causing dysregulation of the Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase (Ras-MAPK) pathway, essential for brain development, and increased risk for neurodevelopmental disorders. Yet, the effects of most pathogenic variants on the human brain are unknown. We examined: (1) How Ras-MAPK activating variants of PTPN11/SOS1 protein-coding genes affect brain anatomy. (2) The relationship between PTPN11 gene expression levels and brain anatomy, and (3) The relevance of subcortical anatomy to attention and memory skills affected in the RASopathies. We collected structural brain MRI and cognitive-behavioral data from 40 pre-pubertal children with Noonan syndrome (NS), caused by PTPN11 (n = 30) or SOS1 (n = 10) variants (age 8.53 ± 2.15, 25 females), and compared them to 40 age- and sex-matched typically developing controls (9.24 ± 1.62, 27 females). We identified widespread effects of NS on cortical and subcortical volumes and on determinants of cortical gray matter volume, surface area (SA), and cortical thickness (CT). In NS, we observed smaller volumes of bilateral striatum, precentral gyri, and primary visual area (d’s |0.8|) and CT (d’s > |0.5|) relative to controls. Further, SA effects were associated with increasing PTPN11 gene expression, most prominently in the temporal lobe. Lastly, PTPN11 variants disrupted normative relationships between the striatum and inhibition functioning. We provide evidence for the effects of Ras-MAPK pathogenic variants on striatal and cortical anatomy as well as links between PTPN11 gene expression and cortical SA increases, and striatal volume and inhibition skills. These findings provide essential translational information on the Ras-MAPK pathway’s effect on human brain development and function.

Abstract Background Black fungus (mycoses) is an opportunistic invasive infection that predominantly occurred among immunosuppressed persons. It has been recently detected in COVID-19 patients. The pregnant diabetic woman is susceptible to such infections and needs recognition for protection. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the nurse-led intervention on the knowledge and preventive practice of diabetic pregnant women regarding fungal mycosis during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method This quasi-experimental study was conducted at maternal health care centers in Shebin El-Kom, Menoufia Governorate, Egypt. The study recruited 73 diabetic pregnant women through a systematic random sampling of pregnant women attending the maternity clinic during the period of the study. A structured interview questionnaire was used to measure their knowledge regarding Mucormycosis and COVID-19 manifestations. The preventive practices were assessed through an observational checklist of hygienic practice, insulin administration, and blood glucose monitoring for the prevention of Mucormycosis infection. Results The study revealed a statistically significant increment in the participants’ knowledge, preventive practice, personal hygiene, and diabetes self-care scores (9.56 ± 1.75 ,3.6 ± 1.18, 3.18 ± 1.29 post-intervention) comparable to (6.19 ± 1.66, 1.97 ± 1.35, 0.89 ± 1.38 pre-intervention) respectively. There was a significant improvement in the overall COVID-19 protective score against Mucormycosis (from 2.66 ± 1.74 to 4.53 ± 1.43). Conclusion Nursing educational sessions had a positive effect on pregnant women’s awareness and preventive behavior. Hence, it is recommended to integrate nurse-led intervention targeting the preventive practice against COVID-19-associated Mucormycosis infection (CAM) as routine services for diabetic pregnant women during antenatal care.

Introduction. Economic conditions to have experienced by the Issyk-Kul Sart Kalmyks of Semirechenskaya Oblast in the early 20th century remain uninvestigated in historical literature, which makes the study relevant enough. Goals. The work aims to consider the traditional Sart Kalmyk system of farming, define its type, and analyze the transition to settled life. Materials and methods. The study employs both general scientific and specific historical research methods, including that of statistical analysis. The work examines materials from Russia’s central archives, as well as statistical survey data on economic and land use practices of the Kyrgyz — including households of Sart Kalmyks — and Russian old-timers collected in Przhevalsky Uyezd (Semirechenskaya Oblast) under the guidance of P. P. Rumyantsev in 1913. Analysis of statistical materials yields a reconstruction of the Sart Kalmyk economy in the early 20th century and determines its type. Results. The Sart Kalmyks to have inhabited several localities around Karakol in Issyk-Kul (Przhevalsky) Uyezd were engaged in livestock breeding and, in part, crop farming, i.e. were following their traditional economic practices. Conclusions. However, by the beginning of the 20th century the Sart Kalmyks no longer possessed sufficient pastures and livestock to specialize in breeding only, and were forced to tackle arable farming too, though the latter played no crucial role in their economy remaining an auxiliary sector. The lack of arable land and hayfields forced the Sart Kalmyks to engage in additional occupational activities. So, the population was characterized by a semi-sedentary type of farming, i.e. the period witnessed a change in the Sart Kalmyks’ economic system proper and respective conditions at large.

Abstract Background In face of the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries including Egypt implemented stay indoor rules. These regulations slowed the propagation of the coronavirus, meanwhile they contributed to increase mental health issues, particularly the risk of experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV). That might lead to adverse health and social outcomes on the abused women and the children. This study aimed to examine the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence of intimate partner violence against married women in Egypt. Methods A cross-sectional study enrolled 2068 married women through an electronic survey link. An anonymous self-administered questionnaire was used. It included demographic data and assessed the frequency of exposure to various forms of spousal violence before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Results The mean age of respondents was 33.8 ± 6.3 years. The commonest types of violent behaviors that have been increased significantly after the COVID-19 pandemic were: twisting arms/pulling the hair (pre 32.8%, post 75%), leaving the house without informing or giving the wife money (pre 12.2%, post 30.3%), restricting interaction with her family members (pre 26.1, post 40.4%), treating her as a servant (pre 28.7%, post 36.7%) and insulting her in front of others (pre 22.9%, post 30.8%).The associated determinants for higher violence rate were; low women education, young age at marriage, low educational and job rank of husband, husband’s tobacco use and reduced family income (p

ObjectiveMagnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a standard imaging modality in intracranial stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for defining target volumes. However, wide disparities in MRI resolution exist, which could directly impact accuracy of target delineation. Here, sequences with various MRI resolution were acquired on phantoms to evaluate the effect on volume definition and dosimetric consequence for cranial SRS.Materials/MethodsFour T1-weighted MR sequences with increasing 3D resolution were compared, including two Spin Echo (SE) 2D acquisitions with 5mm and 3mm slice thickness (SE5mm, SE3mm) and two gradient echo 3D acquisitions (TFE, BRAVO). The voxel sizes were 0.4×0.4×5.0, 0.5×0.5×3.0, 0.9×0.9×1.25, and 0.4×0.4×0.5 mm3, respectively. Four phantoms with simulated lesions of different shape and volume (range, 0.53–25.0 cm3) were imaged, resulting in 16 total sets of MRIs. Four radiation oncologists provided contours on individual MR image set. All observer contours were compared with ground truth, defined on CT image according to the absolute dimensions of the target structure, using Dice similarity coefficient (DSC), Hausdorff distance (HD), mean distance-to-agreement (MDA), and the ratio between reconstructed and true volume (Ratiovol). For dosimetric consequence, SRS plans targeting observer volumes were created. The true Paddick conformity index (CIpaddicktrue), calculated with true target volume, was correlated with quality of observer volume.ResultsAll measures of observer contours improved as increasingly higher MRI resolution was provided from SE5mm to BRAVO. The improvement in DSC, HD and MDA was statistically significant (p

Background: Early marriage with its harmful effects on women’s health is one of the most important public health issues. Objective: This study was designed to explore the perception and determinants of early marriage and its harmful consequences on females in urban and rural areas of Gharbia Governorate, Egypt. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted for 3 months and included 1,293 women from family health facilities in Gharbia Governorate, Egypt. A predesigned interview questionnaire was used to collect related data. Results: Of the participants, 36.7% married before the age of 20 years: this phenomenon was significantly more prevalent in rural than in urban areas (45.5% vs. 27.8%, respectively). Significant factors associated with early marriage included low educational level of the females and their parents (p > 0.001(. Conclusion: Early marriage is still practiced in Egypt with misconceptions about the proper age of marriage. This harmful practice might lead to adverse implications on women’s social and psychological aspects and children’s health. Therefore, formulating an integrated approach, including enforcing the law and motivating community stakeholders and health authorities to combat this phenomenon, is necessary.

Foxa2, a member of the Forkhead box (Fox) family of transcription factors, plays an important role in the regulation of lung function and lung tissue homeostasis. FOXA2 expression is reduced in the lung and airways epithelium of asthmatic patients and in mice absence of Foxa2 from the lung epithelium contributes to airway inflammation and goblet cell hyperplasia. Here we demonstrate a novel role for Foxa2 in the regulation of T helper differentiation and investigate its impact on lung inflammation. Conditional deletion of Foxa2 from T-cells led to increased Th2 cytokine secretion and differentiation, but decreased Th1 differentiation and IFN-γ expression in vitro. Induction of mouse allergic airway inflammation resulted in more severe disease in the conditional Foxa2 knockout than in control mice, with increased cellular infiltration to the lung, characterized by the recruitment of eosinophils and basophils, increased mucus production and increased production of Th2 cytokines and serum IgE. Thus, these experiments suggest that Foxa2 expression in T-cells is required to protect against the Th2 inflammatory response in allergic airway inflammation and that Foxa2 is important in T-cells to maintain the balance of effector cell differentiation and function in the lung.

Because intercultural communication has become one of the most demanded skills in the current digitalized world, many educational institutions aspire to graduate students who possess intercultural skills and are able to successfully communicate with people from diverse cultures. However, intercultural communication has not received much attention in the Lebanese context, especially in schools. To this end, this paper examines the Lebanese high school directors' perceptions of intercultural communication. As pragmatists, the researchers employed quantitative and qualitative methods to better understand the problem under investigation. Using a snowball sampling, they surveyed the perceptions of 55 Lebanese directors in private and public high schools and interviewed two informants in the Center for Educational Research and Development. The collected data were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. Then, the derived conclusions were compared to ensure trustworthiness of the findings. Major findings showed that though intercultural communication is a learning outcome in most schools, it is mostly taught at the knowledge level in the foreign language classrooms. Assessment of this outcome is neither systematic nor consistent. It was also shown that directors in private schools tend to be more informed than those in the public sector. Recommendations are made for enhancing intercultural communication skills in Lebanese educational institutions.

Purpose: Suprachoroidal intraocular foreign bodies (IOFBs) are an exceedingly rare manifestation of ocular trauma. Here we present a unique case of a metallic wire tracking from the cornea through the suprachoroidal space, and remarkably sparing the retina and lens. The patient attained an excellent visual outcome after management of resultant cyclodialysis cleft. Observations: A 34-year-old male experienced a penetrating IOFB while operating a rotary wire brush. He presented to the emergency department where posterior involvement of the IOFB was confirmed on CT scan. He underwent emergent pars plana vitrectomy, during which the IOFB was found to be located underneath intact retina and choroid on scleral depression. The wire was removed through the entry wound, which was self-sealing. At follow up, intraocular pressure was 3 mmHg with findings of hypotony. A cyclodialysis cleft was confirmed with ultrasound biomicroscopy. Cycloplegic and photocoagulation treatments were attempted, but ultimately direct cyclopexy was performed to successfully repair the cleft. One year after the initial incident, visual acuity is 20/25 and IOP is 17 mmHg. Conclusion and importance: Cyclodialysis cleft is a rare sequela of penetrating ocular injury. Clinicians should consider the presence of a cyclodialysis cleft in the setting of postoperative hypotony and confirm either with gonioscopy or other anterior segment imaging methods. Despite failure of conservative therapies, our patient had an excellent visual outcome following surgical closure of the cleft.

Poxvirus genomes consist of a linear duplex DNA that ends in short inverted and complementary hairpin structures. These elements also encode loops and mismatches that likely serve a role in genome packaging and perhaps replication. We constructed mutant vaccinia viruses (VACV) where the native hairpins were replaced by altered forms and tested effects on replication, assembly, and virulence. Our studies showed that structure, not sequence, likely determines function as one can replace an Orthopoxvirus (VACV) hairpin with one copied from a Leporipoxvirus with no effect on growth. Some loops can be deleted from VACV hairpins with little effect, but VACV bearing too few mismatches grew poorly and we couldn't recover viruses lacking all mismatches. Further studies were conducted using a mutant bearing only one of six mismatches found in wild-type hairpins (SΔ1Δ3-6). This virus grew to ~20-fold lower titers, but neither DNA synthesis nor telomere resolution was affected. However, the mutant exhibited a particle-to-PFU ratio 10-20-fold higher than wild-type viruses and p4b/4b core protein processing was compromised, indicating an assembly defect. Electron microscopy showed that SΔ1Δ3-6 mutant development was blocked at the immature virus (IV) stage, which phenocopies known effects of I1L mutants. Competitive DNA binding assays showed that recombinant I1 protein had less affinity for the SΔ1Δ3-6 hairpin than the wild-type hairpin. The SΔ1Δ3-6 mutant was also attenuated when administered to SCID-NCR mice by tail scarification. Mice inoculated with viruses bearing wild-type hairpins exhibited a median survival of 30-37 days, while mice infected with SΔ1Δ3-6 virus survived >70 days. Persistent infections favor genetic reversion and genome sequencing detected one example where a small duplication near the hairpin tip likely created a new loop. These observations show that mismatches serve a critical role in genome packaging and provide new insights into how VACV "flip and flop" telomeres are arranged.

Background: The new diagnostic concept of liquid biopsy is based on the analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and cell-free DNA (ctDNA). In addition to providing a more comprehensive view of the tumor characteristics including molecular variations, ctDNA analysis through liquid biopsies may also allow for a non-invasive, rapid, and cost-effective identification of biomarkers for tumor detection and monitoring of tumor progression. Objective: In this review, we summarize key active clinical trial studies involving utilization of ctDNA derived from liquid biopsy in the early and metastatic breast cancer setting. With this, we also provide a brief overview of the potential future implementations of the LB technology and outlining how ctDNA analysis needs to be standardized through the performance of similar clinical studies. Methods: A review was conducted on Clinicaltrials.gov to identify active trials related to use of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) for breast cancer. Search terms included “breast cancer,” “liquid biopsy,” and “ctDNA.” Conclusion: While LB is gaining traction in many cancer settings, its use in BC is still early and warrants more investigation in breast cancer diagnostic and treatment settings, including early detection of disease recurrence.

Allergic asthma is a common inflammatory airway disease in which Th2 immune response and inflammation are thought to be triggered by inhalation of environmental allergens. Many studies using mouse models and human tissues and genome-wide association have indicated that Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) and the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway are involved in allergic asthma and that Shh is upregulated in the lung on disease induction. We used a papain-induced mouse model of allergic airway inflammation to investigate the impact of systemic pharmacological inhibition of the Hh signal transduction molecule smoothened on allergic airway disease induction and severity. Smoothened-inhibitor treatment reduced the induction of Shh, IL-4, and IL-13 in the lung and decreased serum IgE, as well as the expression of Smo, Il4, Il13, and the mucin gene Muc5ac in lung tissue. Smoothened inhibitor treatment reduced cellular infiltration of eosinophils, mast cells, basophils, and CD4+ T-cells to the lung, and eosinophils and CD4+ T-cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage. In the mediastinal lymph nodes, smoothened inhibitor treatment reduced the number of CD4+ T-cells, and the cell surface expression of Th2 markers ST2 and IL-4rα and expression of Th2 cytokines. Thus, overall pharmacological smoothened inhibition attenuated T-cell infiltration to the lung and Th2 function and reduced disease severity and inflammation in the airway.

Purpose: Treatment planning of skull based meningiomas can be difficult due to the irregular shaped target volumes and proximity to critical optic structures. This study evaluated the use of HyperArc (HA) radiosurgery optimization and delivery in conjunction with multicriteria optimization (MCO) to create conformal and efficient treatment plans for conventionally fractionated radiation therapy to difficult base-of-skull (BOS) lesions. Methods and Materials: Twelve patients with BOS meningioma were retrospectively planned with HA-specific optimization algorithm, stereotactic normal tissue objective (SRS-NTO), and conventional automatic normal tissue objective to evaluate normal brain sparing (mean dose and V20 Gy). MCO was used on both SRS-NTO and automatic normal tissue objective plans to further decrease organ-at-risk doses and target dose maximum to within clinically acceptable constraints. Delivery efficiency was evaluated based on planned monitor units. Results: The SRS-NTO in HA can be used to improve the mid- and low-dose spread to normal brain tissue in the irradiation of BOS meningiomas. Improvement in normal brain sparing can be seen in larger, more irregular shaped lesions and less so in smaller spherical targets. MCO can be used in conjunction with the SRS-NTO to reduce target dose maximum and dose to organ at risk without sacrificing the gain in normal brain sparing. Conclusions: HA can be beneficial both in treatment planning by using the SRS-NTO and in delivery efficiency through the decrease in monitor units and automated delivery.

Summary: Despite the remarkable success of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells against hematologic malignancies, severe off-tumor effects have constrained their use against solid tumors. Recently, CAR-engineered natural killer (NK) cells have emerged as an effective and safe alternative. Here, we demonstrate that HER2 CAR-expression in NK cells from healthy donors and patients with breast cancer potently enhances their anti-tumor functions against various HER2-expressing cancer cells, regardless of MHC class I expression. Moreover, HER2 CAR-NK cells exert higher cytotoxicity than donor-matched HER2 CAR-T cells against tumor targets. Importantly, unlike CAR-T cells, HER2 CAR-NK cells do not elicit enhanced cytotoxicity or inflammatory cytokine production against non-malignant human lung epithelial cells with basal HER2 expression. Further, HER2 CAR-NK cells maintain high cytotoxic function in the presence of immunosuppressive factors enriched in solid tumors. These results show that CAR-NK cells may be a highly potent and safe source of immunotherapy in the context of solid tumors.

Prenatal ethanol exposure (PNEE) is a leading cause of neurodevelopmental impairments, yet treatments for individuals with PNEE are limited. Importantly, postnatal supplementation with the essential nutrient choline can attenuate some adverse effects of PNEE on cognitive development; however, the mechanisms of action for choline supplementation remain unclear. This study used an animal model to determine if choline supplementation could restore hippocampal synaptic plasticity that is normally impaired by prenatal alcohol. Throughout gestation, pregnant Sprague Dawley rats were fed an ethanol liquid diet (35.5% ethanol-derived calories). Offspring were injected with choline chloride (100 mg/kg/day) from postnatal days (PD) 10–30, and then used for in vitro electrophysiology experiments as juveniles (PD 31–35). High-frequency conditioning stimuli were used to induce long-term potentiation (LTP) in the medial perforant path input to the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. PNEE altered synaptic transmission in female offspring by increasing excitability, an effect that was mitigated with choline supplementation. In contrast, PNEE juvenile males had decreased LTP compared to controls, and this was rescued by choline supplementation. These data demonstrate sex-specific changes in plasticity following PNEE, and provide evidence that choline-related improvements in cognitive functioning may be due to its positive impact on hippocampal synaptic physiology.

Purpose: To report a patient with post-operative gas migration into the optic nerve and lateral ventricles after retinal detachment repair. Observations: A 78-year-old pseudophakic man developed a temporal visual field cut in his non-operative, right eye 3 weeks after repair of a recurrent, shallow, macula-involving retinal detachment with perfluoropropane intraocular gas in the left eye. Visual acuity in the right eye measured 20/40, and static perimetry demonstrated temporal visual field loss that respected the vertical midline. Dilated fundus examination of the right eye was unrevealing for any retinal cause, raising suspicion for an intracranial etiology. An urgent CT scan of the brain demonstrated gas in all segments of the left optic nerve and lateral ventricles, consistent with intracranial gas migration along the optic nerve. Given the absence of systemic neurologic symptoms, cautious observation was advised on consultation with neuroradiology and neurosurgery, and follow-up CT scan 1 week later showed resolution of the intracranial gas. By 10-weeks post-operatively, vision returned to 20/20 in the right eye with persistent temporal field loss, and the left eye was hand motions (20/70 pre-operatively) with evidence of optic nerve atrophy and severe cupping. Conclusions: Intracranial gas migration is a rare complication of retinaldetachment repair with intraocular gas and may occur in the setting of structural defects of the optic nerve and high post-operative intraocular pressure. Clinicians should be alert to this rare but serious complication, which can cause neurologic symptoms and result in vision loss in both the operative and non-operative eyes.

Plankton is a fundamental part of the waters, especially in coral reef ecosystems. This study aims to determine the abundance and diversity of plankton species, both phytoplankton, and zooplankton in the waters of Gosong Island, Southwest Aceh. This research was conducted in May 2021. Samples of plankton were collected from 4 sampling points with 4 replications. Phytoplankton consists of 51 species which are in 3 families, namely Cyanophyceae, Bacillariophyceae, and Dinophyceae. There are 17 species of zooplankton consisting of 7 families, namely Protozoa, Crustaceans, Urochordata, Polychaeta, Gastropods, Pelecypods, and Nematodes. The total abundance of phytoplankton ranged from 292,826 to 2,661,738 cells/m3, while the total abundance of zooplankton ranged from 4,957 to 32,870 ind/m3. The composition of the presence found at the study site was found to be higher in Cyanophyceae than Bacillariophyceae and the lowest number was found in Dinophyceae. Zooplankton is found in large to low numbers in the Crustacea, Protozoa, Urochordata, Gastropod, Pelecypoda, Polychaeta, and Nematoda. This research is able to provide an initial description of diversity, abundance, and several biological indices for follow-up research. Gosong Island is an island that has coral reefs, so it is necessary to carry out routine monitoring related to the type and abundance of plankton regularly.

The objective of this study was to investigate the intestinal anastomotic healing enhancing effect of platelets-rich plasma (PRP) using PRP-coated sutures in a rabbit model. A total of 30 mature male rabbits were divided into 3 groups (10 rabbits per group). Group 1 received uncoated sutures, group 2 received sodium acetate-coated sutures, and group 3 received PRP-coated sutures. Polyglactin 910 (Vicryl, USA), size 4-0 was used in all groups. Five rabbits of each group were euthanized on day 3 following the surgery while the remaining 5 rabbits were euthanized on day 10. Gross evaluation of the anastomotic site in PRP-coated sutures group demonstrated significantly (P < 0.05) lower adhesion formation scores on both days 3 and 10 of the study while in the control groups, evidence of leakage at the anastomotic site was present along with signs of haemorrhage and local inflammation. On day 10 in the control groups, there were strands of strong adhesions between the ileum, colon and cecum with large amount of fibrin deposited at the site of the anastomosis. Tissues of the anastomotic site revealed a significant level of hydroxyproline on day 10 in PRP-coated sutures group compared with control groups. Histopathological evaluation revealed significantly (P < 0.05) less inflammatory infiltration, and more angiogenesis and collagen deposition on day 10 in PRP-coated sutures group compared to the control groups. Results of this study clearly indicate promising healing enhancing effects of using PRP-coated sutures at intestinal anastomotic site with little to no obvious disadvantages.

The 10th International Conference on Replicating Oncolytic Virus Therapeutics was held in Vancouver, Canada from October 1–4, 2016. The agenda for the meeting comprised lectures from several streams within the field of oncolytic viral therapeutics. Exploring the strengthening relationship among oncolytic viruses, cancer immunology, and immunotherapy; gaining an understanding for effective therapeutic delivery routes; and learning of exciting results from translational studies all featured prominently among areas discussed. As the field matures, commercialization and patient-centered research have become important avenues for growth; however, an abundance of high quality laboratory-based science continues to be performed in order to optimize future therapeutic approaches. Here, we summarize the latest innovations presented at this meeting. Keywords: oncolytic virus, cancer immunotherapy, clinical trials

Javier Anido,1 Daniel Arenas,2 Cristina Arruabarrena,3 Alfonso Domínguez-Gil,4 Carlos Fajardo,5 Mar Mira,6 Javier Murillo,7 Natalia Ribé,8 Helga Rivera,9 Sofia Ruiz del Cueto,6 Helder Silvestre,10 Marisa Tirado11 1A-Clinic, Madrid, 2Hospital Cruz Roja, Madrid, 3Clinic Cristina Arruabarrena, San Sebastiá, 4Salamanca University, Salamanca, 5Clinic Fajardo, Malaga, 6Clinic Mira+Cueto, Madrid, 7Clinic CIR, Seville, 8Institute Natalia Ribé, Barcelona, 9Clinic Helga Rivera, Vigo, Spain; 10Clinic Europa, Lisbon, Portugal; 11Clinic Derma Alemar, Castellón, Spain Background: Facial lines and wrinkles are strongly influenced by individual differences in anatomy and muscle activity and no single injection protocol will suit all patients. However, there is only limited information in the published literature on how to develop a tailored approach to botulinum toxin treatment.Methods: An expert panel of physicians was convened to establish a consensus on developing an individualized approach to treatment of the forehead with incobotulinumtoxinA. Separate treatment protocols were developed for men and women and subdivided by background level of muscle activity: kinetic, hyperkinetic, and hypertonic. Each muscle tone category was then further subdivided to take account of individual characteristics that can influence treatment.Results: Consensus members describe how to perform a dynamic assessment to optimize the dose and injection technique for each patient. A tailored treatment protocol is described for men and women with a wide range of forehead presentations. For each presentation, units of toxin as well as the precise location of injection points were defined by creating a 12-zone map of the forehead.Conclusion: These recommendations depart from traditional consensus documents by providing detailed incobotulinumtoxinA injection protocols for the forehead based on the major parameters that differ between patients, including muscular anatomy, size, and tone. It is expected that the use of this document will lead to more satisfactory, natural, and individualized aesthetic outcomes for patients. Keywords: incobotulinumtoxinA, Xeomin, Bocouture, forehead lines, frontalis

Abstract Background Natural killer (NK) cells play a critical role in cancer immunosurveillance. Recent developments in NK cell ex-vivo expansion makes it possible to generate millions of activated NK cells from a small volume of peripheral blood. We tested the functionality of ex vivo expanded NK cells in vitro against breast cancer cell lines and in vivo using a xenograft mouse model. The study aim was to assess functionality and phenotype of expanded NK cells from breast cancer patients against breast cancer cell lines and autologous primary tumours. Methods We used a well-established NK cell co-culture system to expand NK cells ex vivo from healthy donors and breast cancer patients and examined their surface marker expression. Moreover, we tested the ability of expanded NK cells to lyse the triple negative breast cancer and HER2-positive breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-453, respectively. We also tested their ability to prevent tumour growth in vivo using a xenograft mouse model. Finally, we tested the cytotoxicity of expanded NK cells against autologous and allogeneic primary breast cancer tumours in vitro. Results After 3 weeks of culture we observed over 1000-fold expansion of NK cells isolated from either breast cancer patients or healthy donors. We also showed that the phenotype of expanded NK cells is comparable between those from healthy donors and cancer patients. Moreover, our results confirm the ability of ex vivo expanded NK cells to lyse tumour cell lines in vitro. While the cell lines examined had differential sensitivity to NK cell killing we found this was correlated with level of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I expression. In our in vivo model, NK cells prevented tumour establishment and growth in immunocompromised mice. Finally, we showed that NK cells expanded from the peripheral blood of breast cancer patients show high cytotoxicity against allogeneic and autologous patient-derived tumour cells in vitro. Conclusion NK cells from breast cancer patients can be expanded similarly to those from healthy donors, have a high cytotoxic ability against breast cancer cell lines and patient-derived tumour cells, and can be compatible with current cancer treatments to restore NK cell function in cancer patients.

Assessment of male fertility has been based on routine semen analysis established by the World Health Organization (WHO), evaluating sperm concentration, motility and morphology. Actually, these parameters become less reliable markers to evaluate male fertility potential. Therefore, a search for better markers has led to an increased focus on sperm chromatin integrity testing in fertility work-up and assisted reproductive technologies (ART). In this study, we evaluate sperm DNA fragmentation in 185 Lebanese infertile patients attending fertility clinics all over the country, in comparison with 30 control men of proven fertility, using the sperm chromatin dispersion test (SCD). Our results showed a significantly higher sperm DNA fragmentation in infertile group compared to control group (20.62% vs 12.96%; p

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE) is an uncommon low-grade malignant vascular tumor that may arise in soft tissue/bone or visceral sites such as the liver and lung. As this tumor exhibits epithelioid morphology, it frequently causes diagnostic confusion with other epithelioid vascular neoplasms as well as carcinoma. While 90% of classic EHE are driven by a WWTR1-CAMTA1 fusion gene, a histologically distinctive subset of EHE has been recently shown to harbor a different fusion gene, YAP1-TFE3. This variant is likely underrecognized given its rarity and only recent description. Notably, EHE frequently involves the liver but only one case of hepatic YAP1-TFE3 rearranged EHE has been reported to date. We present the second case of YAP1-TFE3 rearranged EHE affecting a 65-year-old woman and presenting as multiple liver masses, with characterization of the fusion gene at the transcriptomic and genomic levels. There are several educational points noted from this case. YAP1-TFE3 rearranged EHE shows distinctly vasoformative foci, unlike classic EHE and mimicking angiosarcoma or epithelioid hemangioma. The tumors cells show a histiocytoid appearance with voluminous cytoplasm, similar to other TFE3-rearranged tumors. Finally, in the liver, this tumor may in part mimic focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver which is an underrecognized diagnostic pitfall. This report highlights the key diagnostic and genetic features of this newly recognized variant of hepatic EHE to aid pathologists in appropriately classifying these tumors.

English language has become a cosmopolitan language. It is the lingua franca of the 21st century. This fact has turned learning the language to a must since it is the international language of communication. As teachers of English for more than 20 years, we have come to realize that to be successful in class, we need to learn and use English as a tool that helps us access information from other cultures and be able to transfer this knowledge and skill to our learners. We also need to provide our learners with enough exposure to English as used in context. However, this is not enough to turn our learners into 21st century citizens of the world. We need to help them become critical thinkers. This has become even harder with the move to online learning due to COVID 19 pandemic. This paper aims at exploring the perceptions of English language instructors in four local Lebanese universities regarding 21st-century critical thinking skills and the instructors' abilities to promote such skills in their classes. Twenty-seven teachers filled a questionnaire, and five participants were interviewed. Descriptive data were analyzed. The data revealed the perceptions and practices of these instructors. The study concludes with recommendations.

The influence of the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate on the rate of the reaction between the cationic form of Nile Blue A and hydrogen peroxide was investigated in the pH range from 5 to 8.5. A retardation of the oxidation of Nile Blue A with hydrogen peroxide of three orders of magnitude was observed at pH 8.5 in the presence of anionic micelles compared to the kinetic data in water. The retardation effect was less pronounced at lower pH values. These effects were explained by the electrostatic interaction of the species involved in the reaction with the negatively charged micellar surface and their effective separation in the vicinity of the micellar surface.

Alnus glutinosa and A. incana (Betulaceae), are a small to medium size tree, native to the Northern Hemisphere. The leaves of this species are used in the Republic of Belarus as a source of antioxidants. The aim of this work was investigation of antioxidant activities and total phenolics content in various extracts obtained using water, mixture water with ethanol (from 9:1 to 2:8), and ethanol from A. glutinosa and A. incana leaves. Phenolics content was determined by method with Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and calculated on ellagic acid. The antioxidant activities were measured utilising 1,1-diphenyl-2 picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging test. The highest phenolics concentration was observed in the extracts prepared by extraction with the mixture of water:ethanol from 7:3 to 3:7 and ranged from 17.82% to 18.96% for A. glutinosa and from 10.82% to 12.55% for A. incana. This extracts exhibited the highest free radical scavenging activity ranging from 49.21% to 49.42% and from 41.28% to 41.67% for A. glutinosa and A. incana respectively, comparable to the activity of quercetin. Therefore the mixture of water:ethanol from 7:3 to 3:7 should be used for preparing extracts from this species for medicinal purposes. Results also indicated the existence of a high correlation between antioxidant activity and total phenolics content.

Activation of SIRT1, an NAD+-dependent deacetylase, prevents retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss in optic neuritis, an inflammatory demyelinating optic nerve disease. While SIRT1 deacetylates numerous protein targets, downstream mechanisms of SIRT1 activation mediating this neuroprotective effect are unknown. SIRT1 increases mitochondrial function and reduces oxidative stress in muscle and other cells, and oxidative stress occurs in neuronal degeneration. We examined whether SIRT1 activators reduce oxidative stress and promote mitochondrial function in neuronal cells. Oxidative stress, marked by reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, was induced in RGC-5 cells by serum deprivation, or addition of doxorubicin or hydrogen peroxide, and resulted in significant cell loss. SIRT1 activators resveratrol and SRTAW04 reduced ROS levels, and promoted cell survival in RGC-5 cells as well as primary RGC cultures. Effects were blocked by SIRT1 siRNA. SIRT1 activators also increased expression of succinate dehydrogenase, a mitochondrial enzyme, and promoted deacetylation of PGC-1α, a co-enzyme involved in mitochondrial function. Results show SIRT1 activators prevent cell loss by reducing oxidative stress and promoting mitochondrial function in a neuronal cell line. Results suggest SIRT1 activators can mediate neuroprotective effects during optic neuritis by these mechanisms, and they have the potential to preserve neurons in other neurodegenerative diseases that involve oxidative stress.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a gut-brain disorder in which symptoms are shaped by serotonin acting centrally and peripherally. The serotonin transporter gene SLC6A4 has been implicated in IBS pathophysiology, but the underlying genetic mechanisms remain unclear. We sequenced the alternative P2 promoter driving intestinal SLC6A4 expression and identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that were associated with IBS in a discovery sample. Identified SNPs built different haplotypes, and the tagging SNP rs2020938 seems to associate with constipation-predominant IBS (IBS-C) in females. rs2020938 validation was performed in 1978 additional IBS patients and 6,038 controls from eight countries. Meta-analysis on data from 2,175 IBS patients and 6,128 controls confirmed the association with female IBS-C. Expression analyses revealed that the P2 promoter drives SLC6A4 expression primarily in the small intestine. Gene reporter assays showed a functional impact of SNPs in the P2 region. In silico analysis of the polymorphic promoter indicated differential expression regulation. Further follow-up revealed that the major allele of the tagging SNP rs2020938 correlates with differential SLC6A4 expression in the jejunum and with stool consistency, indicating functional relevance. Our data consolidate rs2020938 as a functional SNP associated with IBS-C risk in females, underlining the relevance of SLC6A4 in IBS pathogenesis.