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Abstract Background Gastric adenomyoma is a rare benign tumor composed of glandular structures and smooth muscle fibers. While some classify gastric adenomyoma as a hamartoma, others view it as an abortive form of heterotopic pancreas. Despite its benign nature, there is a risk of malignant transformation. Predominantly found in the antrum, gastric adenomyoma affects all ages but is most common in adults aged 40–60 years. Symptoms are nonspecific, and its similarity to other lesions complicates diagnosis. This paper aims to provide a review of medical literature on gastric adenomyoma and its diagnosis and treatment methods, along with presenting an additional case report on the same topic. Case presentation We present the case of a 55-year-old Syrian man who experienced vomiting, weight loss, and chronic partial constipation. An obstructing mass in the pylorus was detected, and then an open surgery was performed to excise the lesion. A biopsy of the resected mass was obtained for histopathological examination. The final diagnosis of the lesion was pyloric-region adenomyoma with severe pyloric stenosis. After the successful surgery, the patient recovered without any recurrence or complications. Conclusions Several diagnostic approaches are available, including radiological studies, endoscopic examination, and fine needle aspiration guided by endoscopic ultrasonography. Treatment options involve endoscopic submucosal dissection and complete laparotomy resection. Further studies and thorough reviews are recommended to better understand the best clinical practices. Practitioners should consider gastric adenomyoma when encountering a mural gastric lesion.

ABSTRACTBackground In the absence of a specific treatment for COVID-19, preventive measures have been implemented to control this pandemic and vaccination is one of them. However, it is crucial to verify the safety and efficiency of every vaccine. The aim was to determinate the predictive factors of side effects and reinfection after COVID-19 vaccine. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in February 2022 among Tunisians infected with COVID-19 between March 2020 and February 2022, using an online self-administered questionnaire. We conducted univariate and multivariate analyses using binary stepwise logistic regression. Results A total of 1541 was selected from 1911 individuals. Comorbidities affected a quarter of the population (22.3%). Before the initial infection, 39.3% had received full vaccination, and 8.7% had received partial vaccination. By February 2022, the majority (82.9%) had received at least two vaccine doses. The reinfection rate was 30.6%. All vaccines prior to the first infection was identified as a protective factor against reinfection. Inactivated virus vaccinations were less likely to induce adverse effects. Conclusion ach vaccine has its own set of advantages and disadvantages: mRNA-based vaccines had a higher incidence of side effects but all vaccines provided better protection against reinfection.

The intricate interplay existing between gut microbiota and homeostasis extends to the realm of the brain, where emerging research underscores the significant impact of the microbiota on mood regulation and overall neurological well-being and vice-versa, with inflammation playing a pivotal role in mediating these complex interactions. This comprehensive review explores the complex interplay between inflammation, alterations in gut microbiota, and their impact on major depressive disorder (MDD). It provides a cohesive framework for the puzzle pieces of this triad, emphasizing recent advancements in understanding the gut microbiota and inflammatory states' contribution to the depressive features. Two directions of communication between the gut and the brain in depression are discussed, with inflammation serving as a potential modulator. Therapeutic implications were discussed as well, drawing insights from interventional studies on the effects of probiotics on gut bacterial composition and depressive symptoms. Ultimately, this review will attempt to provide a complete and valuable framework for future research and therapeutic interventions in MDD.

Soft X-ray emission (0.5–2.0 keV) plays a pivotal role in regulating the optical and ultraviolet (UV) emission in the active galactic nuclei (AGNs). We collected a sample of 1811 AGNs from the SDSS database and obtained various parameters of Balmer lines, optical continuum, Mg  ii line & UV continuum and studied their dependencies on soft X-ray luminosity. Based on the linear regression analysis, we found that FWHM |$_{\rm {Mg\,\,\small {II}}}$| ∝ FWHM |$_{\text{H}\beta }^{0.554}$| suggesting that UV emission is arising from a region relatively outside the broad-line region (BLR) associated to the H β emission and found a strong correlation between optical and UV luminosities (L |$_{\rm {Mg\,\,\small {II}}}$| ∝ |$L_{\rm {H}\beta }^{0.822}$|⁠). It was noticed that the dependency of optical continuum luminosities on soft excess changes with the redshift (L X ∝ L |$^{0.596}_{5100\, \mathring{\rm A}}$| for z < 0.5 and L X ∝ L |$^{0.429}_{5100\, \mathring{\rm A}}$| for z > 0.5). The full width at half-maximum components of H β and Mg  ii core components were found to be virialized and is not affected by the soft excess emission whereas the wings of Mg  ii display a dependency. We estimated a relation viz. L X ∝L |$^{0.520}_{3000\, \mathring{\rm A}}$| FWHM |$^{0.525}_{\rm {Mg\,\,\small {II}}}$| and found to be well in agreement with a proposed physical scenario. All the derived relations were used to understand the intermodulating association of the BLR and disc in the AGNs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background A major component of emergency medical care is blood. The Gaza Strip has faced repeated wars over the last few years, emphasizing the importance of blood donation even more. This study aims to assess medical students’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding voluntary blood donation in Gaza (VBD). Methods This cross-sectional study used stratified sampling method to survey medical students at Gaza’s two medical schools, Al-Azhar and Islamic Universities, between March and April 2022. A 35-item self-administered questionnaire with four sections: demographics, knowledge, attitude, and practice, was used. The data were statistically analyzed using SPSS version 25. Results A total of 329 students were surveyed (response rate of 89.6%). The median age was 20 (IQR = 3). Males made up 44.7% of the sample. Overall, 54.7% were found to have good knowledge about VBD, 68.1% did not know the time-to-wait between each whole blood donation, and in terms of blood donation criteria, only 30.7%, 25.2% were aware of the appropriate age and weight for donating. Moreover, school was the source of most information (66.6%). Meanwhile, 73.3% of participants expressed a positive attitude toward VBD. Only (17,6%) did not show a willingness to donate blood regardless of their relationship with the recipient. The vast majority (83.3%) had never donated blood before, and 12.5% had no plans to do so in the future. The two most common reasons for this were the lack of opportunity and health issues (31.0%, 11.9%, respectively). Conclusion The sampled medical students had a positive attitude toward VBD, but there were deficiencies in their knowledge of blood donation criteria, and most had not donated blood. Adequate awareness campaigns are required to increase awareness about this universally and locally important subject.

Understanding the radiative and physical structures of inner region of a few 100 pc of active galactic nucleus (AGNs) is important to constrain the causes of their activities. Although the X-ray emission from the Comptonization region/corona and the accretion disc regulates the broad-line emission regions and torus structures, the exact mutual dependency is not understood well. We performed correlation studies for X-ray, mid-infrared, and different components of Balmer emission lines for the selected sample of AGNs. Almost 10 different parameters and their interdependencies were explored in order to understand the underlying astrophysics. We found that the X-ray luminosity has a linear dependency on the various components of broad Balmer emission lines (e.g. L |$_{\text{2-10 keV}}\, \propto$| L |$^{0.78}_{\text{H}\beta ^{\text{B}}}$|⁠) and found a strong dependency on the optical continuum luminosity (L |$_{\text{2-10 keV}}\, \propto$| L |$^{0.86}_{5100\, \mathring{\rm A}}$|⁠). For a selected sample, we also observed a linear dependency between X-ray and mid-infrared luminosity (L |$_{\text{2-10 keV}}\, \propto$| L |$^{0.74}_{6\, \mu \text{m}}$|⁠). A break point was observed in our correlation studies for X-ray power-law index, Γ, and mass of black hole at ∼ log (M/M⊙)  = 8.95. Similarly, the relations between Γ and full width at half-maximum (FWHM) of H α and H β broad components show breaks at FWHMH α = 7642 ± 657 km s−1 and FWHMH β  = 7336 ± 650 km s−1. However, more data are required to confine the breaks locations exactly. We noted that Γ and Eddington ratios are negatively correlated to Balmer decrements in our selected sample. We analysed and discussed about the implications of new findings in terms of interaction AGN structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The pandemic of COVID-19 has placed many challenges for pharmacy students’ learning experiences via the online e- system. There is paucity of studies that addresses this in colleges of pharmacies in United Arab Emirates (UAE). Objective: We have explored the preparedness, attitudes, experiences, and barriers/facilitators, and delineated factors that may affect the pharmacy students’ e-learning process amid the COVID-19 crises. Methods: The current study was cross-sectional, and survey-based (anonymously self-administered) that utilized theoretical domains framework. The survey (multiple statements) was comprised of four domains (based on theoretical domain framework) that has elaborated on the preparedness, attitudes, experiences and barriers for the pharmacy students’ e-learning (all years and interns). The validated (Cronbach Alfa 0.821) and piloted survey posted to the Google form and a link distributed to the pharmacy students. The survey was comprised of four domains (34 statements), distributed as five in preparedness, eleven in attitude, eleven in the experiences, and seven in the barriers/facilitators (theoretical domains framework). Outcome measure: The primary outcome was the total sum of scores of individual statements and each individual four domain of the questionnaire (preparedness, attitude, experiences, and barriers/facilitators). Results: Two hundred thirty respondents participated in the survey (230/400, response rate 57.5%), of which 193 were females (83.9%) versus 37 males (16.1%). The mean age (years) was 19.9 ± 1.9 (males 19.8 ± 1.6 and females 20.0 ± 1.9). The mean total score for preparedness Q1 to Q5 (domain maximum score 25); and for the attitude Q6 to Q16 (domain maximum score of 60) were 14.9 ± 3.8 (95% CI 14.4 – 15.4; P

Dermal metastasis is a rare manifestation of visceral disease, and esophageal adenocarcinomas represent around only 1% of primaries that present with cutaneous metastasis. In this case, we discuss a patient who presented with a painless submental mass and extensive right neck cutaneous induration and erythema. Core needle biopsy demonstrated poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. Blood testing also demonstrated elevated carbohydrate antigen 19-9, carcinoembryonic antigen, and alkaline phosphatase. PET/CT followed by esophagoscopy led to the diagnosis of esophageal signet-cell adenocarcinoma primary with isolated dermal metastasis. The patient was started on palliative radiotherapy and passed away two months later from a suspected thoracic fistula and hydropneumothorax.

هدف البحث إلى دراسة تأثير مخاطر التشغيل على تفضيلات المصارف التجارية الخاصة السورية وعلاقتها بها. وقد تمّ جمع البيانات اللازمة لذلك من خلال القوائم المالية والإحصاءات الرسمية الخاصة بالمصارف محل الدراسة، وعددها أحد عشر مصرفاً مثلت عينة الدراسة خلال الفترة (2011_2021). وبغرض التحليل، فقد تمّ استخدام معامل الارتباط بيرسون ونموذج الانحدار الخطي البسيط لدراسة علاقة مخاطر التشغيل بكل من تفضيلات السيولة والربحية والأمان المصرفي وتأثيرها عليهم. وقد أظهرت نتائج البحث وجود علاقة ارتباط طردية قوية ذات دلالة إحصائية بين مخاطر التشغيل وكل من تفضيل الأمان وتفضيل السيولة (إجمالي الأصول السائلة وشبه السائلة/ إجمالي الودائع؛ إجمالي الأصول السائلة/ إجمالي الودائع) في المصارف التجارية الخاصة السورية، كما أظهرت وجود علاقة ارتباط طردية ضعيفة ذات دلالة إحصائية بين مخاطر التشغيل وتفضيل الربحية (العائد على الأصول؛ العائد على حقوق الملكية) في المصارف التجارية الخاصة السورية، بينما أظهرت نتائج البحث على عدم وجود علاقة ارتباط ذات دلالة إحصائية بين مخاطر التشغيل وتفضيل السيولة (نسبة الأصول السائلة/ إجمالي الأصول) في المصارف التجارية الخاصة السورية. وقد أوصى البحث بضرورة قيام المصارف التجارية الخاصة السورية بنشر التفاصيل المتعلقة بالمخاطر التشغيلية بصورة واضحة، والحفاظ على مستويات مرتفعة وجيدة من تفضيلات (الأمان، الربحية، السيولة) في المصارف التجارية الخاصة السورية نظراً لدورهم المهم في رفع مستوى الأداء.

Curvularia rarely causes human infections despite its ubiquity in the environment. It is most associated with allergic diseases such as chronic sinusitis and allergic bronchopulmonary mycosis; however, causing a lung mass is rarely reported in the literature. We describe an interesting case of a 57-year-old man with a history of asthma and localized prostate cancer diagnosed with a Curvularia-caused lung mass that responded quickly to itraconazole.

Chemo-mechanical stress within Li-based batteries detrimentally affects the performance and lifetime of these devices. Here, the authors propose an operando technique using optical fibers embedded in electrodes for internal stress monitoring of cells containing either solid or liquid electrolytes.

Background: Overexpression of cytokine receptor-like factor 2 (CRLF2) caused by different genetic aberrations has been observed in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and correlated with poor outcome. Most patients with high CRLF2 expression are clustered in the Philadelphia-like (Ph-like) ALL subgroup. Ph-like ALL is reported to be associated with alterations in IKZF1 gene, encoding the transcription factor Ikaros. Aim: To identify CRLF2 and IKZF1 alterations in Egyptian patients with ALL and to determine their prognostic significance. Methods: Peripheral blood samples from 34 newly diagnosed ALL patients treated at an Egyptian tertiary oncology center and 14 controls were assessed for CRLF2 and IKZF1 mRNA expression using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: CRLF2 was significantly overexpressed in ALL patients compared to controls (p = 0.038). The response to treatment was significantly better in patients with low CRLF2 expression (p = 0.029). The rate of remission, relapse and induction death was 82%, 12% and 6% in the low CRLF2 expression group and 41%, 18% and 41% in the high expression one. Overall survival was significantly shorter among ALL with high CRLF2 (p = 0.034). IKZF1 expression level did not differ significantly between patients and controls. Patients with low IKZF1 exhibited significantly higher leucocytic count and lower platelet count (p = 0.038 and 0.044, respectively). IKZF1 overexpression did not correlate significantly with response to treatment or survival. Conclusion: High CRLF2 expression was associated with poor outcome among ALL patients. Further research is needed to improve the diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in ALL patients with poor prognosis.

Background: Plant-based foods such as hummus are alternative to animal protein, and when properly prepared, they help to alleviate nutritional iron deficiency that leads to anemia, a global health problem. Objective: The objective was to assess iron intake among Lebanese women and related participant’s characteristics, discern iron-rich dietary patterns, evaluate their association with nutrients intake and participant’s sociodemographic characteristics, and identify the women preparing hummus traditionally and properly for an enhanced iron bioavailability. Design: A cross-sectional study of 400 Lebanese women (18–74 years old) was conducted in Lebanon. Data from a questionnaire, including sociodemographic and health characteristics, dietary intake, and hummus preparation and consumption, were collected. Dietary data were obtained by a food frequency questionnaire and a 24-h recall. Dietary patterns were identified by principal component analysis. Linear regression and binomial logistic regression models were used to explore the association between the intake of dietary iron, its patterns, and the participants’ characteristics. Results: About 60% of the women had iron intake deficiency, especially with lower income (odds ratio [OR] = 1.88, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.107, 3.194). Four iron-rich dietary patterns were identified: legumes; organ/lunch meat and chicken; canned fish; and beef and hummus. The factor scores of the latter were positively correlated with protein, vitamin C, iron, folate, vitamin B12, and vitamin A with r = 0.195 and P < 0.01 for all. No significant difference was shown among the women’s sociodemographic characteristics for the consumption of the hummus-related pattern. Only 9.2 and 22.7% of the women considered proper preparation of chickpea and hummus, respectively, which significantly (P < 0.05) correlated with older women (66.7%). Discussion & Conclusion: The majority of the Lebanese women still have iron intake deficiency and the minority reported proper preparation of hummus. Intervention programs spreading awareness among Lebanese women are needed for encouraging adequate iron intake and considering proper steps to improve iron bioavailability from plant-based food.

Objective: To update the recommendations for the treatment of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) with biological therapies, endorsed by the Portuguese Society of Rheumatology. Methods: These treatment recommendations were formulated by Portuguese rheumatologists based on literature evidence and consensus opinion. At a national meeting, the recommendations included in this document were discussed and updated. A draft of the full text of the recommendations was then circulated and suggestions were incorporated. A final version was again circulated before publication and the level of agreement among Portuguese Rheumatologists was anonymously assessed using an online survey. Results: A consensus was achieved regarding the initiation, assessment of response and switching of biological therapies in patients with axSpA. In total, se ven recommendations were produced. The first recommendation is a general statement indicating that biological therapy is not a first-line drug treatment option and should only be used after conventional treatment has failed. The second recommendation is also a general statement about the broad concept of axSpA adopted by these recommendations that includes both non-radiographic and radiographic axSpA. Recommendations 3 to 7 deal with the definition of active disease (including the recommended threshold of 2.1 for the Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score [ASDAS] or the threshold of 4 [0-10 scale] for the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index [BASDAI]), conventional treatment failure (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs being the first-line drug treatment), assessment of response to treatment (based on an ASDAS improvement of at least 1.1 units or a BASDAI improvement of at least 2 units [0-10 scale] or at least 50%), and strategy in the presence of an inadequate response (where switching is recommended) or in the presence of long-term remission (where a process of biological therapy optimization can be considered, either a gradual increase in the interval between doses or a decrease of each dose of the biological therapy). Conclusion: These recommendations may be used for guidance in deciding which patients with axSpA should be treated with biological therapies. They cover a rapidly evolving area of therapeutic intervention. As more evidence becomes available and more biological therapies are licensed, these recommendations will have to be updated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Big data applications and analytics are vital in proposing ultimate strategic decisions. The existing literature emphasizes that big data applications and analytics can empower those who apply Big Data Analytics during the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper reviews the existing literature specializing in big data applications pre and peri-COVID-19. A comparison between Pre and Peri of the pandemic for using Big Data applications is presented. The comparison is expanded to four highly recognized industry fields: Healthcare, Education, Transportation, and Banking. A discussion on the effectiveness of the four major types of data analytics across the mentioned industries is highlighted. Hence, this paper provides an illustrative description of the importance of big data applications in the era of COVID-19, as well as aligning the applications to their relevant big data analytics models. This review paper concludes that applying the ultimate big data applications and their associated data analytics models can harness the significant limitations faced by organizations during one of the most fateful pandemics worldwide. Future work will conduct a systematic literature review and a comparative analysis of the existing Big Data Systems and models. Moreover, future work will investigate the critical challenges of Big Data Analytics and applications during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since its discovery in Wuhan, China, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread over the world, having a huge impact on people’s lives and health. The respiratory system is often targeted in people with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The virus can also infect many organs and tissues in the body, including the reproductive system. The consequences of the SARS-CoV-2 infection on fertility and pregnancy in hosts are poorly documented. Available data on other coronaviruses, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV) and Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) coronaviruses, identified pregnant women as a vulnerable group with increased pregnancy-related complications. COVID-19 was also shown to impact pregnancy, which can be seen in either the mother or the fetus. Pregnant women more likely require COVID-19 intensive care treatment than non-pregnant women, and they are susceptible to giving birth prematurely and having their newborns admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. Angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), a key player of the ubiquitous renin-angiotensin system (RAS), is the principal host cellular receptor for SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. ACE2 is involved in the regulation of both male and female reproductive systems, suggesting that SARS-CoV-2 infection and associated RAS dysfunction could affect reproduction. Herein, we review the current knowledge about COVID-19 consequences on male and female fertility, pregnant women, and their fetuses. Furthermore, we describe the effects of COVID-19 vaccination on reproduction.

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a persistent health issue, particularly among intravenous drug users. We discussed a case of infective endocarditis in a patient who uses IV drugs, which had some unusual features such as unusual presentation, polymicrobial infection, left-sided valve involvement, coronary embolism, and an uncommon pathogen for IE.

We examined relationships between thyroid hormone (TH) metabolites in humans by measuring 3,5-diiodothyronine (3,5-T2) and 3-iodothyronamine (3-T1AM) levels after liothyronine administration. In secondary analyses, we measured 3,5-T2 and 3-T1AM concentrations in stored samples from two clinical trials. In 12 healthy volunteers, THs and metabolites were documented for 96 h after a single dose of 50 mcg liothyronine. In 18 patients treated for hypothyroidism, levothyroxine therapy was replaced by daily dosing of 30–45 mcg liothyronine. Analytes were measured prior to the administration of liothyronine weekly for 6 weeks, and then hourly for 8 h after the last liothyronine dose of the study. In the weekly samples from the hypothyroid patients, 3,5-T2 was higher by 0.033 nmol/L with each mcg/dL increase in T4 and 0.24 nmol/L higher with each ng/dL increase in FT4 (p-values = 0.007, 0.0365). In hourly samples after the last study dose of liothyronine, patients with T3 values higher by one ng/dL had 3-T1AM values that were lower by 0.004 nmol/L (p-value = 0.0473); patients with 3,5-T2 higher by one nmol/L had 3-T1AM values higher by 2.45 nmol/L (p-value = 0.0044). The positive correlations between weekly trough levels of 3,5-T2 and T4/FT4 during liothyronine therapy may provide insight into 3,5-T2 production, possibly supporting some production of 3,5-T2 from endogenous T4, but not from exogenous liothyronine. In hourly sampling after liothyronine administration, the negative correlation between T3 levels and 3-T1AM, but positive correlation between 3,5-T2 levels and 3-T1AM could support the hypothesis that 3-T1AM production occurs via 3,5-T2 with negative regulation by T3.