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Background: Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) is a critical causative agent behind Kaposi sarcoma (KS), an oncogenic disease with profound consequences in immunocompromised individuals. Studies suggested HHV-8 seroprevalence in healthy populations is uncommon, but comprehensive investigations within the Middle East region remain scarce. This study aimed to bridge this knowledge gap by meticulously assessing HHV-8 seroprevalence among healthy blood donors in Qatar, leveraging serological methodologies and PCR. Methods: We used sera samples collected from 621 healthy blood donors (median age = 36 years, IQR 30–43) from different nationalities residing in Qatar, mainly from the MENA region and Southeast Asia. All sera samples were tested for total anti-HHV-8 IgG antibodies using ELISA. The presence of lytic HHV-8 antibodies was confirmed by an immunofluorescence assay (IFA). Further, HHV-8 DNA was tested and quantitated by qRT-PCR. Results: ELISA detected anti-HHV-8 IgG total antibodies in 6.9 % [43/621, 95 %CI 5.2–9.2] of the tested samples. Subsequent testing by IFA revealed that 14 % [6/43, 95 %CI 3.6–24.3] of these anti-HHV-8 IgG were classified as HHV-8 lytic antibodies. This suggests that 0.97 % [6/621, 95 %CI 0.2–1.7] of these donors had a recent or ongoing active infection and viral replication. Only one seronegative Qatari blood donor had detectable HHV-8 DNA in his blood. No significant difference was observed between HHV-8 seropositivity and the demographic characteristics of the donors. Conclusion: Our study showed that HHV-8 prevalence in Qatar aligns closely with global reports. Moreover, our findings raise considerations regarding HHV-8’s potential transmission via transfusion, which suggests the value of routine HHV-8 screening, particularly for immunocompromised patients vulnerable to KS. more...

Objectives Scant data are available on syphilis infection within migrant populations worldwide and in the population of the Middle East and North Africa region. This study investigated the prevalence of both lifetime and recent syphilis infections among migrant craft and manual workers (MCMWs) in Qatar, a diverse demographic representing 60% of the country’s population.Methods Sera specimens collected during a nationwide cross-sectional survey of SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among the MCMW population, conducted between 26 July and 9 September 2020, were analysed. Treponema pallidum antibodies were detected using the Mindray CL-900i Chemiluminescence Immunoassay Analyzer. To differentiate recent infections, rapid plasma reagin (RPR) testing was performed, with an RPR titre of ≥1:8 considered indicative of recent infection. Logistic regression analyses were employed to identify factors associated with lifetime syphilis infection. Sampling weights were incorporated into all statistical analyses to obtain population-level estimates.Results T. pallidum antibodies were identified in 38 of the 2528 tested sera specimens. Prevalence of lifetime infection was estimated at 1.3% (95% CI 0.9% to 1.8%). Among the 38 treponemal-positive specimens, 15 were reactive by RPR, with three having titres ≥1:8, indicating recent infection. Prevalence of recent infection was estimated at 0.09% (95% CI 0.01 to 0.3%). Among treponemal-positive MCMWs, the estimated proportion with recent infection was 8.1% (95% CI: 1.7 to 21.4%). The adjusted OR for lifetime infection increased with age, reaching 8.68 (95% CI 2.58 to 29.23) among those aged ≥60 years compared with those ≤29 years of age. Differences in prevalence were observed by nationality and occupation, but no differences were found by educational attainment or geographic location.Conclusions Syphilis prevalence among MCMWs in Qatar is consistent with global levels, highlighting a disease burden with implications for health and social well-being. These findings underscore the need for programmes addressing both sexually transmitted infections and the broader sexual health needs of this population. more...

Abstract Limited data exist on viral hepatitis among migrant populations. This study investigated the prevalence of current hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and lifetime hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among Qatar's migrant craft and manual workers (CMWs), constituting 60% of the country's population. Sera collected during a nationwide COVID-19 population-based cross-sectional survey on CMWs between July 26 and September 9, 2020, underwent testing for HBsAg and HCV antibodies. Reactive samples underwent confirmatory testing, and logistic regression analyses were employed to explore associations with HBV and HCV infections. Among 2528 specimens tested for HBV infection, 15 were reactive, with 8 subsequently confirmed positive. Three samples lacked sufficient sera for confirmatory testing but were included in the analysis through multiple imputations. Prevalence of current HBV infection was 0.4% (95% CI 0.2–0.7%). Educational attainment and occupation were significantly associated with current HBV infection. For HCV infection, out of 2607 specimens tested, 46 were reactive, and 23 were subsequently confirmed positive. Prevalence of lifetime HCV infection was 0.8% (95% CI 0.5–1.2%). Egyptians exhibited the highest prevalence at 6.5% (95% CI 3.1–13.1%), followed by Pakistanis at 3.1% (95% CI 1.1–8.0%). Nationality, geographic location, and occupation were significantly associated with lifetime HCV infection. HBV infection is relatively low among CMWs, while HCV infection falls within the intermediate range, both compared to global and regional levels. more...

Background: Evidence on the effectiveness of vaccination-induced immunity compared to SARS-CoV-2 natural immunity is warranted to inform vaccination recommendations. Aim: In this study, we aimed to conduct a comparative assessment of antibody responses between vaccinated naïve (VN) and unvaccinated naturally infected individuals (NI) over 10 Months. Method: The study comprised fully-vaccinated naïve individuals (VN; n = 596) who had no history of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and received two doses of either BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273, and naturally infected individuals who had a documented history of SARS-CoV-2 infection and no vaccination record (NI cohort; n = 218). We measured the levels of neutralizing total antibodies (NtAbs), anti-S-RBD IgG, and anti-S1 IgA titers among VN and NI up to ∼10 months from administration of the first dose, and up to ∼7 months from SARS-CoV-2 infection, respectively. To explore the relationship between the antibody responses and time, Spearman's correlation coefficient was computed. Furthermore, correlations between the levels of NtAbs/anti-S-RBD IgG and NtAbs/anti-S1 IgA were examined through pairwise correlation analysis. Results: Up to six months, VN individuals had a significantly higher NtAb and anti-S-RBD IgG antibody responses compared to NI individuals. At the 7th month, there was a significant decline in antibody responses among VN individuals, but not NI individuals, with a minimum decrease of 3.7-fold (p more...

Abstract Background Limited data exists on herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2) infections in migrant populations. This study investigated HSV-1 and HSV-2 seroprevalences and associations among craft and manual workers (CMWs) in Qatar who constitute 60% of Qatar’s population. Methods A national population-based cross-sectional seroprevalence survey was conducted on the CMW population, all men, between July 26 and September 9, 2020. 2,612 sera were tested for anti-HSV-1 IgG antibodies using HerpeSelect 1 ELISA IgG kits and for anti-HSV-2 IgG antibodies using HerpeSelect 2 ELISA IgG kits (Focus Diagnostics, USA). Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify associations with HSV-1 and HSV-2 infections. Results Serological testing identified 2,171 sera as positive, 403 as negative, and 38 as equivocal for HSV-1 antibodies, and 300 sera as positive, 2,250 as negative, and 62 as equivocal for HSV-2 antibodies. HSV-1 and HSV-2 seroprevalences among CMWs were estimated at 84.2% (95% CI 82.8–85.6%) and 11.4% (95% CI 10.1–12.6%), respectively. HSV-1 infection was associated with nationality, educational attainment, and occupation. HSV-2 infection was associated with age, nationality, and educational attainment. Conclusions Over 80% of CMWs are infected with HSV-1 and over 10% are infected with HSV-2. The findings highlight the need for sexual health programs to tackle sexually transmitted infections among the CMW population. more...

Abstract Background The mechanism of tumor immune escape and progression in colorectal cancer (CRC) is widely investigated in-vitro to help understand and identify agents that might play a crucial role in response to treatment and improve the overall survival of CRC patients. Several mechanisms of immune escape and tumor progression, including expression of stemness markers, inactivation of immunoregulatory genes by methylation, and epigenetic silencing, have been reported in CRC, indicating the potential of demethylating agents as anti-cancer drugs. Of these, a chemotherapeutic demethylating agent, Decitabine (DAC), has been reported to induce a dual effect on both DNA demethylation and histone changes leading to an increased expression of target biomarkers, thus making it an attractive anti-tumorigenic drug. Methods We compared the effect of DAC in primary 1076 Col and metastatic 1872 Col cell lines isolated and generated from patients’ tumor tissues. Both cell lines were treated with DAC, and the expression of the NY-ESO-1 cancer-testis antigen, the PD-L1 immunoinhibitory marker, and the CD44, Nanog, KLF-4, CD133, MSI-1 stemness markers were analyzed using different molecular and immunological assays. Results DAC treatment significantly upregulated stemness markers in both primary 1076 Col and meta-static 1872 Col cell lines, although a lower effect occurred on the latter: CD44 (7.85 fold; ***p = 0.0001 vs. (4.19 fold; *p = 0.0120), Nanog (4.1 fold; ***p more...

The currently authorized mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, Pfizer-BNT162b2 and Moderna-mRNA-1273, offer great promise for reducing the spread of the COVID-19 by generating protective immunity against SARS-CoV-2. Recently, it was shown that the magnitude of the neutralizing antibody (NAbs) response correlates with the degree of protection. However, the difference between the immune response in naïve mRNA-vaccinated and previously infected (PI) individuals is not well studied. We investigated the level of NAbs in naïve and PI individuals after 1 to 26 (median = 6) weeks of the second dose of BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273 vaccination. The naïve mRNA-1273 vaccinated group (n = 68) generated significantly higher (~2-fold, p ≤ 0.001) NAbs than the naïve BNT162b2 (n = 358) group. The P -vaccinated group (n = 42) generated significantly higher (~3-fold; p ≤ 0.001) NAbs levels than the naïve-BNT162b2 (n = 426). Additionally, the older age groups produced a significantly higher levels of antibodies than the young age group (p = 0.0007). Our results showed that mRNA-1273 generated a higher NAbs response than the BNT162b2 vaccine, and the PI group generated the highest level of NAbs response regardless of the type of vaccine. more...

Hyper IgE syndrome (HIES) is a rare immunodeficiency syndrome characterized by a triad of cutaneous abscesses, mostly caused by Staphylococus aureus; pneumonia; and raised IgE levels. Nonimmunological associations include course facial features, multiple bone fractures, joint hyperextensibility, and retained primary dentition. Patients require long-term antibiotic therapy. We report here a classical case of HIES with rare associations of natal teeth, bilateral cervical ribs, and conductive deafness. The patient was being treated with monteleukast and dapsone. more...

Disseminated cryptococcosis is one of the acquired immune deficiency syndrome defining criteria and the most common cause of life threatening meningitis. Disseminated lesions in the skin manifest as papules or nodules that mimic molluscum contagiosum (MC). We report here a human immunodeficiency virus positive patient who presented with MC like lesions. Disseminated cryptococcosis was confirmed by India ink preparation and histopathology. The condition of the patient improved with amphotercin B. more...

Limited data exist on viral hepatitis among migrant populations. This study investigated the prevalence of current hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and lifetime hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among Qatar's migrant craft and manual workers (CMWs), constituting 60% of the country's population. Sera collected during a nationwide COVID-19 population-based cross-sectional survey on CMWs between July 26 and September 9, 2020, underwent testing for HBsAg and HCV antibodies. Reactive samples underwent confirmatory testing, and logistic regression analyses were employed to explore associations with HBV and HCV infections. Among 2528 specimens tested for HBV infection, 15 were reactive, with 8 subsequently confirmed positive. Three samples lacked sufficient sera for confirmatory testing but were included in the analysis through multiple imputations. Prevalence of current HBV infection was 0.4% (95% CI 0.2–0.7%). Educational attainment and occupation were significantly associated with current HBV infection. For HCV infection, out of 2607 specimens tested, 46 were reactive, and 23 were subsequently confirmed positive. Prevalence of lifetime HCV infection was 0.8% (95% CI 0.5–1.2%). Egyptians exhibited the highest prevalence at 6.5% (95% CI 3.1–13.1%), followed by Pakistanis at 3.1% (95% CI 1.1–8.0%). Nationality, geographic location, and occupation were significantly associated with lifetime HCV infection. HBV infection is relatively low among CMWs, while HCV infection falls within the intermediate range, both compared to global and regional levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Background: Priming with ChAdOx1 followed by heterologous boosting is considered in several countries. Nevertheless, analyses comparing the immunogenicity of heterologous booster to homologous primary vaccination regimens and natural infection are lacking. In this study, we aimed to conduct a comparative assessment of the immunogenicity between homologous primary vaccination regimens and heterologous prime‐boost vaccination using BNT162b2 or mRNA‐1273. Methods: We matched vaccinated naïve (VN) individuals (n = 673) with partial vaccination (n = 64), primary vaccination (n = 590), and primary series plus mRNA vaccine heterologous booster (n = 19) with unvaccinated naturally infected (NI) individuals with a documented primary SARS‐CoV‐2 infection (n = 206). We measured the levels of neutralizing total antibodies (NTAbs), total antibodies (TAbs), anti‐S‐RBD IgG, and anti‐S1 IgA titers. Results: Homologous primary vaccination with ChAdOx1 not only showed less potent NTAb, TAb, anti‐S‐RBD IgG, and anti‐S1 IgA immune responses compared to primary BNT162b2 or mRNA‐1273 vaccination regimens (p < 0.05) but also showed ~3‐fold less anti‐S1 IgA response compared to infection‐induced immunity (p < 0.001). Nevertheless, a heterologous booster led to an increase of ~12 times in the immune response when compared to two consecutive homologous ChAdOx1 immunizations. Furthermore, correlation analyses revealed that both anti‐S‐RBD IgG and anti‐S1 IgA significantly contributed to virus neutralization among NI individuals, particularly in symptomatic and pauci‐symptomatic individuals, whereas among VN individuals, anti‐S‐RBD IgG was the main contributor to virus neutralization. Conclusion: The results emphasize the potential benefit of using heterologous mRNA boosters to increase antibody levels and neutralizing capacity particularly in patients who received primary vaccination with ChAdOx1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) and zinc oxide (ZnO) have attracted wide attention due to their photocatalytic properties despite other usages such as pigments in foodstuffs, paint, and cosmetics. They have a high demand due to their broad functionality, long-term stability, and non-toxicity. Although TiO2 and ZnO are good photocatalysts for the degradation of various environmental pollutants, their small adsorption coefficient limits this ability. This work deals with encapsulating TiO2 and ZnO with hollow silica (HS); TiO2-HS and ZnO-HS to increase the surface area adsorption and to control the photocatalytic activity of both catalysts. Sol-gel method through a wet precipitation process following that of the Stober Method was applied to prepare the desired TiO2-HS and ZnO-HS which gave distinct outcomes in the characterization by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) where TiO2-HS has a reduced surface area compared to the naked TiO2 while ZnO-HS has an increased surface area compared to the naked ZnO. This was proven by further characterizations using FTIR, XRD, and EDX. The physical appearance and morphology of TiO2-HS and ZnO-HS were shown by the FESEM and TEM images. The catalytic activity of TiO2-HS and ZnO-HS was tested in the degradation of dimethylarsinic acid. Results show a lower percentage of degradation by TiO2-HS compared to TiO2 while ZnO-HS gave a higher degradation percentage as compared to ZnO. Thus, the silica doping has been proven to reduce the photocatalytic properties of TiO2 but enhance the photocatalytic activity of ZnO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

ABSTRACT This work adopted response surface methodology (RSM) to analyze the behavior of a nanofluid based on propylene glycol. The laboratory conditions in this investigation involve a temperature range of 40°C–120°C and a weight percentage that varies from 0% to 0.5%. Initially viscosity was predicted using Redwood viscometer using the nanofluid solutions. To find the most accurate predictive model and generate an ideal solution, RSM was used. The current study was inspired by the lack of consistency among laboratory behavior and real‐world applications and the statistical‐mathematical analysis of modelers' performance, contrast, and motivations. Two‐factor interaction (2FI), quadratic, cubic, and quartic models are only a few tested. Investigating and evaluating the different statistical features of these modeling functions is a new contribution to the field. The quartic model represents the characteristics of nanofluids with double the accuracy of other models, as shown by statistical analysis. The R2 coefficient, the coefficient of variation (CV%), and the p‐value are compared as metrics for assessing the models. The indexes for the quartic model are 0.9940, 3.53%, and 0.0001, in that order. Nanofluids should have a viscosity of 0.335 m2/s at 120°C along with a weight percentage of 0.5%. more...

Abstract Chronic kidney disease (CKD) impacts about 1 in 7 adults in the United States, but African Americans (AAs) carry a disproportionately higher burden of disease. Epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation at cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) sites, have been linked to kidney function and may have clinical utility in predicting the risk of CKD. Given the dynamic relationship between the epigenome, environment, and disease, AAs may be especially sensitive to environment-driven methylation alterations. Moreover, risk models incorporating CpG methylation have been shown to predict disease across multiple racial groups. In this study, we developed a methylation risk score (MRS) for CKD in cohorts of AAs. We selected nine CpG sites that were previously reported to be associated with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in epigenome-wide association studies to construct a MRS in the Hypertension Genetic Epidemiology Network (HyperGEN). In logistic mixed models, the MRS was significantly associated with prevalent CKD and was robust to multiple sensitivity analyses, including CKD risk factors. There was modest replication in validation cohorts. In summary, we demonstrated that an eGFR-based CpG score is an independent predictor of prevalent CKD, suggesting that MRS should be further investigated for clinical utility in evaluating CKD risk and progression. more...

Background The human gut microbiome develops rapidly during infancy, a key window of development coinciding with the maturation of the adaptive immune system. However, little is known about the microbiome growth dynamics over the first few months of life and whether there are any generalizable patterns across human populations. We performed metagenomic sequencing on stool samples (n = 94) from a cohort of infants (n = 15) at monthly intervals in the first 6 months of life, augmenting our dataset with seven published studies for a total of 4,441 metagenomes from 1,162 infants.Results Strain-level de novo analysis was used to identify 592 of the most abundant organisms in the infant gut microbiome. Previously unrecognized consortia were identified which exhibited highly correlated abundances across samples and were composed of diverse species spanning multiple genera. Analysis of a published cohort of infants with cystic fibrosis identified one such novel consortium of diverse Enterobacterales which was positively correlated with weight gain. While all studies showed an increased community stability during the first year of life, microbial dynamics varied widely in the first few months of life, both by study and by individual.Conclusion By augmenting published metagenomic datasets with data from a newly established cohort, we were able to identify novel groups of organisms that are correlated with measures of robust human development. We hypothesize that the presence of these groups may impact human health in aggregate in ways that individual species may not in isolation. more...

Abstract Background Eating disorders (EDs) are serious, often chronic, conditions associated with pronounced morbidity, mortality, and dysfunction increasingly affecting young people worldwide. Illness progression, stages and recovery trajectories of EDs are still poorly characterised. The STORY study dynamically and longitudinally assesses young people with different EDs (restricting; bingeing/bulimic presentations) and illness durations (earlier; later stages) compared to healthy controls. Remote measurement technology (RMT) with active and passive sensing is used to advance understanding of the heterogeneity of earlier and more progressed clinical presentations and predictors of recovery or relapse. Methods STORY follows 720 young people aged 16–25 with EDs and 120 healthy controls for 12 months. Online self-report questionnaires regularly assess ED symptoms, psychiatric comorbidities, quality of life, and socioeconomic environment. Additional ongoing monitoring using multi-parametric RMT via smartphones and wearable smart rings (‘Ōura ring’) unobtrusively measures individuals’ daily behaviour and physiology (e.g., Bluetooth connections, sleep, autonomic arousal). A subgroup of participants completes additional in-person cognitive and neuroimaging assessments at study-baseline and after 12 months. Discussion By leveraging these large-scale longitudinal data from participants across ED diagnoses and illness durations, the STORY study seeks to elucidate potential biopsychosocial predictors of outcome, their interplay with developmental and socioemotional changes, and barriers and facilitators of recovery. STORY holds the promise of providing actionable findings that can be translated into clinical practice by informing the development of both early intervention and personalised treatment that is tailored to illness stage and individual circumstances, ultimately disrupting the long-term burden of EDs on individuals and their families. more...

Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) is a critical causative agent behind Kaposi sarcoma (KS), an oncogenic disease with profound consequences in immunocompromised individuals. Studies suggested HHV-8 seroprevalence in healthy populations is uncommon, but comprehensive investigations within the Middle East region remain scarce. This study aimed to bridge this knowledge gap by meticulously assessing HHV-8 seroprevalence among healthy blood donors in Qatar, leveraging serological methodologies and PCR. We used sera samples collected from 621 healthy blood donors (median age = 36 years, IQR 30–43) from different nationalities residing in Qatar, mainly from the MENA region and Southeast Asia. All sera samples were tested for total anti-HHV-8 IgG antibodies using ELISA. The presence of lytic HHV-8 antibodies was confirmed by an immunofluorescence assay (IFA). Further, HHV-8 DNA was tested and quantitated by qRT-PCR. ELISA detected anti-HHV-8 IgG total antibodies in 6.9 % [43/621, 95 %CI 5.2–9.2] of the tested samples. Subsequent testing by IFA revealed that 14 % [6/43, 95 %CI 3.6–24.3] of these anti-HHV-8 IgG were classified as HHV-8 lytic antibodies. This suggests that 0.97 % [6/621, 95 %CI 0.2–1.7] of these donors had a recent or ongoing active infection and viral replication. Only one seronegative Qatari blood donor had detectable HHV-8 DNA in his blood. No significant difference was observed between HHV-8 seropositivity and the demographic characteristics of the donors. Our study showed that HHV-8 prevalence in Qatar aligns closely with global reports. Moreover, our findings raise considerations regarding HHV-8's potential transmission via transfusion, which suggests the value of routine HHV-8 screening, particularly for immunocompromised patients vulnerable to KS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Objective To highlight progress in facilitating and supporting pan-Canadian data analysis research that is supported by a central coordinating center. This process will be illustrated with the use of a recently completed project that has been supported using data from Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario. Approach The project represents a significant endeavor within the central coordinating center, as it necessitates coordination for data access, data importation and analytical support across three provinces. The focus will be on the administrative processes refined to support collaborative research endeavors. While specific project details will remain undisclosed, procedural enhancements within the central coordinating center framework will be highlighted. Key discussion points include standardized protocols for data access, collaborative efforts to streamline data importation, and facilitation of analytical support across jurisdictions. The type of cross-jurisdictional analytic support will as well be highlighted; data variables harmonization and sharing of data algorithms cohorts across the participating provincial data centers in support of the meta-analysis. Results The successful completion of the final data analysis underscores the effectiveness of a unified data access coordination center for researchers seeking multi-regional health data in Canada. By highlighting advancements enabled by the central coordinating center and provincial data centers, this submission aims to inform researchers about the current landscape of pan-Canadian research and foster opportunities for future collaboration. Implications Sharing insights and lessons from this project emphasizes the advancements facilitated by the central coordinating center and provincial data centers, informing researchers about the potential of pan-Canadian research, and encouraging future collaborative endeavors. more...

Objective To highlight the partnership between the Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health (CanPath) and Health Data Research Network (HDRN Canada), which enables researchers to link CanPath’s health and lifestyle survey data to health records and related data across multiple regions. Background CanPath is a population health study of over 350,000 Canadians from seven regional cohorts across all ten provinces, making it one of the world's largest population cohorts. HDRN Canada is a network of member organizations, including provincial, territorial, and pan-Canadian data centres. Approach This partnership leveraged collective expertise and resources to facilitate the linkage of CanPath’s harmonized data to multi-regional health and health-related administrative data held at HDRN Canada’ s data centres. Researchers can access these data for multi-regional projects through HDRN Canada’s Data Access Support Hub, which provides a single access portal. Results Researchers were able to successfully link CanPath’s survey data to provincial administrative health data. The collaboration’s streamlined process for data access enhances efficiency and facilitates pan-Canadian population health research. Conclusion This collaboration demonstrates the feasibility and value of linking population health datasets while demonstrating the challenges and opportunities associated with accessing national administrative health data within a federated health data system. Implications The partnership between CanPath and HDRN Canada has significant implications for advancing population health research in Canada. By providing researchers with access to linked data from diverse sources, the partnership enables comprehensive investigations into health determinants, disease patterns, and clinical outcomes. This enhances the scope and depth of population health research in Canada, thereby leading to a better understanding of the most pressing health challenges. more...

In the dynamic landscape of the tech industry, the escalating requirement for swift and secure data transmission has catalyzed innovation in integrated communication systems. Free-Space Optics (FSOs) has emerged as a promising contender in optical communications. While conventional optical fiber systems can achieve bit rates of up to 40 Gbps with proper design, they are limited primarily by electronics rather than semiconductor laser capabilities. This study presents an integrated framework that combines FSOs, blockchain technology, and sensor networks to address challenges in data transmission, security, and environmental adaptation. This study analyzes FSOs system performance through the Quality (Q) Factor and Bit Error Rate (BER), comparing systems with and without Erbium-Doped Fiber Amplifiers (EDFAs) across various bit rates (8, 12, 16, and 20 Gbps) and transmission distances (5–25 km). To enhance data security and reliability, a blockchain architecture is incorporated with smart contracts and an InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) for storing and validating results generated from FSOs simulation. Additionally, this study explores the design of sensor network models for FSOs technology by investigating how distributed sensor arrays can be theoretically integrated with FSOs systems, with testing focused on FSOs performance and blockchain implementation. more...

In this article, we investigate various Bernstein-Kantorovich variants together with their approximation properties. Nowadays, these variants of Bernstein-Kantorovich operators have been a source of inspiration for researchers as it helps to approximate integral functions also which is not feasible in the case of discrete operators. Chaos theory has also been referred to as complexity theory. Using chaos theory complexity is also reduced as in approximation theory. Thus in order to reduce complexity and to have better understanding of images in sciences and engineering field, sampling Kantorovich operators of approximation theory are widely used in this regard for enhancement of images. Thus, we discuss the important applications of Kantorovich operators depicting pragmatic and theoretical aspects of approximation theory. more...

Aims Background This case study describes the use of fluoxetine for reduction of pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and bulimia nervosa symptoms. The case report also describes an increase in binge purge symptoms in the pre-menstrual period, along with other mood and cognitive symptoms. This supports a hormonal basis to the exacerbation of eating disorders. Patient consent was obtained prior to the publication of this report. Methods Case report A 41-year-old lady with significant binge purge behaviours and mood disturbance was referred to our eating disorder service. She met the diagnostic criteria for bulimia nervosa after a thorough assessment, along with a component of mood dysregulation. She was prescribed sertraline for depressive symptoms in primary care. The patient described a worsening of mood symptoms, along with cognitive difficulties before the start of her menstrual cycle. After a medical review, we agreed on tracking these symptoms along with the binge-purge frequency for a period of two cycles. This was done using a PMDD tracker. The tracker reflected a clear diagnosis of PMDD along with an exacerbation of bingeing and purging symptoms before the start of a menstrual cycle. Following this, sertraline was switched to fluoxetine, and titrated up to its maximum dose of 60 mg a day. Results Discussion Following the commencement of fluoxetine, purging frequency dramatically reduced and subsequently stopped. Although mood symptoms still persisted, the specific mood symptoms along with cognitive symptoms in the pre-menstrual period reduced. Conclusion There is some evidence for the use of fluoxetine use for binge purge symptoms in bulimia nervosa. Fluoxetine has also been used either continuously or in the luteal phase for PMDD. This case report reflects the possible correlation between binge-purge symptoms and PMDD symptoms, and the potential use of fluoxetine for dual symptom reduction. PMDD still remains to be a significantly under-diagnosed condition in women. This case report also signifies the importance of exploring PMDD symptoms in eating disorders. more...

Background: The successful implementation of an equitable lung cancer screening program requires consideration of factors that influence accessibility to screening services. Methods: Using lung cancer cases in British Columbia (BC), Canada, as a proxy for a screen-eligible population, spatial access to 36 screening sites was examined using geospatial mapping and vehicle travel time from residential postal code at diagnosis to the nearest site. The impact of urbanization and Statistics Canada’s Canadian Index of Multiple Deprivation were examined. Results: Median travel time to the nearest screening site was 11.7 min (interquartile range 6.2–23.2 min). Urbanization was significantly associated with shorter drive time (p < 0.001). Ninety-nine percent of patients with ≥60 min drive times lived in rural areas. Drive times were associated with sex, ethnocultural composition, situational vulnerability, economic dependency, and residential instability. For example, the percentage of cases with drive times ≥60 min among the least deprived situational vulnerability group was 4.7% versus 44.4% in the most deprived group. Conclusions: Populations at risk in rural and remote regions may face more challenges accessing screening services due to increased travel times. Drive times increased with increasing sociodemographic and economic deprivations highlighting groups that may require support to ensure equitable access to lung cancer screening. more...

Abstract Diabetes medications may modify the risk of certain cancers. We systematically searched MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane CENTRAL from 2011 to March 2021 for studies evaluating associations between diabetes medications and the risk of breast, lung, colorectal, prostate, liver, and pancreatic cancers. A total of 92 studies (3 randomized controlled trials, 64 cohort studies, and 25 case–control studies) were identified in the systematic review, involving 171 million participants. Inverse relationships with colorectal (n = 18; RR = 0.85; 95% CI = 0.78–0.92) and liver cancers (n = 10; RR = 0.55; 95% CI = 0.46–0.66) were observed in biguanide users. Thiazolidinediones were associated with lower risks of breast (n = 6; RR = 0.87; 95% CI = 0.80–0.95), lung (n = 6; RR = 0.77; 95% CI = 0.61–0.96) and liver (n = 8; RR = 0.83; 95% CI = 0.72–0.95) cancers. Insulins were negatively associated with breast (n = 15; RR = 0.90; 95% CI = 0.82–0.98) and prostate cancer risks (n = 7; RR = 0.74; 95% CI = 0.56–0.98). Positive associations were found between insulin secretagogues and pancreatic cancer (n = 5; RR = 1.26; 95% CI = 1.01–1.57), and between insulins and liver (n = 7; RR = 1.74; 95% CI = 1.08–2.80) and pancreatic cancers (n = 8; RR = 2.41; 95% CI = 1.08–5.36). Overall, biguanide and thiazolidinedione use carried no risk, or potentially lower risk of some cancers, while insulin secretagogue and insulin use were associated with increased pancreatic cancer risk. more...

Abstract Background Insulin resistance (IR) is a well-established factor for breast cancer (BC) risk in postmenopausal women, but the interrelated molecular pathways on the methylome are not explicitly described. We conducted a population-level epigenome-wide association (EWA) study for DNA methylation (DNAm) probes that are associated with IR and prospectively correlated with BC development, both overall and in BC subtypes among postmenopausal women. Methods We used data from Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) ancillary studies for our EWA analyses and evaluated the associations of site-specific DNAm across the genome with IR phenotypes by multiple regressions adjusting for age and leukocyte heterogeneities. For our analysis of the top 20 IR-CpGs with BC risk, we used the WHI and the Cancer Genomic Atlas (TCGA), using multiple Cox proportional hazards and logit regressions, respectively, accounting for age, diabetes, obesity, leukocyte heterogeneities, and tumor purity (for TCGA). We further conducted a Gene Set Enrichment Analysis. Results We detected several EWA-CpGs in TXNIP, CPT1A, PHGDH, and ABCG1. In particular, cg19693031 in TXNIP was replicated in all IR phenotypes, measured by fasting levels of glucose, insulin, and homeostatic model assessment-IR. Of those replicated IR-genes, 3 genes (CPT1A, PHGDH, and ABCG1) were further correlated with BC risk; and 1 individual CpG (cg01676795 in POR) was commonly detected across the 2 cohorts. Conclusions Our study contributes to better understanding of the interconnected molecular pathways on the methylome between IR and BC carcinogenesis and suggests potential use of DNAm markers in the peripheral blood cells as preventive targets to detect an at-risk group for IR and BC in postmenopausal women. more...

Utility-based computing popularly known as “cloud computing” offers several computing services to the users. Due to the proliferation in the users of cloud computing, there is an unprecedented increase in the demand for computation resources to execute cloud services. Thus, there is a requirement to investigate currently available resources like virtual machines, CPU, RAM, and storage to allocate cloud services. The allocation and QoS of cloud services are highly dependent on allocation schemes. The optimized solutions allocate resources to submitted jobs to reduce the overall cost to the end-users/service provider without degrading the performance of virtual machines. The allocation techniques also consider the harvesting of energy consumption required for running the cloud services. In this paper, we have utilized a Rock Hyrax-based optimization technique to allocate resources to the submitted jobs with reduced energy consumption. The proposed Rock Hyrax algorithm has been simulated on the CloudSim simulator for various scenarios. The performance of the proposed algorithm has been measured over various Quality of Service (QoS) parameters such as makespan, energy efficiency, response time, throughput, and cost. The gathered results validate the proposed algorithm that improves the QoS parameters by 3%-8% as compared to algorithms when both jobs and resources are considered to be dynamic in nature. more...