Publications by authors named "Aissa A"

Pott Puffy Tumor (PPT) is extremely rare, yet potentially severe condition characterized by osteomyelitis of the frontal bone associated with one or multiple subperiosteal abscesses, primarily from nasosinusitis. It is characterized by localized frontal swelling accompanied by a subperiosteal abscess. Clinicians and radiologists do not widely recognize this complication of frontal sinusitis and, hence it is likely to be overlooked in clinical practice.

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Introduction: Significant therapeutic changes have recently occurred in the management of melanoma brain metastases (BMs), both in the field of local treatments, with the rise of stereotactic radiotherapy (RT), as well as in systemic ones, with the advent of immunotherapy and targeted therapies (TT). These advances have brought about new challenges, particularly regarding the potential interactions between new TT (notably BRAF/MEK inhibitors) and irradiation. Through a clinical case, we will discuss a side effect not previously described in the literature: ultra-early pseudoprogression (PP) following brain stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), in a patient treated with dabrafenib-trametinib.

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We aimed to understand how risk (trauma history, health problems, financial problems, family problems) and protective (friend support, family support) factors influenced daily functioning (e.g., self-care, mobility, social participation) among Tunisian adults during the COVID-19 pandemic, directly and through their impact on depression, with a focus on gender differences.

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Article Synopsis
  • The earliest evidence of hominins in northern Africa dates back to around 2.44 million years ago, yet the environmental context during this time is still not well understood compared to other regions of Africa.
  • The Guefaït-4 fossil site in eastern Morocco offers new insights, revealing the presence of C plants and indicating a diverse landscape that included grasslands, forests, wetlands, and periods of dryness.
  • This variety in habitats likely supported both mammals and early hominins, emphasizing the need to consider local microhabitats in studies of species movement and environmental adaptation.
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This study aims to verify the accuracy of item 10 on the energy level of the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) in an item screening according to Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) results, providing a measure of hyper-energy. Regression techniques were employed in a dataset comprising 4093 records of respondents to test both linear and nonlinear relationships between predictor and outcome variables (energy level and symptoms considered in the MDQ). We examined the relationship of energy level with cases identified using MDQ with a cut-off of 7.

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Unlabelled: As many as 30% of the patients with non-small cell lung cancer harbor oncogenic KRAS mutations, which leads to extensive remodeling of the tumor immune microenvironment. Although co-mutations in several genes have prognostic relevance in KRAS-mutated patients, their effect on tumor immunogenicity are poorly understood. In the present study, a total of 189 patients with non-small cell lung cancer underwent a standardized analysis including IHC, whole-exome DNA sequencing, and whole-transcriptome RNA sequencing.

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Background: It is difficult to quantify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health as many community surveys have limited quality, rely on screening tests to measure mental health conditions and distress, and often use convenience samples. Moreover, robust surveys come mainly from high-income countries.

Aim: To measure the prevalence of depressive disorders with onset during the pandemic in a community of a Lower-Middle-income country (LMIC)-Tunisia.

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Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a significant contributor to cancer-related deaths globally. Systemic therapy is the only treatment option for HCC at an advanced stage, with limited therapeutic response. In this study, we evaluated the antitumor potential of four N-acylhydrazone (NAH) derivatives, namely LASSBio-1909, 1911, 1935, and 1936, on HCC cell lines.

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Patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models are widely used in cancer research. To investigate the genomic fidelity of non-small cell lung cancer PDX models, we established 48 PDX models from 22 patients enrolled in the TRACERx study. Multi-region tumor sampling increased successful PDX engraftment and most models were histologically similar to their parent tumor.

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For over a decade, immunotherapy has been transforming cancer treatment and prognosis. Tumor therapeutic vaccines trigger new immune responses and enhance existing immunity to more effectively combat cancer. These vaccines aim to curb the established disease or prevent recurrence, unlike conventional preventive vaccines.

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Liver cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in males. It is estimated that approximately one million deaths will occur by 2030 due to hepatic cancer. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most prevalent primary liver cancer subtype and is commonly diagnosed at an advanced stage.

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Spinal tuberculosis (ST) is a serious condition and a global health concern, accounting for a significant portion of musculoskeletal tuberculosis cases. It can lead to sever spinal and neurological complications. The management of ST involves a multidisciplinary approach, including medical treatment, surgery and rehabilitation.

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Introduction: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) afflicts a significant portion of burn patients. This study aims to analyze the morbidity, prevalence, and treatment of PTSD in the burn population.

Methods: Using the TriNetX database, we identified burned patients > 18 years of age without (A) or with (B) a PTSD diagnosis.

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Objectives: Mental illness affects one in eight people in the world according to the WHO. It is a leading cause of morbidity and a major public health problem. Stigma harms the quality of life of people with mental illness.

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Objective: To develop a high-throughput sequencing panel for the diagnosis of developmental and epileptic encephalopathy in Tunisia and to clarify the frequency of disease-causing genes in this region.

Methods: We developed a custom panel for next-generation sequencing of the coding sequences of 116 genes in individuals with developmental and epileptic encephalopathy from the Tunisian population. Segregation analyses and in silico studies have been conducted to assess the identified variants' pathogenicity.

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Studies about The Index of Personal Economic Distress (IPED) in Arab countries since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic have been alarming. This study aimed to explore the reliability, factor structure, and criterion validity of the Arabic IPED in a sample of unemployed Tunisians during the past 6 months. The Arabic version of the IPED and the validated Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were administered to a total of 2011 unemployed people originating from all Tunisian regions.

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Article Synopsis
  • Breast cancer is the number one type of cancer that causes deaths in women around the world, with many cases being hormone-positive and treated with hormone therapy.
  • Some patients don’t respond well to these treatments, so researchers are looking for new options to fight breast cancer.
  • A study tested a new substance called LASSBio-2029, which showed promise in slowing down cancer cell growth and might help improve survival rates for patients.
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Considering the limited information about the role of hereditary predisposition to the development of uveal melanoma, we have performed an analysis of the frequencies of BARD1 (rs1048108, rs2229571, rs2070094) and BRIP1 (rs4986764) gene polymorphisms in patients with uveal melanoma and benign choroidal nevus in comparison with healthy volunteers (control). It has been found that the minor alleles of BRIP1 rs4986764 and BARD1 rs2070094 polymorphisms, as well as the homozygosity of T allele at the BARD1 rs1048108 locus are common genetic markers for the predisposition to uveal melanoma and benign choroidal nevus, while the homozygous genotype GG for the BARD1 rs2229571 polymorphism is a specific marker for the predisposition to uveal melanoma and progressive choroidal nevus. We have also found that the heterozygous genotype at BARD1 rs1048108 polymorphic locus is a specific marker for protection against uveal melanoma and progressive choroidal nevus.

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Aims: The present survey aims to assess the overall mood disorder prevalence and identify associated socio-demographic and clinical factors in a Tunisian community sample, with special attention to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Mood disorders are one of the leading causes of all non-fatal burdens of disease, with depression being at the top of the list. The COVID-19 pandemic may have increased the prevalence of mood disorders, especially in Low and Middle-income countries (LMICs) and in vulnerable populations.

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Melanoma is considered the most aggressive form of skin cancer, showing high metastatic potential and persistent high mortality rates despite the introduction of immunotherapy and targeted therapies. Thus, it is important to identify new drug candidates for melanoma. The design of hybrid molecules, with different pharmacophore fragments combined in the same scaffold, is an interesting strategy for obtaining new multi-target and more effective anticancer drugs.

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Immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) is administered in different cancer types and can lead to a wide range of immune-related adverse events including toxicity in vital organs such as the lungs, the kidneys, and the heart. The main hypothesis suggests an overactivation of the immune cells in the different organs. Whereas immune-related cardiotoxicity is very rare but life threatening, ICI-induced acute kidney injury and pneumonitis are more frequent but in general less severe.

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Melanoma is the most aggressive skin cancer, and surgery is the standard of care for localised disease. However, a risk of local and distant relapse exists despite tumour removal, particularly with thick or ulcerated tumours or lymph node involvement. Immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) targeting PD-1, PD-L-1 or CTLA-4 demonstrated improved relapse-free survival and distant metastasis-free survival against placebo after surgery for stage-III and high-risk stage-II melanoma.

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