Body condition score prior to parturition is associated with plasma and adipose tissue biomarkers of lipid metabolism and inflammation in Holstein cows.

Background: Previous research has revealed a strong inflammatory response within adipose (AT) tissue during the transition into lactation. Whether this effect is a result of oxidative stress induced by lipolysis and fatty acid oxidation associated with differences in prepartum body condition score remains to be determined. The objectives of this study were to investigate systemic biomarkers of energy balance and inflammation and the expression of lipid metabolism- and inflammation-related genes in AT during the transition period in dairy cows.

Screening of gene sequence variants in Saudi Arabian children with idiopathic short stature.

Purpose: Short stature affects approximately 2%-3% of children, representing one of the most frequent disorders for which clinical attention is sought during childhood. Despite assumed genetic heterogeneity, mutations or deletions in the short stature homeobox-containing gene () are frequently detected in subjects with short stature. Idiopathic short stature (ISS) refers to patients with short stature for various unknown reasons.

Sulfonyl hydrazones derived from 3-formylchromone as non-selective inhibitors of MAO-A and MAO-B: Synthesis, molecular modelling and in-silico ADME evaluation.

A series of sulfonyl hydrazones derived from 3-formylchromone was synthesized and discovered to be effective, non-selective inhibitors of monoamine oxidases (MAO-A and MAO-B). The compounds are easily (synthetically) accessible in high yields, by simple condensation of 4-methylbenzenesulfonohydrazide with different (un)substituted 3-formylchromones. All compounds had IC values in lower micro-molar range (IC = 0.

Reticulo-rumen mass, epithelium gene expression, and systemic biomarkers of metabolism and inflammation in Holstein dairy cows fed a high-energy diet.

Feeding a higher-energy diet by increasing cereal grains at the expense of forage during the last 3 to 4 wk prepartum is a traditional approach to help the rumen "adapt" to the traditional diets fed at the onset of lactation. Increasing grain/concentrate in the diet changes ruminal fermentation and in sheep and goats elicits marked changes in mRNA expression of immune-related genes in ruminal epithelium. Whether such changes at the epithelial and systemic levels occur in dairy cows when the dietary energy content increases at a fixed level of concentrate is unknown.

Placentome Nutrient Transporters and Mammalian Target of Rapamycin Signaling Proteins Are Altered by the Methionine Supply during Late Gestation in Dairy Cows and Are Associated with Newborn Birth Weight.

To our knowledge, most research demonstrating a link between maternal nutrition and both fetal growth and offspring development after birth has been performed with nonruminants. Whether such relationships exist in large ruminants is largely unknown. We aimed to investigate whether increasing the methionine supply during late pregnancy would alter uteroplacental tissue nutrient transporters and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and their relation with newborn body weight.

Idiopathic hypoparathyroidism with extensive intracranial calcification in children: First report from Saudi Arabia.

Rationale: Pediatric idiopathic hypoparathyroidism with extensive intracranial calcifications outside the basal ganglia (BG) is extremely rare with less than 10 cases worldwide.

Patient Concerns: An 11-year-old Saudi male child presented with tetany with otherwise normal neurological and other body system examination diagnoses severe hypocalcemia for differential diagnosis.

Interventions: Further investigations revealed hyperphosphatemia and undetectable serum intact parathyroid hormone.

Expression of fatty acid sensing G-protein coupled receptors in peripartal Holstein cows.

Background: G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR), also referred as Free Fatty Acid Receptors (FFAR), are widely studied within human medicine as drug targets for metabolic disorders. To combat metabolic disorders prevalent in dairy cows during the transition period, which co-occur with negative energy balance and changes to lipid and glucose metabolism, it may be helpful to identify locations and roles of FFAR and other members of the GPCR family in bovine tissues.

Results: Quantitative RT-PCR (qPCR) of subcutaneous adipose, liver, and PMNL samples during the transition period (-10, +7, and +20 or +30 d) were used for expression profiling of medium- (MCFA) and long-chain fatty acid (LCFA) receptors and , MCFA receptor , and niacin receptor .

Awareness, perceptions and beliefs about physiotherapy held by physicians working in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study.

[Purpose] Over the years physiotherapy has been recognized as a popular mode of treatment that decreases the disability and dependency rate of patients. However, there is still a need for its recognition in multidisciplinary health care structures. If a physician were well aware of how a physical therapist could help with treatment if patients and prevent complications, hospital patient load could be decreased to a greater extent.

Supplemental methionine, choline, or taurine alter in vitro gene network expression of polymorphonuclear leukocytes from neonatal Holstein calves.

Isolated PMNL from neonatal calves were used to evaluate the effect of Met, choline, and taurine supplementation on mRNA expression of genes related to the Met cycle and innate immunity. Five neonatal Holstein calves (3 wk old) were used for PMNL isolation and in vitro culture. The selected genes were related to the 1-carbon and Met cycles, cell signaling and cytokine mediators, inflammation, antimicrobial and killing mechanism associated genes, immune mediators, adhesion, and pathogen recognition.

A randomized clinical trial comparing 3 different replacement regimens of vitamin D in clinically asymptomatic pediatrics and adolescents with vitamin D insufficiency.

Background: Pediatric and Adolescent populations both have special needs for vitamin D especially for growing bone. Inadequate vitamin D is defined as 25 (OH) D(25hydroxy vitamin D) < 30 ng/ml.

Methods: We conducted a randomized, controlled clinical trial from July 2014 over 1 year, aiming to assess the changes in 25 (OH) D and biochemical outcome on calcium and PTH(parathyroid hormone) using 3 different regimens of vitamin D replacement.

Impact of rehabilitation programs on dependency and functional performance of patients with major lower limb amputations. A retrospective chart review in western Saudi Arabia.

Objectives: To determine pattern and impact of physical rehabilitation on dependency and functional performance of patients. 

Methods: This retrospective chart review was carried out between July and August 2012 at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using demographic, clinical, and dependency assessment checklists.

Polycystic Liver Disease with Huge Infected Cyst Displacing the Pancreas, Inferior Vena Cava and Right Kidney.

Multiple liver cysts can be an isolated disease (isolated polycystic liver disease [PLD]) or they can be part of multi-organ involvement in other diseases, such as adult autosomal dominant polycystic disease (APD), which is the most frequently inherited polycystic disease affecting 1 in 1,000 of the population. About 33% of APD patients are expected to develop PLD. Cysts in the liver, as opposed to cysts in the kidney, grow dramatically in number and size.

Abstracts from the 3rd International Genomic Medicine Conference (3rd IGMC 2015) : Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 30 November - 3 December 2015.

O1 Regulation of genes by telomere length over long distances Jerry W. Shay O2 The microtubule destabilizer KIF2A regulates the postnatal establishment of neuronal circuits in addition to prenatal cell survival, cell migration, and axon elongation, and its loss leading to malformation of cortical development and severe epilepsy Noriko Homma, Ruyun Zhou, Muhammad Imran Naseer, Adeel G. Chaudhary, Mohammed Al-Qahtani, Nobutaka Hirokawa O3 Integration of metagenomics and metabolomics in gut microbiome research Maryam Goudarzi, Albert J.

Latent Tuberculosis in Health Care Workers Exposed to Active Tuberculosis in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Oman.

Objectives: Data on the prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) in healthcare workers (HCW) in Oman and the Arabian Gulf is scarce. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of latent tuberculosis (LTB) among HCW exposed to active TB in one of the tertiary care hospitals in Muscat.

Methods: Exposed HCW were screened for LTB from January to June 2012 using skin tuberculin and serum interferon tests.

Patterns of Childhood Steroid-Sensitive and Steroid-Resistant Nephrotic Syndrome in Saudi Children.

Nephrotic syndrome (NS) is one of the most common causes of chronic kidney disease in children. Mostly, NS is controlled by steroids. In spite of this, 10% to 20% of the patients have steroid resistant NS (SRNS), and the rest have steroid sensitive NS (SSNS).

Extracellular vesicles released by CD40/IL-4-stimulated CLL cells confer altered functional properties to CD4+ T cells.

The complex interplay between cancer cells, stromal cells, and immune cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) regulates tumorigenesis and provides emerging targets for immunotherapies. Crosstalk between CD4(+) T cells and proliferating chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) tumor B cells occurs within lymphoid tissue pseudofollicles, and investigating these interactions is essential to understand both disease pathogenesis and the effects of immunotherapy. Tumor-derived extracellular vesicle (EV) shedding is emerging as an important mode of intercellular communication in the TME.

Gene Polymorphism of Interleukin-4, Interleukin-4 Receptor and STAT6 in Children with Atopic Dermatitis in Taif, Saudi Arabia.

Aim Of Study: This work was performed to evaluate the level of IL-4, and to clarify the role of IL-4 gene polymorphism at position cytosine -590-to-thyamine (C-590T), IL-4Rα gene polymorphism at position adenine +4679-to-guanine (A+4679G) [isoleucine-50-valine (I50V)] and STAT6 gene polymorphism at position guanine 2964-to-adenine (G2964A) in Saudi children with non-atopic dermatitis (non-AD) and atopic dermatitis (AD) to identify their role in the pathogenesis of these diseases.

Subjects And Methods: This study included 150 children: 50 healthy children as controls, 50 with non-AD, and 50 with AD. They were subjected to full clinical examination, complete blood picture, skin prick test, and determination of serum interleukin-4 (IL-4) and total immunoglobulin-E (IgE) levels.

18F-FDG Hypermetabolism in Spinal Cord Schistosomiasis.

A 24-year-old Saudi man presented with progressive lower-back pain for 3 months followed by lower-limb weakness, numbness, and urinary retention. Cerebrospinal fluid examination revealed high-protein, elevated white blood cell count with lymphocyte predominance. MRI scan of the spine demonstrated heterogeneously enhancing longitudinal spinal cord lesion from T6 through T9.

Peritonitis in children with automated peritoneal dialysis.

This is a retrospective study including 36 Saudi children who were on automated peritoneal dialysis (APD) at the Al-Hada Armed Forces Hospital, Taif, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during seven years. A total of 10 boys and 26 girls with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) received APD for a total of 731.75 months.

Cinacalcet in pediatric and adolescent chronic kidney disease: a single-center experience.

Cinacalcet, a calcimimetic drug, has been shown to be efficacious in adult chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients; however, it was not fully studied in pediatric CKD patients. We aimed at assessing the effect of cinacalcet on intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) secretion in children with CKD-4/5 with iPTH consistently ≥ 300 pg/mL refractory to conventional treatment. This is a prospective cohort analysis of 28 children with uncontrolled hyper-parathyroidism secondary to stage 4 and 5 CKD admitted to a tertiary center during the period from April 2012 to April 2014.

Iron ochre - a pre-catalyst for the cracking of methane.

Background: Iron ochres are gelatinous sludges that can cause problems in terms of water management. In this work, the application of iron ochre obtained from a river has been applied to catalytically crack methane - another potential waste product - into two useful products, hydrogen and a magnetic carbon-containing composite.

Results: The powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of the iron ochre was found to be consistent with the expected 2-line ferrihydrite, and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis showed Fe to be a major component although some Si and Ca were present.

Screening for urine abnormalities among preschool children in western Saudi Arabia.

Objectives: To estimate the frequency of urinary problems among preschool children.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 1000 preschool asymptomatic children attending the outpatient clinics of the Children's Hospital, Taif, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between August 2013 and December 2013 were subjected to dipstick urine analysis. Microscopic examination was performed for the abnormal dipstick samples, and children with hematuria were investigated for kidney function.

A child with leukemia and behavioral changes.

A 12-year-old Saudi girl, known case of T-cell leukemia with CNS relapse. She was diagnosed 2 years ago. Multiple cycles of chemotherapy had been used (Fludarabine, Cytarabine, Methotrexate, Cyclosporine, and Mercaptopurine).

Association of serum cytokines levels, interleukin 10 -1082G/A and interferon-γ +874T/A polymorphisms with atopic asthma children from Saudi Arabia.

The aim of this study was to clarify the role of IL-4, IL-10, IL-13 and interferon (IFN) -γ levels in atopic asthma patients by studying the relation between their serum levels and severity of the disease. The effect of IL-10 -1082G/A and IFN-γ +874T/A SNPs was also studied. The study included 200 atopic children with asthma and 50 age- and gender matched healthy children as controls.

Congenital Neurofibromatosis in a Saudi Neonate who Presented with Neck Mass, Esophageal and Airway Obstruction.

We are presenting a case of a neonate presented with a neck mass, airway and esophageal obstruction, the tumor has a brain extension; treated with partial surgical excision; the pathological studies revealed plexiform Neurofibromatosis. The patient also has café au lait spots.