Prevalence of Varicose Veins Among Surgeons: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background Extended periods of standing, obesity, female sex, and older age are risk factors associated with a higher probability of developing varicose veins (VV). This study aimed to determine the prevalence of VV among surgeons in public hospitals in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, and to identify the risk factors associated with this condition.  Methodology This is a descriptive cross-sectional study based on a validated online questionnaire distributed via hospital WhatsApp (Meta Platforms Inc.

Factors Influencing the Preference of Medical Students at Umm Al-Qura University for Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery as a Future Specialty: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Otorhinolaryngology (ORL) specialists treat patients of different ages, ranging from elderly patients with head and neck tumors to neonates with respiratory problems. No studies have been conducted to explore the factors that affect the preference for ORL among Umm Al-Qura University students. We aimed to investigate factors and motivators influencing medical students at Umm Al-Qura University in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, who choose to pursue a career in ORL-head and neck surgery.

Thyroid B-Cell Lymphoma in the Background of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Primary thyroid lymphoma (PTL) is a rare type of thyroid cancer, comprising less than 5% of all thyroid cancer cases. PTL includes subtypes like diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma (MALT). The connection between PTL and autoimmune diseases of the thyroid, particularly Hashimoto's thyroiditis, has gained recognition in recent years.

Ramadan fasting outcome among high-risk patients.

Background: There is a growing literature on guidelines regarding Ramadan fasting for chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. However, most studies only consider the impact of fasting on renal function. This study additionally aims to assess factors influencing Ramadan fasting in patients with CKD.

TICKS PARASITIZING THE SPUR-THIGHED TORTOISE (TESTUDO GRAECA) POPULATION OF TUNISIA.

From March to April 2017, a total of 147 free-ranging spur-thighed tortoises (Testudo graeca) was captured in different habitat types of northern Tunisia and examined for tick infestation. A total of 134 was infested, yielding an infestation prevalence of 91.2%.

Bayesian phylogenetic analysis of the influenza-A virus genomes isolated in Tunisia, and determination of potential recombination events.

The influenza-A virus (IAV) causes seasonal epidemics and presents a pandemic risk with the possibility of genetic re-assortment, allowing the emergence of new strains. The evolution of IAVes is done most often by relatively frequent re-assortment between gene segments, but the hypothesis of their evolution by recombination between RNA segments has not been justified to this date. Here, we examine this hypothesis by Bayesian phylogenetic analysis, to test if recombination events have occurred between genomic RNA segments.

Risk factors for mortality of children with zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis in Central Tunisia.

Background: Zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (ZVL) caused by Leishmania infantum is endemic with an epidemiological profile of a paediatric disease in Tunisia. In the context of a high fatality rate, identifying risk factors for in-hospital mortality in children treated for ZVL is of major epidemiological importance.

Design: A retrospective (case-control) study included 230 immuno-competent children diagnosed and confirmed with primary ZVL in the paediatric department of the University Hospital of Kairouan between 2004 and 2014.

Modeling and comparative study of the spread of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis from Northern to Central Tunisia.

During the last twenty years, zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (ZVL) spread from the north characterized by humid, sub-humid, and semi-arid bio-climates to the arid areas located in Central Tunisia. In order to understand the eco-epidemiological factors involved in the distribution of ZVL, both a sero-epidemiological and an entomological investigation were performed in two governorates situated in two different bio-geographical areas: Bizerte in the north and Kairouan in the center. A mathematical model for transmission of ZVL was built, describing the disease dynamic in these areas.

Protective effects of Zygophyllum album extract against deltamethrin-induced hyperglycemia and hepato-pancreatic disorders in rats.

The current study was designed to investigate the possible mechanism involved in hyperglycemia induced by chronic exposure to deltamethrin (DLM) in rat and to assess whether this damage is amenable to modulation by Zygophyllum album. DLM, a synthetic pyrethroid pesticide, was administrated at a dose of 4 mg/kg body mass, during 60 days. Compared with control, DLM showed a significant increase of blood glucose (p ≤ 0.

ADRA2A Germline Gene Polymorphism is Associated to the Severity, but not to the Risk, of Breast Cancer.

Breast cancer (BC) prognosis and risk were associated to obesity, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Two Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) of the adrenergic receptor-2a gene (ADRA2A): rs1800544 and rs553668, have been associated to these metabolic disorders. We investigated these SNPs in BC risk and prognosis.

Non-cytotoxic Thymus capitata extracts prevent Bovine herpesvirus-1 infection in cell cultures.

Background: Bovine herpes virus type 1 (BHV-1) still causes great economic loss to the livestock industry and trade because there aren't any available drugs that proved to be fully effective against it. In this study, the cytotoxicity and the antiviral activities of the Thymus capitata extracts were evaluated for the development of new, non toxic and specific anti-herpesvirus drug. Aqueous extracts (AE), ethanolic extracts (EE) and essential oil (EO) of the aerial parts of Thymus capitata were analyzed to determine their chemical compositions by gas chromatography, and high performance liquid chromatography combined with mass spectrometry.

Chemical Composition, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Thymus capitata Essential Oil with Its Preservative Effect against Listeria monocytogenes Inoculated in Minced Beef Meat.

The chemical composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, and the preservative effect of Thymus capitata essential oil against Listeria monocytogenes inoculated in minced beef meat were evaluated. The essential oil extracted was chemically analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Nineteen components were identified, of which carvacrol represented (88.

Assessing the effect of zooprophylaxis on zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis transmission: a system dynamics approach.

Capturing or diverting the disease carrying vector from humans can reduce the transmission of vector borne diseases such as leishmaniasis. The use of animals that act as dead-end hosts to relieve the vector (sandfly) bites on humans is called zooprophylaxis. However, as the number of blood meal providers especially domestic animals increases, the sandflies enhanced availability of blood meals will improve its number and survival, thereby countering the impact of diverting bites from humans.

DEAD-box proteins, like Leishmania eIF4A, modulate interleukin (IL)-12, IL-10 and tumour necrosis factor-alpha production by human monocytes.

Previously we showed that His-tagged, recombinant, Leishmania infantum eukaryotic initiation factor (LeIF) was both an RNA-dependent ATPase and an ATP-dependent RNA helicase in vitro, as described for other members of the DEAD-box helicase family. In addition, we showed that LeIF induces the production of IL-12, IL-10, and TNF-α by human monocytes. This study aims to characterize the cytokine-inducing activity in human monocytes of several proteins belonging to the DEAD-box family from mammals and yeast.

Prognostic value of Bcl-2 and Bax tumor cell expression in patients with non muscle-invasive bladder cancer receiving bacillus Calmette-Guerin immunotherapy.

Apoptosis is the distinctive form of programmed cell death that complements cell proliferation in maintaining normal tissue homeostasis. The significance of constitutive apoptosis in the recurrence of Non Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer has yet to be investigated. The aim of this study is to investigate the prognostic significance of Bax and Bcl-2 in terms of recurrence after BCG immunotherapy.

In vitro growth kinetics, differentiation and morphological characterisation of Tunisian Leishmania infantum parasites.

In this study, a negative peanut agglutinin (PNA) selection was used as a marker for promastigote differentiation to compare the in vitro growth and differentiation kinetics of two visceral and two cutaneous Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum parasites. All parasites had different growth and differentiation kinetics. Cultures initiated with PNA(+) parasites purified during the early stationary phase (Day 4), when PNA(-) (non-agglutinating) parasites peaked, yielded a high PNA(-) percent.

Leishmania infantum LeIF and its recombinant polypeptides modulate interleukin IL-12p70, IL-10 and tumour necrosis factor-α production by human monocytes.

Leishmania eukaryotic initiation factor (LeIF) antigen, a Leishmania protein, was shown to induce IL-12, IL-10 and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) production by human monocytes-derived macrophages and dendritic cells from healthy individuals. This cytokine-inducing activity was previously found to be located in the amino-terminal region of LeIF protein. This study aimed at characterizing the cytokine-inducing activity of Leishmania infantum LeIF [Leishmania (L.

Evaluation of antileishmanial, cytotoxic and antioxidant activities of essential oils extracted from plants issued from the leishmaniasis-endemic region of Sned (Tunisia).

In this study, we tested 10 essential oils (EOs) extracted from 10 plants issued from Sned region (Tunisia) to evaluate both their leishmanicidal effects against Leishmania major and L. infantum, and their cytotoxicity against murine macrophage cell line RAW 264.7 (ATCC, TIB-71).

Colonization of Phlebotomus papatasi changes the effect of pre-immunization with saliva from lack of protection towards protection against experimental challenge with Leishmania major and saliva.

Background: Sand fly saliva has been postulated as a potential vaccine or as a vaccine component within multi component vaccine against leishmaniasis. It is important to note that these studies were performed using long-term colonized Phlebotomus papatasi. The effect of sand flies colonization on the outcome of Leishmania infection is reported.

Evaluation and modeling of synergy to pheromone and plant kairomone in American palm weevil.

Background: Many behavioral responses to odors are synergistic, particularly in insects. In beetles, synergy often involves a pheromone and a plant odor, and pest management relies on them for the use of combined lures. To investigate olfactory synergy mechanisms, we need to distinguish synergistic effects from additive ones, when all components of the mixture are active.

Characteristics and pathways of bioactive 4-desmethylsterols, triterpene alcohols and 4α-monomethylsterols, from developing Tunisian cultivars and wild peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.).

Seven 4-desmethylsterols, five triterpene alcohols and three 4α-monomethylsterols were identified by GC-MS during the development of wild peanut, which is Arbi (AraA), and cultivars peanut, which are Trabelsia (AraT) and Chounfakhi (AraC). Our results showed that the maximum level of 4-desmethylsterols (881.07 mg/100 g of oil) was reached at 12 days after flowering (DAF) date of peanut plant in AraA, as well as the highest level of triterpene alcohols (31.

Comparison of the concentrations of long-chain alcohols (policosanol) in three Tunisian peanut varieties (Arachis hypogaea L.).

Policosanol (PC) is a mixture of high molecular weight aliphatic primary alcohols. Literature about the contents and compositions of PC derived from peanut varieties is scarce. Total PC composition and content in whole peanut grain samples from three varieties of peanut (two cultivars, AraC and AraT, and a wild one, AraA) were identified using a gas chromatograph system coupled with a mass spectrophotometer.

Lack of protection of pre-immunization with saliva of long-term colonized Phlebotomus papatasi against experimental challenge with Leishmania major and saliva of wild-caught P. papatasi.

Immunity to saliva of Phlebotomus papatasi protects against Leishmania major infection as determined by co-inoculation of parasites with salivary gland homogenates (SGHs) of this vector. These results were obtained with long-term colonized female P. papatasi.

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry screening for phytochemical 4-desmethylsterols accumulated during development of Tunisian peanut kernels (Arachis hypogaea L.).

4-Desmethylsterols, the main component of the phytosterol fraction, have been analyzed during the development of Tunisian peanut kernels ( Arachis hypogaea L.), Trabelsia (AraT) and Chounfakhi (AraC), which are monocultivar species, and Arbi (AraA), which is a wild species, by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Immature wild peanut (AraA) showed the highest contents of beta-sitosterol (554.