Macular Pigment Optical Density as a Measurable Modifiable Clinical Biomarker.

Background: Carotenoids are present throughout retina and body its dense deposition leads to an identifiable yellow spot in the macula. Macular pigment optical density (MPOD) measured in the macula is vital to macular well-being and high-resolution visual acuity. MPOD has also been associated with various health and disease states.

Access to mifepristone, misoprostol, and contraceptive medicines in eight countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: descriptive analyses of country-level assessments.

Background: Despite their importance in reducing maternal mortality, information on access to Mifepristone, Misoprostol, and contraceptive medicines in the Eastern Mediterranean Region is limited.

Methods: A standardized assessment tool measuring access to Mifepristone, Misoprostol, and contraceptive medicines included in the WHO essential medicines list (EML) was implemented in eight countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Pakistan, and Somalia) between 2020-2021. The assessment focused on five access measures: 1) the inclusion of medicines in national family planning guidelines; 2) inclusion of medicines in comprehensive abortion care guidelines; 3) inclusion of medicines on national essential medicines lists; 4) medicines registration; and 5) procurement and forecasting of Mifepristone, Misoprostol, and contraceptive medicines.

The rheumatology workforce in the Arab countries: current status, challenges, opportunities, and future needs from an ArLAR cross-sectional survey.

The Arab League of Associations for Rheumatology (ArLAR) Research Group (ARCH) conducted this study to investigate the number of current practicing rheumatologists in the Arab countries, to estimate the projected number of rheumatologists in 10 years, and to evaluate the current workload, practice profile, consultation waiting time, and geographical mobilities of these rheumatologists. This cross-sectional survey study was conducted in 16 Arab countries in two parts. The first survey was addressed nominally to national societies to estimate the current and projected workforce.

Seroprevalence of Toscana and sandfly fever Sicilian viruses in humans and livestock animals from western Saudi Arabia.

High seroprevalence rates of several phleboviruses have been reported in domestic animals and humans in sandfly-infested regions. Sandfly Fever Sicilian virus (SFSV) and Toscana virus (TOSV) are two of these viruses commonly transmitted by sandflies. While SFSV can cause rapidly resolving mild febrile illness, TOSV could involve the central nervous system (CNS), causing diseases ranging from aseptic meningitis to meningoencephalitis.

Environmental radioactivity assessment of the Brunei Darussalam coastline of the South China Sea.

Radioactivity levels of naturally occurring radionuclides at the coast of Brunei Darussalam were evaluated along with their dose rates. Twenty-six berm and intertidal sediment samples were measured using gamma-ray spectrometry. The mean activity concentrations of Ra, Th and K in berm sediments were 10.

How to optimize recruitment strategies of patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases for online surveys: experience from an international study.

The use of online surveys as a recruitment tool for clinical research has recently expanded; nevertheless, optimal recruitment strategies remain poorly identified. Objectives. The study aimed to identify the most effective recruitment strategies for online research studies and to determine the optimal survey channels for obtaining patients' responses.

Abatacept enhances blood regulatory B cells of rheumatoid arthritis patients to a level that associates with disease remittance.

Abatacept, an inhibitor of CD28 mediated T-cell activation, has been shown to be effective in controlling inflammation during rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, its effects on immune regulatory B and T cells (Bregs and Tregs) has not been fully explored. Thirty-one RA patients treated with abatacept for ≥ 6 months along with 31 RA patients treated with other modalities as well as 30 healthy controls were recruited.

Outcomes and Impact of a Universal COVID-19 Screening Protocol for Asymptomatic Oncology Patients.

Introduction: COVID-19 has become a serious hazard worldwide in a relatively short time. Scientific evidence supports that cancer patients infected with COVID-19 had a higher risk of developing severe complications. COVID-19 patients can be asymptomatic during part or all of their disease course, therefore it is a compelling need to develop universal pre-interventional COVID-19 screening guidelines.

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on rheumatology practice: a cross-sectional multinational study.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on rheumatology practice.

Method: A cross-sectional web survey was designed by the members of the Arab League of Associations for Rheumatology (ArLAR), validated by its scientific committee and disseminated through e-mail and social media. It included close-ended questions about the impact of the pandemic on the rheumatology activities, including outpatient visits and hospitalizations (in percentage, 100% corresponds to complete suspension) and open-ended questions about unmet needs.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with chronic rheumatic diseases: A study in 15 Arab countries.

Aim: To evaluate the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic (COVID-19) on the access to rheumatology care for patients with chronic rheumatic diseases (CRD) in the Arab countries.

Method: A web-based cross-sectional survey was designed by the Arab Adult Arthritis Awareness group (AAAA) consisting of 16 rheumatologists representing countries from the Arab League of Associations for Rheumatology (ArLAR) and was validated by the ArLAR scientific committee. The survey was disseminated online through social media and patients' association channels between May 8 and May 22, 2020.

Immunohistochemical expression of interleukin-17 and hormonal receptors in benign and malignant breast lesions.

Objectives: IL17 is a critical pro-inflammatory cytokine that is involved in inflammation, multidrug resistance and growth persistence pathways in cancer. This study is aiming at studying the expression of IL17 and hormonal receptors expression in benign and malignant breast lesions using immunohistochemical staining methods.

Results: A total of 137 cases of breast lesions were studied, 97 (70.

Cultural variations in wellbeing, burnout and substance use amongst medical students in twelve countries.

High levels of stress, burnout, and symptoms of poor mental health have been well known among practicing doctors for a number of years. Indeed, many health systems have formal and informal mechanisms to offer support and treatment where needed, though this varies tremendously across cultures. There is increasing evidence that current medical students, our doctors of the future, also report very high levels of distress, burnout, and substance misuse.

Adult Living Donor Liver Re-Transplant Following Late Pediatric Liver Transplant Failure: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND Re-transplant of a late failing living donor liver graft using another graft from another living donor is a rare occurrence and is associated with high mortality due to the complexity of the procedure. There are only a few such case series reported in the literature, mainly from South Asia and Japan, where living donor liver transplant is commonly performed, and there are no such reports from Western countries. CASE REPORT This is a case of living donor liver re-transplant for a 28-year-old recipient whose graft failed 14 years after his primary living donor transplant for primary sclerosing cholangitis.

Protective effect of fenofibrate against ischemia-/reperfusion-induced cardiac arrhythmias in isolated rat hearts.

Fenofibrate is a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-α activator that lowers triglycerides and influences cytochrome P-450 (CYP-450) epoxygenase-dependent arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism. CYP-450 epoxygenase metabolizes AA to epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs). EETs have coronary dilating and cardiac and renal protective properties.

SCH 79797, a selective PAR1 antagonist, protects against ischemia/reperfusion-induced arrhythmias in the rat hearts.

Objective: Thrombin is implicated in the genesis of arrhythmias and activation of thrombin receptors exacerbated ventricular arrhythmias following coronary artery ligation. The present study was designed to investigate the possible protective effect of the protease-activated receptor-1 antagonist, SCH79797 against ischemia and reperfusion arrhythmias in the rat heart.

Materials And Methods: Healthy male Wistar rats (250-350 g) were anesthetized with urethane.

Epstein Barr virus: a prime candidate of breast cancer aetiology in Sudanese patients.

Breast cancer is the commonest cancer in Sudanese women. Reported genetic alterations in the form of mutations in tumor suppressors are low in frequencies and could not explain the peculiarities of the diseases including its focal nature. Potential contributors disease aetiology include oncogenic viruses such as Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), an established culprit of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, one of the most frequent cancers in Sudan.

Exome sequencing links corticospinal motor neuron disease to common neurodegenerative disorders.

Hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSPs) are neurodegenerative motor neuron diseases characterized by progressive age-dependent loss of corticospinal motor tract function. Although the genetic basis is partly understood, only a fraction of cases can receive a genetic diagnosis, and a global view of HSP is lacking. By using whole-exome sequencing in combination with network analysis, we identified 18 previously unknown putative HSP genes and validated nearly all of these genes functionally or genetically.

Treatment of genotype 4 hepatitis C recurring after liver transplantation using a combination of pegylated interferon alfa-2a and ribavirin.

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) recurrence after liver transplantation (LT) is universal and tends to be more aggressive. Data on post-transplant HCV genotype 4 treatment is scarce. The aim of this study is to assess the safety and efficacy of pegylated interferon alpha-2a (PEG-IFN) in combination with ribavirin in the treatment of recurrent HCV genotype 4 after LT.

Comparative bioavailability of two brands of atenolol 100 mg tablets (Tensotin and Tenormin) in healthy human volunteers.

A bioequivalence study of two oral formulations of 100 mg atenolol was carried out in 24 healthy volunteers following a single dose, two-sequence, cross-over randomized design at the International Pharmaceutical Research Centre (IPRC), as a joint venture with Al-Mowasah Hospital, Amman, Jordan. The two formulations were Tensotin (Julphar, UAE) as test and Tenormin (Zeneca, UK) as reference product. Both test and reference tablets were administered with 240 ml of water to each subject after an overnight fast on 2 treatment days separated by a 1 week washout period.

Comparison of two cyclosporine formulations in healthy Middle Eastern volunteers: bioequivalence of the new Sigmasporin Microoral and Sandimmun Neoral.

A study was conducted to establish bioequivalence between two oral cyclosporine 100 mg capsules, Sigmasporin Microoral (Gulf Pharmaceutical Industries - Julphar, United Arab Emirates, under technical co-operation with Sigma Pharma, Brazil) and Sandimmun Neoral (Novartis, Switzerland), in a Middle Eastern population, even though both formulations were found to be bioequivalent earlier in a Brazilian population (data on file). It was designed as a randomized, open label, two-way crossover study in which 30 fasting, healthy male volunteers received a single 100 mg cyclosporine dose with 240 ml of water on two treatment days separated by a 1 week washout period. After dosing, serial blood samples were collected for a period of 24 h.