Interventional Radiology Awareness Among Family Physicians and General Practitioners in Jazan Region, Saudi Arabia.

Background Interventional radiology (IR) utilizes minimally invasive procedures guided by imaging to diagnose and treat various conditions, offering less invasive alternatives to traditional surgery. Despite its importance, awareness among family medicine practitioners can vary, affecting patient care. While IR has advanced in Saudi Arabia, there are limited data on family medicine practitioners' understanding of IR.

Cellular Therapy for Children with Central Nervous System Tumors: Mining and Mapping the Correlative Data.

Purpose Of Review: Correlative studies should leverage clinical trial frameworks to conduct biospecimen analyses that provide insight into the bioactivity of the intervention and facilitate iteration toward future trials that further improve patient outcomes. In pediatric cellular immunotherapy trials, correlative studies enable deeper understanding of T cell mobilization, durability of immune activation, patterns of toxicity, and early detection of treatment response. Here, we review the correlative science in adoptive cell therapy (ACT) for childhood central nervous system (CNS) tumors, with a focus on existing chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and T cell receptor (TCR)-expressing T cell therapies.

Correction to: Genotyping of human cyst in Morocco.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1007/s12639-019-01127-1.].

The prevalence and associated factors of depression, anxiety, and PTSD among Moroccan medical doctors in the COVID-19 pandemic: a national study.

COVID-19 pandemic is facing healthcare professionals with unprecedented challenges, which might alter their mental health. We targeted assessing depression, generalized anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) of Moroccan medical doctors during the COVID-19 pandemic; this would allow identifying the associated factors. A cross-sectional national study was carried out on 1267 exposed and unexposed public health medical doctors to COVID-19 patients.

Application of titanium dioxide immobilized on a cellulosic material for the photocatalytic degradation of Acid Black 24 dye in a continuous flow cascade reactor.

The aim of this work is the study of the photocatalytic degradation of Acid Black 24 dye (AB24), in a continuous flow cascade reactor, using titanium dioxide (TiO) immobilized on a cellulosic material. The results obtained demonstrated a synergistic effect of the two phenomena adsorption and photocatalysis. The effects of various parameters that affect the dye removal efficiency were investigated.

Photo-catalytic degradation of polyphenolic tannins in continuous-flow reactor using titanium dioxide immobilized on a cellulosic material.

Tannins are recalcitrant polyphenolic molecules that resist microbial attack. Their main environmental damage is due to their low biodegradability. This work aims to investigate the photo-catalytic degradation of two commercial tannin extracts, chestnut (hydrolysable tannin) and mimosa (condensed tannin).

Genotyping of human cyst in Morocco.

is the etiological agent of cystic echinococcosis (CE), also commonly called hydatidosis. This is a zoonotic infection endemic worldwide, including the Mediterranean basin and Morocco. The genetic variability of is known to influence development of parasitic cysts in different intermediate hosts, and therefore the epidemiology of infection.

Prediction of organic carbon and total nitrogen contents in organic wastes and their composts by Infrared spectroscopy and partial least square regression.

Middle and near infrared (MIR and NIR) were employed to determine organic carbon (OC) and total nitrogen (TN) in different soil organic amendments including wastes, composts and mixtures of composts and organic wastes. Prediction models based on partial least squares (PLS) regression from the spectra of untreated samples were built. Different spectra preprocessing strategies were adopted and the best number of latent variable was evaluated using leave-one-out cross-validation.

Human cystic echinococcosis in Morocco: Ultrasound screening in the Mid Atlas through an Italian-Moroccan partnership.

Background: Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a neglected parasitic zoonosis with considerable socioeconomic impact on affected pastoral communities. CE is endemic throughout the Mediterranean, including Morocco, where the Mid Atlas is the most prevalent area for both human and animal infection. The highest hospital annual incidence of human CE is recorded in the provinces of Ifrane and El Hajeb.

The Relation Between Depressive Symptoms and Self-Care in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 in Kosovo.

Background: The depression is a significant problem in patients with diabetes. This research is the first of it's kind conducted in the Republic of Kosovo to determine the prevalence of depression diagnosed in people with diabetes mellitus type 2 (DMT2) and interrelation between depressive symptoms and behavior of diabetes self-care (glucose monitoring, exercise, diet, and self- health care).

Methods: Research was conducted in the University Clinical Center of Kosovo (UCCK), in Pristine.

Determination of total phenolic compounds in compost by infrared spectroscopy.

Middle and near infrared (MIR and NIR) were applied to determine the total phenolic compounds (TPC) content in compost samples based on models built by using partial least squares (PLS) regression. The multiplicative scatter correction, standard normal variate and first derivative were employed as spectra pretreatment, and the number of latent variable were optimized by leave-one-out cross-validation. The performance of PLS-ATR-MIR and PLS-DR-NIR models was evaluated according to root mean square error of cross validation and prediction (RMSECV and RMSEP), the coefficient of determination for prediction (Rpred(2)) and residual predictive deviation (RPD) being obtained for this latter values of 5.

Randomized Phase 2 Trial of the Oncolytic Virus Pelareorep (Reolysin) in Upfront Treatment of Metastatic Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma.

Pelareorep causes oncolysis in tumor cells with activated Ras. We hypothesized that pelareorep would have efficacy and immunomodulatory activity in metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma (MPA) when combined with carboplatin and paclitaxel. A randomized phase 2 study (NCT01280058) was conducted in treatment-naive patients with MPA randomized to two treatment arms: paclitaxel/carboplatin + pelareorep (Arm A, n = 36 evaluable patients) versus paclitaxel/carboplatin (Arm B, n = 37 evaluable patients).

Systemic Immune Activity Predicts Overall Survival in Treatment-Naïve Patients with Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer.

Purpose: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive cancer with a 5-year survival rate <7% and is ultimately refractory to most treatments. To date, an assessment of immunologic factors relevant to disease has not been comprehensively performed for treatment-naïve patients. We hypothesized that systemic immunologic biomarkers could predict overall survival (OS) in treatment-naïve PDAC patients.

A Multicenter, Open-Label Phase II Clinical Trial of Combined MEK plus EGFR Inhibition for Chemotherapy-Refractory Advanced Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma.

Purpose: On the basis of preclinical evidence of synergistic activity between MEK and EGFR inhibitors in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), we evaluated the safety and efficacy of selumetinib, a MEK1/2 inhibitor, plus erlotinib in patients with previously treated advanced PDAC.

Experimental Design: In this single-arm phase II trial, eligible patients received the combination of erlotinib 100 mg plus selumetinib 100 mg daily in 3-week cycles. Study assessments included measurement of clinical outcomes, with a primary endpoint of overall survival, and exploration of potential molecular predictors of treatment benefit.

A phase II and pharmacodynamic study of sunitinib in relapsed/refractory oesophageal and gastro-oesophageal cancers.

Background: Blockade of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway shows evidence of activity in gastro-oesophageal (GE) and oesophageal cancer. We investigated the efficacy of sunitinib, a multikinase VEGF inhibitor, in patients with relapsed/refractory GE/oesophageal cancer.

Methods: This was a single-stage Fleming phase II study.

A phase I study of high-dose interleukin-2 with sorafenib in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma and melanoma.

This study was designed to evaluate the safety and feasibility of high-dose interleukin-2 (HD IL-2) followed by sorafenib in patients with metastatic melanoma (MM) and renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Biomarkers relevant to the antitumor effects of IL-2 that may be altered by sorafenib including the percentages of natural T-regulatory cells (Tregs), myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC), and STAT5 phosphorylation (pSTAT5) in T cells were evaluated. We hypothesized that the proposed treatment schedule is feasible and safe and may lead to enhanced tumor response.

Phase I dose-escalation study of EZN-2208 (PEG-SN38), a novel conjugate of poly(ethylene) glycol and SN38, administered weekly in patients with advanced cancer.

Purpose: This study evaluated the tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary antitumor activity of EZN-2208, a water-soluble poly(ethylene) glycol conjugate of SN38.

Methods: Patients with advanced malignancies were enrolled in dose-escalating cohorts (3 + 3 design). EZN-2208 was administered as a 1-h intravenous infusion given weekly for 3 weeks per each 4-week cycle.

Preliminary results on the use of leather chrome shavings for air passive sampling.

A new passive sampler based on low-density polyethylene (LDPE) layflat tube filled with chrome shavings from tannery waste residues was evaluated to determine volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in indoor and outdoor areas. VOCs were directly determined by head space-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-GC-MS) without any pretreatment of the sampler and avoiding the use of solvents. Limit of detection values ranging from 20 to 75 ng sampler(-1) and good repeatability values were obtained for VOCs under study with relative standard deviation values from 2.

Detection of p16 promotor hypermethylation in "Maras powder" and tobacco users.

Background: A plant powder called "Maras powder" is widely used instead of cigarette smoking in the South-Eastern region of Turkey. It has been confirmed that this powder comprises tobacco Nicotiana rustica L.

Methods: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of Maras powder and cigarette smoking on the P16 promotor hypermethylation.

The effect of maras powder on DNA methylation and micronucleus formation in human buccal tissue.

The plant powder "maras powder" (MP) has been used widely instead of cigarettes in the southeastern region of Turkey. The aim of this study was to assess the impacts of MP and cigarette smoking on the methylation and micronuclei (MN) formation in buccal cells of humans with a comparison to blood lymphocytes. DNA samples from 80 subjects (40 MP users, 20 tobacco smokers, 20 healthy volunteers) were analyzed for their genomic methylation status using Hpa II and Msp I digestions followed by a simple gel electrophoresis and ethidium bromide staining.

How the I1307K adenomatous polyposis coli gene variant contributes in the assessment of risk of colorectal cancer, but not stomach cancer, in a Turkish population.

Germline and somatic truncating mutations of the adenomatous polyposis coli gene (APC) are thought to initiate colorectal tumor formation in familial adenomatous polyposis syndrome and sporadic colorectal carcinogenesis, respectively. Recently, an isoleucine-lysine polymorphism at codon 1307 (I1307K) of the APC gene has been identified in 6-7% of the Ashkenazi Jewish population. To assess the risk of this common APC allelic variant in colorectal carcinogenesis, a cohort of unselected Turkish subjects with stomach or colorectal cancer (or both) was analyzed for the APC I1307K polymorphism.

Separation of motor oils, oily wastes and hydrocarbons from contaminated water by sorption on chrome shavings.

In this paper, the ability of chrome shavings to remove motor oils, oily wastes and hydrocarbons from water has been studied. To determine amount of hydrocarbons sorbed on tanned wastes, a FT-NIR methodology was used and a multivariate calibration based on partial least squares (PLS) was employed for data treatment. The light density, porous tanned waste granules float on the surface of water and remove hydrocarbons and oil films.