HLA Diversity in Saudi Population: High Frequency of Homozygous HLA Alleles and Haplotypes.

Human leukocyte antigens (HLA) diversity has a tremendous impact on shaping the transplantation practices, transfusion-associated graft versus host disease prevention strategies, and host-pathogen interactions. Here, we conducted a retrospective study of HLA class I and class II homozygosity at allelic and haplotype levels in unrelated individuals genotyped from 2012 to 2016 in a tertiary hospital in the capital of Saudi Arabia. Among 5,000 individuals, 2,773 individuals meet inclusion criteria and were retrospectively analyzed for HLA-A, -B, -C-DRB1, and -DQB1 homozygosity at allelic and haplotype levels.

The Edinburgh feeding evaluation in dementia (EdFED) scale: A Turkish validity and reliability study.

Aim: The present study aimed to adapt the Edinburgh Feeding Evaluation in Dementia (EdFED) Scale to Turkish.

Method: This methodological study was reported using STARD (The STAndards for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy). The sample included 200 people with dementia.

Does transcranial direct current stimulation enhance cognitive performance in Parkinson's disease mild cognitive impairment? An event-related potentials and neuropsychological assessment study.

Background: Parkinson's disease-mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI) is garnering attention as a key interventional period for cognitive impairment. Currently, there are no approved treatments for PD-MCI and encouraging results of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) combined with other interventions have been proposed, though the efficacy and neural mechanisms of tDCS alone have not been studied in PD-MCI yet.

Objectives: The present double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled study assessed the effects of tDCS over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex on cognitive functions via neuropsychological and electrophysiological evaluations in individuals with PD-MCI for the first time.

HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1, -DQB1, and -DPB1 Allele and Haplotype Frequencies of 28,927 Saudi Stem Cell Donors Typed by Next-Generation Sequencing.

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) allele and haplotype frequency distribution varies widely between different ethnicities and geographical areas. Matching for HLA alleles is essential for successful related and unrelated stem cell transplantation. Among the Saudi population, data on HLA alleles and haplotypes are limited.

Associations between cardiorespiratory fitness, physical activity, intraindividual variability in behavior, and cingulate cortex in younger adults.

Background: Higher levels of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and greater amounts of physical activity have been associated with lower intraindividual variability (IIV) in executive function in children and older adults. In the present study, we examined whether CRF, measured as maximal oxygen uptake (VO), and daily volume of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) were associated with IIV of reaction time during performance of the incongruent condition of the Stroop task in younger adults. Further, we examined whether the thickness of the cingulate cortex was associated with regulating variability in reaction time performance in the context of CRF or physical activity.

Reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the Individual-Level Abortion Stigma Scale: a methodological study.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the Individual-Level Abortion Stigma Scale.

Setting: Three hospitals affiliated to Public Hospitals Union General Secretariat in Manisa, a city located in Western Turkey.

Design: This was a methodological study.

HLA-A, B, C, DRB1 and DQB1 allele and haplotype frequencies in volunteer bone marrow donors from Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia.

We analyzed HLA allele and haplotype frequencies from donors from the Eastern region of Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was performed on 2405 bone marrow donors from the Eastern region. HLA typing was carried out by sequencing.

Cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with enhanced hippocampal functional connectivity in healthy young adults.

Consistent associations have been found between higher cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and indices of enhanced brain health and function, including behavioral measures of cognition as well as neuroimaging indicators such as regional brain volume. Several studies have reported that higher CRF levels are associated with a larger hippocampus, yet associations between volume and memory or functional connectivity metrics remain poorly understood. Using a multi-modal framework, we hierarchically examine the association between CRF and hippocampal volume and resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) in younger adults, as well as their relationship between with memory function.

The effects of mucosal media on some pathogenic traits of Crohn's disease-associated Escherichia coli LF82.

Aim: Adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC) pathovar has been identified in intestinal mucosa of patients with Crohn's disease. Our aim was to compare the impact of sterile mucosal media (Muc-M) originated from different parts of the intestine on some pathogenic traits of AIEC LF82 strain.

Materials & Methods: Muc-M composed of certain rates of cell culture medium or M63 minimal medium and mucosal contents obtained from different part of intestine were designed for cell-infection experiments and biofilm-formation assays.

A Brain Phenotype for Stressor-Evoked Blood Pressure Reactivity.

Background: Individuals who exhibit large-magnitude blood pressure (BP) reactions to acute psychological stressors are at risk for hypertension and premature death by cardiovascular disease. This study tested whether a multivariate pattern of stressor-evoked brain activity could reliably predict individual differences in BP reactivity, providing novel evidence for a candidate neurophysiological source of stress-related cardiovascular risk.

Methods And Results: Community-dwelling adults (N=310; 30-51 years; 153 women) underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging with concurrent BP monitoring while completing a standardized battery of stressor tasks.

Physical Activity Is Associated with Reduced Implicit Learning but Enhanced Relational Memory and Executive Functioning in Young Adults.

Accumulating evidence suggests that physical activity improves explicit memory and executive cognitive functioning at the extreme ends of the lifespan (i.e., in older adults and children).

Retinotopic information interacts with category selectivity in human ventral cortex.

Until recently, the general consensus with respect to the organization of ventral visual cortex is that early, retinotopic regions are sensitive to the spatial position of the input stimuli whereas later, higher-order regions are sensitive to the category of the input stimuli. Growing recognition of the bidirectional connectivity of the visual system has challenged this view and recent empirical evidence suggests a more interactive and graded system. Here, based on findings from functional MRI in adult observers, in which meridians and category selective regions are localized and their activation sampled, we support this latter perspective by showing that category effects are present in retinotopic cortical areas and spatial position effects are present in higher-order regions.

HLA-C polymorphisms in two cohorts of donors for bone marrow transplantation.

The typing for HLA-C in transplantation was rather neglected in the past. However, several recent studies have emphasized its role in transplantation and its association with the outcome. Serological typing of HLA-C could identify only a limited number of HLA-C antigens, resulting in a number of HLA-C blanks.

Takayasu's arteritis is associated with HLA-B*52, but not with HLA-B*51, in Turkey.

Introduction: HLA-B*51 and HLA-B*52 are two close human leukocyte antigen (HLA) allele groups with minor amino acid differences. However, they are associated with two different vasculitides (HLA-B*51 in Behçet's disease and HLA-B*52 in Takayasu's arteritis (TAK)) and with major clinical and immunological differences. In this study, we aimed to screen a large cohort of TAK patients from Turkey for the presence of HLA-B*51 and HLA-B*52 as susceptibility and severity factors.

PDCD1 polymorphisms are not associated with Takayasu's arteritis in Turkey.

Objectives: Takayasu's arteritis (TA) is a chronic arterial inflammation of unknown etiology involving mainly the aorta and its major branches. Based on the associations of programmed death-1 (PD-1) protein encoding gene (PDCD1) with connective tissue diseases and vasculitides, PDCD1 polymorphisms are studied for susceptibility to TA in this study.

Methods: The study group is made up of TA patients (n=229) fulfilling the 1990 ACR classification criteria and compared to 193 healthy controls (HC).

The impact of tacrolimus on growth factors in experimental proliferative vitreoretinopathy.

Purpose: To investigate the effect of intravitreal tacrolimus on an animal model of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) and on growth factors implicated in its pathogenesis.

Methods: Twenty-one guinea pigs were randomly assigned to one of three groups of seven animals each: no-PVR/saline group (no PVR/intravitreal saline-injected group), PVR/saline group (dispase-induced PVR group, treated with control injections of intravitreal saline), and PVR/tacrolimus group (treatment group, dispase-induced PVR group treated with intravitreal tacrolimus injections). At the end of the experiment, eyes were enucleated and the identification of the stages of PVR was carried out.

Optimization of α-amylase production by Bacillus subtilis RSKK96: using the Taguchi experimental design approach.

In this study, the Taguchi experimental design was applied to optimize the conditions for α-amylase production by Bacillus subtilis RSKK96, which was purchased from Refik Saydam Hifzissihha Industry (RSHM). Four factors, namely, carbon source, nitrogen source, amino acid, and fermentation time, each at four levels, were selected, and an orthogonal array layout of L(16) (4(5)) was performed. The model equation obtained was validated experimentally at maximum casein (1%), corn meal (1%), and glutamic acid (0.

Serum erythropoietin levels in patients with central serous chorioretinopathy.

Objective: To evaluate the levels of erythropoietin (EPO) in the serum in patients with central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC).

Methods: An institutional comperative clinical study. The serum EPO levels were measured with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method, of 15 patients with active CSC (Group 1), 15 patients with inactive CSC (Group 2) and 15 healthy volunteers (Group 3).

Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Chlamydia pneumoniae seropositivity in patients with age-related macular degeneration.

Background: To determine a possible relation between Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) or Chlamidia pneumoniae (CP) seropositivity and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Methods: Sixty patients (20 wet AMD, 20 dry AMD and 20 non-AMD controls) were included in the study. Serum samples were collected for analysis of IgM and IgG antibody seropositivity for CP and MP by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Sorption induced relaxations during water diffusion in S-PEEK.

This paper presents an analysis of the sorption kinetics of water vapor and liquid water in the glassy polymer sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (S-PEEK). Sorption isotherms are determined experimentally using a gravimetric sorption balance, and the relative contributions of Fickian diffusion and relaxational phenomena are quantified as a function of the water concentration in the polymer using the model of Hopfenberg and Berens.Analysis of the sorption isotherms and determination of the sorption kinetics prove the occurrence of both Fickian sorption behavior and relaxational phenomena already at very low water concentrations in the polymer.

Production of extracellular alkaline alpha-amylase by solid state fermentation with a newly isolated Bacillus sp.

Production of alkaline alpha-amylase employing our laboratory isolate, Bacillus sp., under solid state fermentation, was optimized. The effect of wheat bran and lentil husk was examined.

Relative predispositional effects of HLA class II DRB1-DQB1 haplotypes and genotypes on type 1 diabetes: a meta-analysis.

The direct involvement of the human leukocyte antigen class II DR-DQ genes in type 1 diabetes (T1D) is well established, and these genes display a complex hierarchy of risk effects at the genotype and haplotype levels. We investigated, using data from 38 studies, whether the DR-DQ haplotypes and genotypes show the same relative predispositional effects across populations and ethnic groups. Significant differences in risk within a population were considered, as well as comparisons across populations using the patient/control (P/C) ratio.

Production of lipase by a newly isolated Bacillus coagulans under solid-state fermentation using melon wastes.

An extracellular lipase was produced by Bacillus coagulans by solid-state fermentation. Solid waste from melon was used as the basic nutrient source and was supplemented with olive oil. The highest lipase production (78,069 U/g) was achieved after 24 h of cultivation with 1% olive oil enrichment.

Interleukin (IL)-12, IL-2, and IL-6 gene polymorphisms in Takayasu's arteritis from Turkey.

Takayasu's arteritis (TA) is a chronic arterial inflammation of unknown etiology involving mainly the aorta and its major branches. Genetic polymorphisms of cytokines are screened as susceptibility factors for TA in Turkey. A total of 94 patients with TA were investigated for the genetic polymorphisms of the interleukin genes IL12, IL2,and IL6 and were compared with 108 healthy control subjects using polymerase chain reaction-sequence-specific primer method.

Distribution of common CARD15 variants in patients with sporadic Crohn's disease: cases from Turkey.

Three common genetic variations, namely, R702W, G908R, and 1007fs, on CARD15 have been shown to increase the risk for Crohn's disease (CD) in Caucasian populations. In this study the frequencies of these CARD15 variants were determined by genotyping in 56 patients with CD and 100 healthy ethnically matched controls from Turkey. Overall frequency of all three variants was 10.