Effectiveness of Phonological Awareness Skills Training in Improving Decoding Skills of Children with Reading Disabilities

The study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a phonological awareness skills training program in improving decoding skills of third grade students with reading disabilities. The initial sample included 40 students enrolled in the learning disabilities program in elementary schools in Oman. They were assessed for diagnosing those who have reading disabilities through adopting the procedures of the IQ-achievement discrepancy model. The Raven’s Matrices and a reading achievement test were administered to students. Then, 14 students among those diagnosed with reading disabilities were randomly distributed to an experimental and a control group. Participants in the experimental group received training in phonological awareness for 10 weeks whereas the control group participants did not. The participants of both groups were administered two tests in phonological awareness (PA) and decoding skills (DS) pre and post the training. Results of the study indicated that there were statistically significant differences between the experimental and control groups on the sub-tests of the PA and DS tests except for fluency in reading passages. However, a comparison of the pre and post scores of the experimental groups showed that they obtained significant gains in all sub scores following the training

Effectiveness of Phonological Awareness Skills Training in Improving Decoding Skills of Children with Reading Disabilities

The study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a phonological awareness skills training program in improving decoding skills of third grade students with reading disabilities. The initial sample included 40 students enrolled in the learning disabilities program in elementary schools in Oman. They were assessed for diagnosing those who have reading disabilities through adopting the procedures of the IQ-achievement discrepancy model. The Raven’s Matrices and a reading achievement test were administered to students. Then, 14 students among those diagnosed with reading disabilities were randomly distributed to an experimental and a control group. Participants in the experimental group received training in phonological awareness for 10 weeks whereas the control group participants did not. The participants of both groups were administered two tests in phonological awareness (PA) and decoding skills (DS) pre and post the training. Results of the study indicated that there were statistically significant differences between the experimental and control groups on the sub-tests of the PA and DS tests except for fluency in reading passages. However, a comparison of the pre and post scores of the experimental groups showed that they obtained significant gains in all sub scores following the training

Methylphenidate improves executive functions in patients with traumatic brain injuries : a feasibility trial via the idiographic approach

Background: Road traffic accidents are known to be the main cause of traumatic brain injury (TBI). TBI is also a leading cause of death and disability. This study, by means of the idiographic approach (single-case experimental designs using multiple-baseline designs), has examined whether methylphenidate (MPH - trade name Ritalin) had a differential effect on cognitive measures among patients with TBI with the sequel of acute and chronic post-concussion syndromes. The effect on gender was also explored. Methods: In comparison with healthy controls, patients with TBI (acute and chronic) and accompanying mild cognitive impairment (MCI) were screened for their integrity of executive functioning. Twenty-four patients exhibiting executive dysfunction (ED) were then instituted with the pharmacological intervention methylphenidate (MPH). The methylphenidate was administered using an uncontrolled, open label design. Results: The administration of methylphenidate impacted ED in the TBI group but had no effect on mood. Attenuation of ED was more apparent in the chronic phases of TBI. The effect on gender was not statistically significant with regard to the observed changes. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first feasibility trial from the Arabian Gulf to report the performance of a TBI population with mild cognitive impairment according to the IQCODE Arabic version. This investigation confirms anecdotal observations of methylphenidate having the potential to attenuate cognitive impairment; particularly those functions that are critically involved in the integrity of executive functioning. The present feasibility trial should be followed by nomothetic studies such as those that adhere to the protocol of the randomized controlled trial. This evidence-based research is the foundation for intervention and future resource allocation by policy- or public health decision-makers

Discovery of new therapeutic targets in ovarian cancer through identifying significantly non-mutated genes

Background: Mutated and non-mutated genes interact to drive cancer growth and metastasis. While research has focused on understanding the impact of mutated genes on cancer biology, understanding non-mutated genes that are essential to tumor development could lead to new therapeutic strategies. The recent advent of high-throughput whole genome sequencing being applied to many different samples has made it possible to calculate if genes are significantly non-mutated in a specific cancer patient cohort. Methods: We carried out random mutagenesis simulations of the human genome approximating the regions sequenced in the publicly available Cancer Growth Atlas Project for ovarian cancer (TCGA-OV). Simulated mutations were compared to the observed mutations in the TCGA-OV cohort and genes with the largest deviations from simulation were identified. Pathway analysis was performed on the non-mutated genes to better understand their biological function. We then compared gene expression, methylation and copy number distributions of non-mutated and mutated genes in cell lines and patient data from the TCGA-OV project. To directly test if non-mutated genes can affect cell proliferation, we carried out proof-of-concept RNAi silencing experiments of a panel of nine selected non-mutated genes in three ovarian cancer cell lines and one primary ovarian epithelial cell line. Results: We identified a set of genes that were mutated less than expected (non-mutated genes) and mutated more than expected (mutated genes). Pathway analysis revealed that non-mutated genes interact in cancer associated pathways. We found that non-mutated genes are expressed significantly more than mutated genes while also having lower methylation and higher copy number states indicating that they could be functionally important. RNAi silencing of the panel of non-mutated genes resulted in a greater significant reduction of cell viability in the cancer cell lines than in the non-cancer cell line. Finally, as a test case, silencing ANKLE2, a significantly non-mutated gene, affected the morphology, reduced migration, and increased the chemotherapeutic response of SKOV3 cells. Conclusion: We show that we can identify significantly non-mutated genes in a large ovarian cancer cohort that are well-expressed in patient and cell line data and whose RNAi-induced silencing reduces viability in three ovarian cancer cell lines. Targeting non-mutated genes that are important for tumor growth and metastasis is a promising approach to expand cancer therapeutic options.We would like to thank Weill Cornell Medicine in Qatar (WCM-Q) and the Qatar National Leadership Program (QNLP) for research support. We would also like to thank the WCM-Q Advanced Computing Division for computing time and software support. Finally, we would like to thank colleagues and reviewers for experimental support and critical discussions. This study was made possible by JSREP grant 4-011-1-003 from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of Qatar Foundation) and the QF Leadership program. The statements made herein are solely the responsibility of the author[s]. The funders had no role in the design of the study or in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data and in writing the manuscript.Scopu

Triple Negative Breast Cancer Profile, from Gene to microRNA, in Relation to Ethnicity.

Breast cancer is the most frequent cause of cancer-related deaths among women worldwide. It is classified into four major molecular subtypes. Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs), a subgroup of breast cancer, are defined by the absence of estrogen and progesterone receptors and the lack of HER-2 expression; this subgroup accounts for ~15% of all breast cancers and exhibits the most aggressive metastatic behavior. Currently, very limited targeted therapies exist for the treatment of patients with TNBCs. On the other hand, it is important to highlight that knowledge of the molecular biology of breast cancer has recently changed the decision-making process regarding the course of cancer therapies. Thus, a number of new techniques, such as gene profiling and sequencing, proteomics, and microRNA analysis have been used to explore human breast carcinogenesis and metastasis including TNBC, which consequently could lead to new therapies. Nevertheless, based on evidence thus far, genomics profiles (gene and miRNA) can differ from one geographic location to another as well as in different ethnic groups. This review provides a comprehensive and updated information on the genomics profile alterations associated with TNBC pathogenesis associated with different ethnic backgrounds.Qatar University: QUCG-CMED-2018\2019-3, QUSD-CMED-2018-2 and QUST-1-CMED-2019-18

Glutamate dehydrogenase (GLUD1) expression in breast cancer

Dysregulated cellular metabolism is regarded as one of the hallmarks of cancer with some tumours utilising the glutamine metabolism pathway for their sustained proliferation and survival. Glutamate dehydrogenase (GLUD1) is a key enzyme in glutaminolysis converting glutamate to α-Ketoglutarate for entry into the TCA cycle. Breast cancer (BC) comprises a heterogeneous group of tumours in terms of molecular biology and clinical behaviour, and we have previously shown that altered glutamine metabolism varies substantially among the different molecular subtypes. We hypothesise that the prognostic value of GLUD1 expression will differ between the BC molecular subtypes and may act as a potential therapeutic target for BC tumours.Methods: GLUD1 was assessed at the DNA, mRNA (n=1,980) and protein (n=1,300) levels in large and well-characterised cohorts and correlated with clinicopathological parameters, molecular subtypes, patient outcome and treatments. Results: There was a correlation between GLUD1 mRNA and GLUD1 protein expression which were highly expressed in low grade Luminal/ER+ BC (

Novel nitrogen-based chalcone analogs provoke substantial apoptosis in HER2-positive human breast cancer cells via JNK and ERK1/ERK2 signaling pathways

Natural chalcones possess antitumor properties and play a role as inducers of apoptosis, antioxidants and cytotoxic compounds. We recently reported that novel nitrogen chalcone-based compounds, which were generated in our lab, have specific effects on triple-negative breast cancer cells. However, the outcome of these two new compounds on human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer remains nascent. Thus, we herein investigated the effects of these compounds (DK-13 and DK-14) on two HER2-positive breast cancer cell lines, SKBR3 and ZR75. Our data revealed that these compounds inhibit cell proliferation, deregulate cell-cycle progression and significantly induce cell apoptosis in both cell lines. Furthermore, the two chalcone compounds cause a significant reduction in the cell invasion ability of SKBR3 and ZR75 cancer cells. In parallel, we found that DK-13 and DK-14 inhibit colony formation of both cell lines in comparison to their matched controls. On the other hand, we noticed that these two compounds can inhibit angiogenesis in the chorioallantoic membrane model. The molecular pathway analysis of chalcone compounds exposed cells revealed that these compounds inhibit the expression of both JNK1/2/3 and ERK1/2, the major plausible molecular pathways behind these events. Our findings implicate that DK-13 and DK-14 possess effective chemotherapeutic outcomes against HER2-positive breast cancer via the ERK1/2 and JNK1/2/3 signaling pathways.Funding: This research was funded by the following Qatar University Grants: (QUCG-CPH-20/21-4), (QUCP-CMED-2019-1) and (QUHI-CMED-19/20-1).Scopu

Individual-level determinants of waterpipe smoking demand in four Eastern-Mediterranean countries

© 2018 The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. The prevalence of waterpipe tobacco smoking in the Eastern Mediterranean Region is at alarmingly high levels, especially among young people. The objective of this research was to evaluate the preferences of young adult waterpipe smokers with respect to potential individual-level determinants of waterpipe smoking using discrete choice experiment methodology. Participants were young adult university students (18-29 years) who were ever waterpipe smokers, recruited from universities across four Eastern Mediterranean countries: Jordan, Oman, Palestine and the United Arab Emirates. The Internet-based discrete choice experiment, with 6 × 3 × 2 block design, evaluated preferences for choices of waterpipe smoking sessions, presented on hypothetical waterpipe café menus. Participants evaluated nine choice sets, each with five fruit-flavored options, a tobacco flavored option (non-flavored), and an opt-out option. Choices also varied based on nicotine content (0.0% vs. 0.05% vs. 0.5%) and price (low vs. high). Participants were randomized to receive menus with either a pictorial + text health-warning message or no message (between-subjects attribute). Multinomial logit regression models evaluated the influence of these attributes on waterpipe smoking choices. Across all four samples (n = 1859), participants preferred fruit-flavored varieties to tobacco flavor, lower nicotine content and lower prices. Exposure to the health warning did not significantly predict likelihood to opt-out. Flavor accounted for 81.4% of waterpipe smoking decisions. Limiting the use of fruit flavors in waterpipe tobacco, in addition to accurate nicotine content labeling and higher pricing may be effective at curbing the demand for waterpipe smoking among young adults