Assessment of Plasma Cystatin C among Sudanese Patients with Type II Diabetes Mellitus

Background: Cystatin C is mainly used as a biomarker of kidney function. It is freely filtered by glomerulus, and does not return to the blood stream or secreted by renal tubules. It has been suggested to be closer to the “ideal” endogenous marker.Objectives: To assess the plasma levels of cystatin c, creatinine clearance, blood HbA1C% and body mass index among Sudanese with type 2  Diabetes.Materials and methods: This is a case-control study conducted in diabetic centers in Khartoum state, Sudan, from March 2010 to November 2013. A total of 300 Sudanese patients with type2 diabetes (49% males and 51% females) as a test group, and 150 healthy subjects (48%males and 52%females) as a control group were enrolled in this study. Both groups were matched for gender and age. The plasma levels of Cystatin C, creatinine and blood HbA1c were measured using Nephelometry technique. Creatinine clearance was calculated for each participant. SPSS was usedfor analysis of data.Results: The means of the plasma levels of Cystatin C, HbA1c% and the body mass index (BMI) were significantly raised in the diabetic group  compared to the control group (p<0.05).There is significant moderate negative correlation between Cystatin C and creatinine clearance (r=0.69,p=0.015) in the diabetic group, and there is a significant strong positive correlation between the plasma levels of Cystatin C and HbA1c%(r=o.78, p=0.044).Conclusion: The present data indicates that among Sudanese patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, plasma levels of Cystatin C are significantly raised and has a significant strong positive correlation with glycated  haemoglobin % and a significant moderate negative correlation with creatinine clearance.Key words: Type 2 Diabetes, Cystatin C, Glycated Heamoglobin, Sudan

Survival Benefit with Kidney Transplants from HLA-Incompatible Live Donors

A report from a high-volume single center indicated a survival benefit of receiving a kidney transplant from an HLA-incompatible live donor as compared with remaining on the waiting list, whether or not a kidney from a deceased donor was received. The generalizability of that finding is unclear

Comparative genomics of two jute species and insight into fibre biogenesis

Jute (Corchorus sp.) is one of the most important sources of natural fibre, covering ∼80% of global bast fibre production1. Only Corchorus olitorius and Corchorus capsularis are commercially cultivated, though there are more than 100 Corchorus species2 in the Malvaceae family. Here we describe high-quality draft genomes of these two species and their comparisons at the functional genomics level to support tailor-designed breeding. The assemblies cover 91.6% and 82.2% of the estimated genome sizes for C. olitorius and C. capsularis, respectively. In total, 37,031 C. olitorius and 30,096 C. capsularis genes are identified, and most of the genes are validated by cDNA and RNA-seq data. Analyses of clustered gene families and gene collinearity show that jute underwent shared whole-genome duplication ∼18.66 million years (Myr) ago prior to speciation. RNA expression analysis from isolated fibre cells reveals the key regulatory and structural genes involved in fibre formation. This work expands our understanding of the molecular basis of fibre formation laying the foundation for the genetic improvement of jute. Bast (phloem) fibres are obtained from the stem of the plants such as jute, flax, hemp, ramie and kenaf. The annual global production of jute generates a farm value of ∼US$2.3 billion1. The cultivated species of jute, C. olitorius and C. capsularis, are morphologically and physiologically distinct (Supplementary Fig. 1), and a combination of useful traits from these species into a single genotype is highly desirable3. However, interspecific hybridization is limited because of their cross-incompatibility4,5. To facilitate comparative functional genomics and to understand the molecular basis of bast fibre biogenesis, genomes of two popular jute cultivars C. olitorius var. O-4 and C. capsularis var. CVL-1 are sequenced and analysed

Five insights from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 provides a rules-based synthesis of the available evidence on levels and trends in health outcomes, a diverse set of risk factors, and health system responses. GBD 2019 covered 204 countries and territories, as well as first administrative level disaggregations for 22 countries, from 1990 to 2019. Because GBD is highly standardised and comprehensive, spanning both fatal and non-fatal outcomes, and uses a mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive list of hierarchical disease and injury causes, the study provides a powerful basis for detailed and broad insights on global health trends and emerging challenges. GBD 2019 incorporates data from 281 586 sources and provides more than 3.5 billion estimates of health outcome and health system measures of interest for global, national, and subnational policy dialogue. All GBD estimates are publicly available and adhere to the Guidelines on Accurate and Transparent Health Estimate Reporting. From this vast amount of information, five key insights that are important for health, social, and economic development strategies have been distilled. These insights are subject to the many limitations outlined in each of the component GBD capstone papers.Peer reviewe

Search for bottom-squark pair production in pp collision events at √s=13 TeV with hadronically decaying τ-leptons, b-jets, and missing transverse momentum using the ATLAS detector

A search for pair production of bottom squarks in events with hadronically decaying τ -leptons, b -tagged jets, and large missing transverse momentum is presented. The analyzed dataset is based on proton-proton collisions at √ s = 13     TeV delivered by the Large Hadron Collider and recorded by the ATLAS detector from 2015 to 2018, and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 139     fb − 1 . The observed data are compatible with the expected Standard Model background. Results are interpreted in a simplified model where each bottom squark is assumed to decay into the second-lightest neutralino ˜ χ 0 2 and a bottom quark, with ˜ χ 0 2 decaying into a Higgs boson and the lightest neutralino ˜ χ 0 1 . The search focuses on final states where at least one Higgs boson decays into a pair of hadronically decaying τ -leptons. This allows the acceptance and thus the sensitivity to be significantly improved relative to the previous results at low masses of the ˜ χ 0 2 , where bottom-squark masses up to 850 GeV are excluded at the 95% confidence level, assuming a mass difference of 130 GeV between ˜ χ 0 2 and ˜ χ 0 1 . Model-independent upper limits are also set on the cross section of processes beyond the Standard Model

Measurements of differential cross-sections in four-lepton events in 13 TeV proton-proton collisions with the ATLAS detector

Measurements of four-lepton differential and integrated fiducial cross-sections in events with two same-flavour, opposite-charge electron or muon pairs are presented. The data correspond to 139 fb−1 of s√ = 13 TeV proton-proton collisions, collected by the ATLAS detector during Run 2 of the Large Hadron Collider (2015–2018). The final state has contributions from a number of interesting Standard Model processes that dominate in different four-lepton invariant mass regions, including single Z boson production, Higgs boson production and on-shell ZZ production, with a complex mix of interference terms, and possible contributions from physics beyond the Standard Model. The differential cross-sections include the four-lepton invariant mass inclusively, in slices of other kinematic variables, and in different lepton flavour categories. Also measured are dilepton invariant masses, transverse momenta, and angular correlation variables, in four regions of four-lepton invariant mass, each dominated by different processes. The measurements are corrected for detector effects and are compared with state-of-the-art Standard Model calculations, which are found to be consistent with the data. The Z → 4ℓ branching fraction is extracted, giving a value of (4.41 ± 0.30) × 10−6. Constraints on effective field theory parameters and a model based on a spontaneously broken B − L gauge symmetry are also evaluated. Further reinterpretations can be performed with the provided information

Guideline for Care of Patients with the Diagnoses of Craniosynostosis: Working Group on Craniosynostosis

This guideline for care of children with craniosynostosis was developed by a national working group with representatives of 11 matrix societies of specialties and the national patients' society. All medical aspects of care for nonsyndromic and syndromic craniosynostosis are included, as well as the social and psychologic impact for the patient and their parents. Managerial aspects are incorporated as well, such as organizing a timely referral to the craniofacial center, requirements for a dedicated craniofacial center, and centralization of this specialized care. The conclusions and recommendations within this document are founded on the available literature, with a grading of the level of evidence, thereby highlighting the areas of care that are in need of high-quality research. The development of this guideline was made possible by an educational grant of the Dutch Order of Medical Specialists. The development of this guideline was supported by an educational grant of the Dutch Order of Medical Specialists

Tumour cell population growth inhibition and cell death induction of functionalized 6-aminoquinolone derivatives

A number of previous studies has provided evidence that the well-known anti-bacterial quinolones may have potential as anti-cancer drugs. The aim of this study was to evaluate potential anti-tumour activity and selectivity of a set of 6-aminoquinolones showing some chemical similarity to naphthyridone derivative CX-5461, recently described as innovative anti-cancer agent