Sleep Deprivation and Depression : A bi-directional association

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Genetic Improvement in Dromedary Camels: Challenges and Opportunities

International audienc

Daytime Sleepiness Among Young Adult Omani Car Drivers

Objectives: Sleepiness and fatigue play significant roles in exacerbating the occurrence of car crashes. However, there is a dearth of studies examining the prevalence of sleepiness while driving among Omanis. This study aimed to determine the proportion of young Omani adults who confess to daytime sleepiness while driving and to investigate associations between gender, daytime sleepiness and risk of obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS). Methods: This cross-sectional study took place at the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman, between May and July 2014 and included 600 young adult Omani non-commercial drivers. The Berlin Questionnaire and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) were distributed among the participants, along with additional questions about their sleeping habits. Associations between daytime sleepiness while driving and nocturnal sleep duration, risk of OSAS and gender were determined. Results: A total of 492 private vehicle drivers took part in the study (response rate: 82%), of which 50.4% were male. Overall, 124 Omanis (25.2%) reported experiencing daytime sleepiness while driving at least once per month. There was a significant association between nocturnal sleep duration of 10 on the ESS, indicating a greater propensity for daytime sleepiness (P = 0.006). However, male drivers were significantly more likely to report sleepiness while driving (P = 0.001). Conclusion: Sleepiness while driving was common among young male drivers in Oman and might be due to nocturnal sleep deprivation. Further studies are needed so that preventative measures can be developed. Keywords: Motor Vehicles; Traffic Accidents; Sleep; Fatigue; Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome; Oman

The Effect of Change in Posture on Spirometry in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Syndrome

Objectives: Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) is a growing health concern as it is associated with serious comorbidities. OSAS is mainly related to obesity, age, gender and a narrowed upper airway is commonly seen in patients with OSAS. This study aimed to compare spirometry parameters between obese OSAS patients and non-obese OSAS patients when patients moved from sitting to supine. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman, between December 2009 and December 2010. Patients with severe OSAS and who were OSAS treatment naïve were recruited. Spirometry was performed in all patients in sitting and supine positions to assess forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), FEV1/FVC, forced expiratory flow (FEF) 50%, FEF 25–75%, maximum forced inspiratory flow and expiratory reserve volume. The mean difference in spirometry parameters between patients in sitting and supine positions was calculated. Results: A total of 27 OSAS patients (19 males and 8 females) were included in this study. There was a significant difference in FEV1/FVC in obese and non-obese patients when changing position (P = 0.03). In addition, there was a significant change between male and female patients’ FVC percentages (P <0.05). Male patients with OSAS had reduced FVC compared to females. There was no significant difference in the remaining spirometry parameters with patients’ change of position. Conclusion: A supine position may cause lower airway obstruction in obese patients with OSAS. The reduced FVC in males possibly contributes to the high prevalence of OSAS in men compared to women.Keywords: Obstructive Sleep Apnea; Obesity; Gender; Spirometry; Posture; Oman

Evaluation of the Intestinal Bacterial Community of Local Omani and Cobb 500 Broiler Chickens Raised in an Open-Sided House Using 16S rDNA-Based Analysis

Little is known about how the intestinal bacterial microbiota differs among different strains of chickens raised in an open sided house, predominantly those with lower growth rates, such as Indigenous chickens. Ninety-one-day-old chicks of each strain of chickens were raised in an open-sided house system and fed a conventional corn-soybean meal diet from Day 0–35 days of age. The objective of this study was to assess the relative abundance of bacteria microbiota identified in the intestinal tract of local Omani and Cobb 500 broiler chickens raised in an open-sided house system using 16S rDNA-based analysis. The results obtained showed the diversity of bacterial populations in different intestinal regions of two chicken strains. Bacilli were found in higher numbers and reached 98.8% of the bacteria in the duodenum on Day 5 in Cobb 500 versus 72.5% in the Omani chickens. Local Omani chickens had significantly higher numbers of Clostridia at an early age period. On Day 5 Clostridia comprised 13.1% of the bacteria in the duodenum of local Omani chickens, versus only 0.062% in the Cobb 500. The relative abundance of the bacterial microbiota differed significantly (p <0.05) across different intestinal segments of the two strains of chickens, suggesting that each region generated its bacterial community with different relative abundances

Pituitary Adenoma Prevalence and Characteristics of Omani Patients: A Single Center Experience

Objectives: To estimate the incidence of pituitary adenomas (PA) in adult Omani patients and describe its epidemiological, clinical, and radiological characteristics. Methods: In this longitudinal, descriptive study, we reviewed the records of all PA patients from January 2015 to January 2020 who presented at the endocrinology facilities at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat. Results: The participants comprised of 112 Omani patients with PA. The incidence of PA among all adult patients at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (inpatient and outpatient) over five years (2015–2020) was 0.23%. The cohort had a mean age of 41.0±15.0 years. Of the 112 patients included in this study, 79 (70.5%) were women. Nearly half (51; 45.5%) of adenomas were prolactinomas while 46 (41.1%) were non-functioning adenomas, and seven (6.3%) were growth hormone-secreting adenomas while six (5.4%) were adrenocorticotropic hormone secreting adenomas. Headache was present in 67 (59.8%) patients, followed by visual field defects (40; 35.7%), galactorrhea (26; 23.2%), and fatigue (19; 17.0%). The majority of women (45/79; 57.0%) presented with menstrual cycle abnormalities. Radiological appearances were nearly equally distributed between micro- and macroadenomas. Most cases (58/112; 52.0%) of PA were treated medically by cabergoline, octreotide, and replacement therapies such as hydrocortisone and thyroxin, 38 (33.9%) were treated surgically (mainly by trans-sphenoidal pituitary resection), and the remaining 10 (8.9%) cases were subjected to radiotherapy. Medical treatment combined with surgery was employed for 15 (13.4%) patients. Conclusions: In our investigation, PA was primarily prevalent among Omani female patients, and the most common subtype of pituitary tumors was prolactinomas. The most common presentation symptom was headaches; most female patients had menstrual irregularities. Medical treatment was the primary approach for the applicable types of PAs, while surgery and radiotherapy were found to be secondary and tertiary treatment options, respectively

Early holocenic and historic mtDNA african signatures in the iberian peninsula: The andalusian region as a paradigm

Determining the timing, identity and direction of migrations in the Mediterranean Basin, the role of "migratory routes" in and among regions of Africa, Europe and Asia, and the effects of sex-specific behaviors of population movements have important implications for our understanding of the present human genetic diversity. A crucial component of the Mediterranean world is its westernmost region. Clear features of transcontinental ancient contacts between North African and Iberian populations surrounding the maritime region of Gibraltar Strait have been identified from archeological data. The attempt to discern origin and dates of migration between close geographically related regions has been a challenge in the field of uniparental-based population genetics. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) studies have been focused on surveying the H1, H3 and V lineages when trying to ascertain north-south migrations, and U6 and L in the opposite direction, assuming that those lineages are good proxies for the ancestry of each side of the Mediterranean. To this end, in the present work we have screened entire mtDNA sequences belonging to U6, M1 and L haplogroups in Andalusians--from Huelva and Granada provinces--and Moroccan Berbers. We present here pioneer data and interpretations on the role of NW Africa and the Iberian Peninsula regarding the time of origin, number of founders and expansion directions of these specific markers. The estimated entrance of the North African U6 lineages into Iberia at 10 ky correlates well with other L African clades, indicating that U6 and some L lineages moved together from Africa to Iberia in the Early Holocene. Still, founder analysis highlights that the high sharing of lineages between North Africa and Iberia results from a complex process continued through time, impairing simplistic interpretations. In particular, our work supports the existence of an ancient, frequently denied, bridge connecting the Maghreb and Andalusia.Financial support was provided by the Spanish Ministry of Competitiveness through Research Project CGL2010-15191/BOS granted to RC and International Mobility Program Acciones Integradas Hispano-Portuguesas (PRI-AIBPT-2011-1004) granted to RC (Spain) and LP (Portugal) (http://www.mineco.gob.es/portal/site/mineco/idi). The E.C. Sixth Framework Programme under Contract n° ERAS-CT-2003-980409 (EUROCORES project of the European Science Foundation) also provided financial support to JMD for North African population research. CLH has a predoctoral fellowship granted by Complutense University. PS is supported by FCT Investigator Programme (IF/01641/2013). IPATIMUP (https://www.ipatimup.pt/) integrates the Instituto the Investigação em Saúde (i3S) Research Unit, which is partially supported by FCT, the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology. IPATIMUP is funded by FEDER funds through the Operational Programme for Competitiveness Factors - COMPETE and National Funds through the FCT - under the project PEst-C/SAU/LA0003/2013. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

Long-term outcomes of the global tuberculosis and COVID-19 co-infection cohort

Background: Longitudinal cohort data of patients with tuberculosis (TB) and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are lacking. In our global study, we describe long-term outcomes of patients affected by TB and COVID-19. Methods: We collected data from 174 centres in 31 countries on all patients affected by COVID-19 and TB between 1 March 2020 and 30 September 2022. Patients were followed-up until cure, death or end of cohort time. All patients had TB and COVID-19; for analysis purposes, deaths were attributed to TB, COVID-19 or both. Survival analysis was performed using Cox proportional risk-regression models, and the log-rank test was used to compare survival and mortality attributed to TB, COVID-19 or both. Results: Overall, 788 patients with COVID-19 and TB (active or sequelae) were recruited from 31 countries, and 10.8% (n=85) died during the observation period. Survival was significantly lower among patients whose death was attributed to TB and COVID-19 versus those dying because of either TB or COVID-19 alone (p<0.001). Significant adjusted risk factors for TB mortality were higher age (hazard ratio (HR) 1.05, 95% CI 1.03-1.07), HIV infection (HR 2.29, 95% CI 1.02-5.16) and invasive ventilation (HR 4.28, 95% CI 2.34-7.83). For COVID-19 mortality, the adjusted risks were higher age (HR 1.03, 95% CI 1.02-1.04), male sex (HR 2.21, 95% CI 1.24-3.91), oxygen requirement (HR 7.93, 95% CI 3.44-18.26) and invasive ventilation (HR 2.19, 95% CI 1.36-3.53). Conclusions: In our global cohort, death was the outcome in >10% of patients with TB and COVID-19. A range of demographic and clinical predictors are associated with adverse outcomes