A Phylogenetic analysis of Heparanase (HPSE) gene

The Current Study aimed to investigate the possible role of Heparanase protein (HPSE-1, [Entrez Pubmed ref|NP_001092010.1|, heparanase isoform 1 preproprotein [Homo sapiens]) in evolution by studying the phylogenetic relationship and divergence of HPSE-1 gene using computational methods. The Human HPSE protein sequences from various species were retrieved from GenBank database and were compared using sequence alignment. Multiple sequence alignment was done using Clustal-W with defaults and phylogenetic trees for the gene were built using neighbor-joining method as in BLAST 2.2.26+ version. A total of 112 BLAST hits were found for the heparanase query sequence and these hits showed putative conserved domain, Glyco_hydro_79n superfamily. We then narrowed down the search by manually deleting the proteins which were not HPSE-1. These sequences were then subjected to phylogenetic analyses using the PhyML and TreeDyn software. Our study indicated that HPSE-1 is a conserved protein in classes Mammalia, Aves, Amphibia, Actinopterygii and Insecta emphasizing its importance in the physiology of cell membranes. Occurrence of this gene in evolution with conserved sites strengthens the role of HPSE-1 gene and helps in better understanding the biochemical processes that may lead to cancer

Successful management of severe refractory acquired immune bleeding disorder: Prior to insisting surgery

AbstractINTRODUCTIONAcquired bleeding disorders are rare and may be missed before surgery. Additionally, they may be refractory to conventional treatments.PRESENTATION OF CASEA 50-year-old patient experienced prolonged post-operative bleeding when his bleeding disorder was missed prior to his undergoing inguinal herniorrhaphy. Post-operative investigations revealed severe acquired von Willebrand syndrome associated with a monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance. A few months later, he required umbilical herniorrhaphy, but he did not respond to attempts to raise his von Willebrand factor antigen and activity levels using conventional therapies, including desmopressin, cryoprecipitate, intravenous immunoglobulin, and Von Willebrand factor concentrate. A triple therapy combination of dexamethasone, intravenous immunoglobulin, and mycophenolate mofetil was administered, with a successful and sustained response, lasting about 2 months. The surgery was performed safely, without any complications.DISCUSSIONConventional acquired von Willebrand syndrome treatment is usually aimed at replacing von Willebrand factor or stimulating its secretion from storage in endothelial cells. In the present case, the alternative treatment was directed against both the humoral and cell-mediated immune mechanisms.CONCLUSIONThis case of acquired bleeding disorder showed that more attention must be given to a patient's coagulation profile, even if only very minor laboratory coagulation derangements are detected prior to surgery, to avoid missing such rare disorders. The described triple therapy demonstrated good effects and may be considered for inclusion in a controlled randomized study to determine its usefulness for other surgeries delayed due to severe acquired bleeding disorders. To the best of our knowledge, this triple combination treatment has not been previously used for the treatment of severe acquired bleeding disorders that are refractory to conventional therapies

Vitamin D Receptor FokI, ApaI, and TaqI Polymorphisms in Lead Exposed Subjects From Saudi Arabia

Vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms were reported to influence blood lead levels (BLL) and the response of subjects to the symptoms of lead toxicity. However, no studies have been conducted in the Saudi Arabian population which has unique ethnicity and socio-demographic features. This study examined the polymorphisms in exon 2 (allele 1) and intron 8 (allele 2 and allele 3) of VDR gene and their relation to BLLs. As per the CDC guidelines, the recruited lead-exposed workers (N = 130) were categorized to two groups viz., low BLL group (<10 μg/dL) and high BLL group (>10 μg/dL). The low BLL group had a mean BLL of 4.37 μg/dL, while the high BLL group had levels of 18.12 μg/dL (p < 0.001). Overall, the genetic variants, TC and CC in the VDR FokI were significantly associated with a risk of lead toxicity and the allele “C” was a risk factor (p = 0.00026). Furthermore, the TT genotype of VDR ApaI significantly increased the risk of developing lead poisoning (p = 0.0006). The VDR TaqI SNP was not significantly associated with lead toxicity. The highest BLLs for VDR FokI-CC, VDR ApaI-GG, and VDR TaqI-TT genotypes from High BLL group were 18.42, 15.26, and 18.75 μg/dL, respectively. Older age (51–60 years) was found to be a significant confounding factor for BLLs (p = 0.012). Additional studies in larger sample sizes are needed to firmly establish the role of VDR genotypes and genetic susceptibility to lead poisoning

The Effect of Watching Cartoon Programs on the Social Skills of Kindergarten Children From the Point of View of Their Mothers

This study aimed to identify The Effect of Watching Cartoon Programs on the Social Skills of Kindergarten Children From the Point of View of Their Mothers. The descriptive analytical method was used; Due to its relevance to the nature of the study, the study sample consisted of (102) mothers of children enrolled in kindergarten. A questionnaire was applied to them about the impact of watching cartoon programs on kindergarten children from the mothers point of view, and a questionnaire on social skills of kindergarten children from the mothers point of view. Results of the study concluded that: There is a statistically significant correlation between the positive and negative effects of watching social cartoons programs on kindergarten children, from the mothers point of view. The results also show a statistically significant presence in the childs gender variable (male / female) on the positive and negative impact of watching cartoon programs, kindergarten children attributed males. The results also highlight the presence of statistically significant differences in the gender variable (male/female) for kindergarten childrens social skills attributed to males. The study recommended tightening government and family control on cartoon programs that are broadcast to kindergarten children

Prevalence Refractive Errors among Medical Students of Qassim University, Saudi Arabia: Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study

OBJECTIVE: To study the prevalence of various errors of refraction among the medical students studying at the college of medicine, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia.METHODS: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted at Qassim University clinics over a period of two months. The study population comprised 162 male and female students from different academic years. The students were selected randomly so that around 35-40 students were taken from each academic class. The selected study population was explained the objectives of the study and a written consent form that stated the purpose, methods, risks, benefits, and the assurance of the confidentiality of the data was obtained from each student. After giving the consent, each subject was examined by auto refractometer. The examination was carried out by an optometrist without using cycloplegia. Both right and left eyes were thoroughly examined by auto refractometer and on the average three readings of the refraction measurements were taken. The readings were recorded on a data sheet of every individual, and the Statistical analysis was performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS).RESULTS: One hundred and sixty-two (162) students with a mean age of 22.44 years, Std 1.661 and a range of 8 (19-27) were included in the study. Of the total number, 111 (68.51%) were males and remaining 51 (31.48%) were females. Of the total sample, only 1 (0.617%) student had diabetes mellitus, and 6 (3.70%) students gave a history of previous ocular surgery. Myopia was found to be the commonest error of refraction 53.7% with hyperopia next to it.CONCLUSION: Myopia is found to be a common error of refraction in young adults. A regular checkup is essential to timely correct the error and to prevent deterioration of the vision

Glycemic Control in Patients with Diabetes across Primary and Tertiary Government Health Sectors in the Emirate of Dubai, United Arab Emirates: A Five-Year Pattern

Objectives: In the UAE, the comparative prevalence of diabetes is reported as 18.98%, but there are very few studies evaluating glycemic control. Attaining the optimum glycemic control has been a global challenge over the years. However, there is a trend of global improvement with the availability of newer options of antidiabetic medications, increasing numbers of physicians, and patient awareness. Our primary aim was to assess the level of glycemic control across Dubai Health Authority points of care over the past five years. Additionally, we aimed to compare the differences in glycemic control between primary and tertiary centers, between nationalities, and type I and II diabetes. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of the electronic medical records of all patients who attended primary and tertiary care centers within the Dubai Health Authority between 2012 and 2016. All patients with any type of diabetes were included in this assessment. Results: A total of 26 447 patients were included in the study; of these, 73.8% (n = 19 508) were UAE nationals while the other nationalities accounted for 26.2% (n = 6939) of patients. The overall mean glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels from 2012 to 2016 was 7.76%. Patients attending primary care clinics had a mean HbA1c of 7.64% compared to 7.68% for the tertiary care cohort. Out of the total population, 37.7% achieved HbA1c < 7%. Over 40% of the patients attending primary care centers achieved HbA1c < 7% compared to 34.9% of those who attended tertiary care centers. Conclusions: Optimum glycemic target was achieved by less than 40% of patients. Glycemic control is still below the desired levels. However, there has been a trend of improvement in the last few years and we are achieving the international average targets. Further collaborative actions from clinical, educational, and strategic sectors are needed to improve our goals further

Multiple sclerosis: long-term outcomes in ethnic minorities. analysis of a UK population-based registry

Background and purpose Multiple sclerosis (MS) is most frequent in Caucasian populations. However, studies of MS in other ethnic groups may offer unique insights into genetic and environmental influences on the disease, and data on long-term outcomes in these patients is limited. In this work clinical features and time to disability milestones were investigated in ethnic minority (EM) patients with MS in a UK population and comparisons were made to a Caucasian cohort from the same region. Methods In all, 1949 MS patients (1866 Caucasian, 83 EM) were identified from a regional disease registry. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to analyse the time to Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) 3.0, 4.0 and 6.0. Results Ethnic minority patients were younger at disease onset (28.6 years vs. 32.8 years, P = 0.001), and primary progressive MS was less common (EM 4.8%, Caucasian 11.6%, P = 0.03). After correction for clinical variables, ethnicity was associated with time to EDSS 3.0 [EM: hazard ratio (HR) 1.75, P < 0.0001] and 4.0 (HR 1.46, P = 0.03), but not 6.0 (HR 1.5, P = 0.05). Conclusions Ethnic minority patients reach early levels of fixed disability more rapidly than Caucasian patients, but this effect diminishes at later stages of the disease. This has implications for clinical management of these patients

Rare adverse events associated with BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech): a review of large-scale, controlled surveillance studies

Given the increasing anti-vaccine movements erroneously touting vaccine danger, this review has investigated the rare adverse events potentially associated with BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech), an mRNA vaccine against the severe acute respiratory distress syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Only real-world surveillance studies with at least 0.1 million BNT162b2-vaccinated participants and one unvaccinated control group were selected for review. A total of 21 studies examining the potential association of BNT162b2 with cardiovascular, herpetic, thrombotic or thrombocytopenic, neurological, mortality, and other miscellaneous rare adverse events were described in this review. Only myocarditis is consistently associated with BNT162b2. An unclear direction of association was seen with stroke (hemorrhagic and ischemic), herpes zoster, and paresthesia from BNT162b2, which may require more studies to resolve. Fortunately, most surveillance studies detected no increased risks of the remaining rare adverse events reviewed herein, further reassuring the safety of BNT162b2. In conclusion, this review has concisely summarized the current rare adverse events related and unrelated to BNT162b2, arguably for the first time in sufficient depth, to better communicate vaccine safety to the public