Consumer protection on online transactions in Kurdistan: Lessons from Malaysian law

Recently, the increase in the usage of e-commerce has been one of the most significant developments of business sector. It has transformed many marketplaces to start new opportunities have never been imagined before. Kurdistan is considered as one of the very few regions in the world that are still so far from the real use of inevitable services of e-commerce. Primarily, Kurdistan suffers various features that run as barriers to an effective use of e-commerce, such as inadequate laws to protect consumers electronically, lack of awareness and understanding the benefits of electronic commerce, lack of information and communication technologies (ICT) knowledge and skills, unstable physical network infrastructure, security and other problems related to costs for the adoption of a new technology. This study aims to identify potential issues and problems facing e-commerce in Kurdistan. For this purpose, the study has conducted a comparison between both Malaysian and Kurdish contexts in terms of consumer protection law on online transactions. This study also indicates the intention of Kurdish government to apply Malaysian context into its national laws in terms of e-transactions. As a part of data collection, this study has conducted two versions of formal and informal interviews involved three sets of questions asked each group of selected panelists from governmental and nongovernmental organizations in Kurdistan. The given discussions by this study focused on the technological and law issues that could drive e-commerce in this region. Suggestions were given for better improvement of Kurdish internet laws to provide safe electronic environment and to bring Kurdistan amongst other developing countries to become an active member in the digital economy

Serum IL-23, IL-10, and TNF-α predict in-hospital mortality in COVID-19 patients

ObjectiveThe hyperinflammatory response, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome-2 (SARS-CoV-2), is the most common cause of death in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The etiopathogenesis of this illness is not fully understood. Macrophages appear to play a key part in COVID-19’s pathogenic effects. Therefore, this study aims to examine serum inflammatory cytokines associated with the activation state of macrophages in COVID-19 patients and attempt to find accurate predictive markers for disease severity and mortality risk in hospital.Methods180 patients with COVID-19 and 90 healthy controls (HCs) participated in this study. Patients were divided into three different subgroups, mild (n=81), severe (n=60), and critical groups (n=39). Serum samples were collected and IL (Interleukin)-10, IL-23, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), IL-17, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and chemokine ligand 3 (CCL3) were determined by ELISA. In parallel, myeloperoxidase (MPO) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured using colorimetric and electrochemiluminescence methods, respectively. Data were collected, and their associations with disease progression and mortality were assessed using regression models and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.ResultsCompared to HCs, a significant increase in IL-23, IL-10, TNF-α, IFN-γ and MCP-1, were observed in COVID-19 patients. Serum levels of IL-23, IL-10, and TNF-α were significantly higher in COVID-19 patients with critical cases compared to mild and severe cases, and correlated positively with CRP level. However, non-significant changes were found in serum MPO and CCL3 among the studied groups. Moreover, significant positive association has been observed among increased IL-10, IL-23 and TNF-α in serum of COVID-19 patients. Furthermore, a binary logistic regression model was applied to predict death’s independent factors. Results showed that IL-10 alone or in combination with IL23 and TNF-α are strongly linked with non-survivors in COVID-19 patients. Finally, ROC curve results uncovered that IL-10, IL-23 and TNF-α were excellent predictors for prognosing COVID-19.ConclusionThe elevations of IL-10, IL-23, and TNF-α levels were seen in severe and critical cases of COVID-19 patients and their elevations were linked to the in-hospital mortality of the disease. A prediction model shows that the determination of these cytokines upon admission is important and should be done on COVID-19 patients as a way of evaluating the prognosis of the disease. COVID-19 Patients with high IL-10, IL-23, and TNF-α on admission are more likely to experience a severe form of the disease; therefore, those patients should be cautionary monitored and treated

Drug metabolism and cytochrome P-450 (CYPs)

Cytochrome p-450 (CYPs) convert xenobiotics, chemicals, and drugs in the liver into intoxic materials that can be easily eliminated in the body. However, these CYPs sometimes mediate fatal diseases by converting drugs (for instance, paracetamol) into toxic substances that cannot be eliminated or excreted quickly from the body and hence cause hepatocyte damage that decreases the function of the liver. This article review aimed to determine the history, nomenclature, family, and subfamily of CYPs and mainly stress cytochrome P450 roles in drug metabolism. Some toxic byproducts induce autoreactive antibodies by binding to the CYPs, which causes further damage to hepatocytes. The most common causes of liver damage are type II autoimmune hepatitis, drinking alcohol, and free radicals, which cause DNA mutations. Another condition that leads to liver damage is the inability of the liver to detoxify the drug, which leads to further damage to the liver. There are some isoforms of CYPs, such as 3A, 1A, and 2C19, that are severely affected when the liver is no longer able to relieve toxic products, but some isoforms of CYPs are less affected during damage to the liver, which includes 2E1, 2D6, and 2C9. There are parameters for the involvement of CYPs in liver disease, depending on the cause of the damage, which is either drugs or alcohol. Thus, further research must be done to know the exact etiology and management of the diseases related to liver damage through CYPs

Prevalence of Obesity among Students in Private and Public high Schools in Sulaimani City

Background: There is an increasing concern about obesity among children and adolescents worldwide as they constitute 20% of the world population. Several predisposing factors are contributing to the obesity that can be monitored, particularly healthy diet and physical activities. Addressing those factors among children and adolescents lead to decreasing health related conditions. Objective: To investigate the prevalence rate of obesity, sociodemographic, dietary habits, lifestyle and knowledge factors among adolescents attending private and public schools in Sulaimani city, Iraq. Patients and Methods: Through a school-based cross-sectional study from October 2021 to April 2022, a total of 576 students in high schools located in Sulaimani city, Kurdistan Region, Iraq were studied. A structured questionnaire was used to collect information on students’ sociodemographic characteristics, physical activities, dietary habits and knowledge. Body mass index was measured based on WHO Growth Reference for 5 to 19 years of age. Results: The obesity prevalence rate in private schools (36.11%) was higher than public schools (31.6%) (P=0.5890) however, the difference was not statistically significant. The majority of students in private schools exercised more frequently and for a longer duration; however, they ate more red meat, less dairy produce and had a higher fast food intake. Conclusion: The prevalence of obesity is slightly higher among students in private schools than the students in public schools

Phytochemical analysis and hepatoprotective activity of Raphanus sativus var. sativus in Sprague-Dawley rats

Purpose: To determine the phenolic and flavonoid contents of R. sativus rhizome ethanol extract and the hepatoprotective effect of the extract in rats. Methods: Folin–Ciocalteau and aluminum chloride colorimetric tests were used to determine the contents of phenols and flavonoids in the R. sativus extract. Male Sprague-Dawley rats induced with CCl4 to develop hepatotoxicity were treated orally with R. sativus extract for 4 weeks. The  antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of the extract on the liver were determined by evaluating the concentration of oxidative analytes, serum liver enzymes and lipids, and hepatic histopathology and cytochrome P450 2E1 expression. Results: R. sativus extract significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the hepatotoxic effect of CCl4 via its antioxidant activities and protection of liver tissues from oxidative damage. Conclusion: The hepatoprotective effects of R. sativus rhizome ethanol extract are attributed to its highphenolic and flavonoid contents. Keywords: R. savitus rhizome, Phenols, Flavonoid contents, antioxidant, Hepatoprotectiv

Antileukemic Effect of Palladium Nanoparticles Mediated by White Tea (Camellia sinensis) Extract In Vitro and in WEHI-3B-Induced Leukemia In Vivo

This study investigated the in vivo antileukemic activity of palladium nanoparticles ([email protected]) mediated by white tea extract in a murine model. The cell viability effect of [email protected], "blank"Pd nanoparticles, and white tea extract alone was determined in murine leukemia WEHI-3B cells and normal mouse fibroblasts (3T3 cells). Apoptotic and cell cycle arrest effects of [email protected] in WEHI-3B cells were evaluated. The effects of [email protected] administered orally to leukemic mice at 50 and 100 mg/kg daily over 28 days were evaluated. [email protected] reduced the viability of WHEI-3B cells with IC50 7.55 μg/ml at 72 h. Blank Pd nanoparticles and white tea extract alone had smaller effects on WHEI-3B viability and on normal fibroblasts. [email protected] increased the proportion of Annexin V-positive WHEI-3B cells and induced G2/M cell cycle arrest. Leukemic cells in the spleen were reduced by [email protected] with an increase in Bax/Bcl-2 and cytochrome-C protein and mRNA levels indicating the activation of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. These effects replicated the effects of ATRA and were not observed using blank Pd nanoparticles. [email protected] afford therapeutic efficacy against leukemia likely to pivot on activation of the mitochondrial pathway of apoptotic signaling and hence appear attractive potential candidates for development as a novel anticancer agent

Allergic Respiratory Inflammation and Remodeling

Asthma and rhinitis are inflammatory diseases of the respiratory tract. Respiratory inflammation of the adaptive and innate immune system is the focus of this review, and chronic inflammation is not limited to the respiratory tissue. The inflammatory response, which consists of phagocytes, eosinophils, mast cells, and lymphocytes, spreads along the respiratory tract, leading to tissue damage. Mast cells and eosinophils are commonly recognized for their detrimental role in allergic reactions on activation through the high- and low-affinity receptors for IgE FcεRI. These cells rapidly produce and secrete many of the mediators responsible for the typical symptoms of asthma and rhinitis. However, increasing amount of evidence demonstrate that mast cells and leukocytes have vital roles in host defense against pathogenesis. Histological methods are used to study leukocytes and receptor expression pattern in different respiratory tract compartments. The overall aim of this review was to understand the relationship between upper and lower respiratory tract inflammation and remodeling in patients with allergic and non-allergic asthma and rhinitis. In conclusion, this review discusses the relationship between the upper and lower airway in respiratory disease and focuses on the effect of respiratory processes on laryngeal inflammation, remodeling, function, and symptoms; however, they also have a central role in the initiation of the allergic immune response. Our findings suggest that there are differences that contribute to the development of immunopathological mechanisms of these clinically distinct forms of asthma, rhinitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Effectiveness of biomarkers and serum parameters in determination allergic asthma and detection of its severity

Background and objective: Motivations for exploring appropriate and reliable biomarkers of allergic asthma are early diagnosis, sensitization, asthma endotypes, monitoring of disease and treatment progression. As a result, clinical studies of allergic asthma have focused on measuring biomarkers in order to figure out the characteristics of the population, relevant environmental risk factors, and the effects of various treatments. In this regard, the current study was carried out to examine the effectiveness of different biomarkers in diagnosing allergic asthma and determining its severity.  Methods: The current cohort study was conducted at the Allergy and Asthma Center in Sulaimani Hospital on 66 non-smoking patients who had allergic asthma and 61 healthy controls from January 2017 to November 2018. Six ml peripheral venous blood was taken from each subject; 3 ml for assessing total blood count and 3 ml for obtaining the serum. Variables like total and specific serum IgE, levels of serum ECP, Tryptase, serum IL-18, and CD-20, and lung function parameters like FEV1, FVC, and FEC1/FVC were measured. Comparing the unpaired continuous and dichotomous variables was carried out through Mann-Whitney U and Contingency χ2 tests, and spearman’s rank coefficient was used for correlation between the parameters. For this purpose, Prism 7.0 Software (Graphpad, La Jolla, California, USA) was used.  p<0.05 was considered significant.  Results: The mean age of the patients with allergic asthma and the healthy subject was 39.09±1.19 and 39.95±0.70 years, respectively. They were significantly different in terms of symptoms (p<0.0001) and family history (p=0.0058). Total WBCs, monocyte cells, neutrophile cells, eosinophile cells, and basophile cells are significantly effective and accurate diagnostic tools for allergic asthma (p<0.01), while lymphocyte cells cannot be a reliable predictor for this disease (p>0.05). Asthma, allergy, and inflammation can be diagnosed accurately through serum total IgE, serum tryptase, FEV1, ECP, CD-20, and IL-18. ECP and FEV1 can be used to predict asthma, allergy, and inflammation.   Conclusion: Biomarkers like WBCs, monocyte cells, neutrophile cells, eosinophile cells, and basophile cells are good predictors of allergic asthma, with eosinophile cells being the strongest biomarker. Allergic asthma can also be predicted reliably through IgE, tryptase, FEV1, ECP, CD-20, and IL-18.

TGFβ1, SMAD2, CTNNβ1, and Wnt3a gene mutational status and serum concentrations in individuals with non-small cell lung cancer

The objective of the current investigation was to investigate the diagnostic utility of the serum concentrations and mutational status of TGFβ1, SMAD2, CTNNβ1, and Wnt3a. and the expression levels of human-rela-ted genes in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The serum concentrations were determined using the ELISA technique, and PCR for genotype variations of TGFβ1, SMAD2, CTNNβ1, and Wnt3a were examined using Sanger sequencing in tissue samples obtained from 93 patients with NSCLC and 84 healthy individuals for blood, and 20 Formalin Fixed Paraffin Embedded (FFPE) from normal samples dissected adja-cent to the tumour. The findings of the current investigation indicate that individuals diagnosed with NSCLC exhibited significant elevation in the serum levels of CEA and CYFRA21-1, as well as TGFβ1, SMAD2, CTNNβ1, and Wnt3a. In total, 325 mutations in four trialled genes (243 mutations in TGFβ1, 24 mutations in SMAD2,47 mutation Wnt3a and 11 mutations in CTNNβ1) were identified in patients with NSCLC. Fur-thermore, all mutations were recorded in adenocarcinoma, not squamous and normal adjacent tumour cells. CYFRA21-1 and CEA are more significant between NSCLC and HC, gender, and NSCLC types (p<0.001). In detail, TGFβ1 exhibited the highest rate of mutations among other genes and three types of genomic mutations. Elevated levels and genetic polymorphisms of TGFβ1, SMAD2, CTNNβ1, and Wnt3a may play crucial func-tions in the pathogenesis and angiogenesis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). These biomarkers might play a role in future immunologic response and pharmacologically targeted NSCLC therapy

The Association between β-dystroglycan in Airway Smooth Muscle and Eosinophils in Allergic Asthma : β-dystroglycan in Airway Smooth Muscle and Eosinophils in Allergic Asthma

Background: Allergic asthma (AA) is a complex disorder with heterogeneous features of airway hyperresponsiveness, inflammation, and remodeling. The increase of airway smooth muscle (ASM) mass is a fundamental component of bronchial remodeling in AA, yet the pathophysiological mechanisms and clinical outcomes associated with ASM modulation are still elusive. Objective: To compare the expression level of β-dystroglycan (β-DG) in ASM in AA subjects and a healthy control group and to investigate the relationship between eosinophils and β-DG in ASM in patients with AA. Methods: Thirteen AA patients and seven control subjects were analyzed for the ASM area and eosinophil cells. Bronchial biopsies were stained by β-DG and eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) using immunohistochemistry. Results: The proportion of ASM with β-DG staining was greater in those with AA than in the healthy control group (mean (95% CI) (28.3% (23.8–32.7%) vs. 16.4% (14.1–18.5%), P < 0.0001). The number of ECP–positive cells was higher in patients with AA than in the control group (4,056 (3,819–4,296) vs. 466 (395–537) cells/mm2 P < 0.0001). In AA, the number of ECP positive cells was significantly correlated to the β-DG expression in ASM (r = 0.77, P = 0.002). Conclusion: There is an increased β-DG expression in ASM and a higher number of ECP positive cells in the bronchial biopsy of those with AA than those in the control group. The increased expression of β-DG in ASM in AA subjects correlates with the number of eosinophils, suggesting a role for this cell in airway remodeling in AA