Predisposing role of Vitamin D receptor (VDR) polymorphisms in the development of multiple sclerosis: A case-control study

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory, demyelinating, and neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system (CNS) with a complex etiology. Given the Vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene, it is considered an outstanding risk component associated with MS. The aim of the present study has been to explore and emphasize the role of ApaI, BsmI, TaqI and FokI polymorphisms of VDR gene in susceptibility to MS in an Iranian case-control population including 160 patients and 150 healthy controls. All cases were clinically diagnosed with relapsing-remitting (RR) form, and the controls were age, gender, and race matched which were completely in agreement with the case group. PCR-R FLP was conducted for all the SNPs genotyping. The findings of the study showed a significant difference in allele frequency between the cases and controls for ApaI (p 0.0125). The results also showed that AA genotype polymorphism of ApaI and BsmI (OR = 4.6 and OR = 2.52, respectively), CC genotype of TaqI (OR = 2.41) and AC genotype of ApaI (OR = 1.79) are associated with the disease status. Nevertheless, the results revealed the protective role of TT genotype of TaqI (ORs < 1), CC genotype of Apal, and GG genotype of BsmI (ORs < 1). VDR polymorphisms seem to have a notable connection with MS pathogenesis, however, study of more big population and functional work on the gene structure and its function are recommended. © 2016 Published by Elsevier B.V

Supplementary Material for: Bladder Paraganglioma Presenting as post-Micturition Palpitations: A case report

Introduction: paraganglioma of the urinary bladder (PUB) is an extremely rare extra-adrenal catecholamine-secreting neuroendocrine tumor, accounting for only 0.05% of all bladder tumors and 1% of all pheochromocytomas. The clinical presentation of PUB can be diverse and challenging to diagnose. Case Presentation: This case report presents a 37-year-old man with post-micturition palpitation, headache, and sweating, with no history of hematuria or other irritative urinary symptoms. Ultrasound and contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) revealed a suspicious mass in the right posterolateral wall of the urinary bladder. Despite normal functional hormonal tests, the diagnosis of PUB was confirmed after surgical enucleation and histopathological examination. Conclusion: This report emphasizes the importance of considering PUB as a differential diagnosis in patients with post-micturition symptoms and paroxysmal hypertension, as well as the need for a multidisciplinary approach in the evaluation and management of such rare and complex cases. Early recognition and surgical intervention are crucial for optimal management and favorable clinical outcomes

Forward Error Correction for Optical Transponders

Forward error correction is an essential technique required in almost all communication systems to guarantee reliable data transmission close to the theoretical limits. In this chapter, we discuss the state-of-the-art forward error correction (FEC) schemes for fiber-optic communications. Following a historical overview of the evolution of FEC schemes, we first introduce the fundamental theoretical limits of common communication channel models and show how to compute them. These limits provide the reader with guidelines for comparing different FEC codes under various assumptions. We then provide a brief introduction to the general basic concepts of FEC, followed by an in-depth introduction to the main classes of codes for soft decision decoding and hard decision decoding. We include a wide range of performance curves, compare the different schemes, and give the reader guidelines on which FEC scheme to use. We also introduce the main techniques to combine coding and higher-order modulation (coded modulation), including constellation shaping. Finally, we include a guide on how to evaluate the performance of FEC in transmission experiments. We conclude the chapter with an overview of the properties of some state-of-the-art FEC schemes used in optical communications and an outlook