CT-based texture analysis potentially provides prognostic information complementary to interim fdg-pet for patients with hodgkin's and aggressive non-hodgkin's lymphomas

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the ability of computed tomography texture analysis (CTTA) to provide additional prognostic information in patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) and high-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). METHODS: This retrospective, pilot-study approved by the IRB comprised 45 lymphoma patients undergoing routine 18F-FDG-PET-CT. Progression-free survival (PFS) was determined from clinical follow-up (mean-duration: 40 months; range: 10-62 months). Non-contrast-enhanced low-dose CT images were submitted to CTTA comprising image filtration to highlight features of different sizes followed by histogram-analysis using kurtosis. Prognostic value of CTTA was compared to PET FDG-uptake value, tumour-stage, tumour-bulk, lymphoma-type, treatment-regime, and interim FDG-PET (iPET) status using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Cox regression analysis determined the independence of significantly prognostic imaging and clinical features. RESULTS: A total of 27 patients had aggressive NHL and 18 had HL. Mean PFS was 48.5 months. There was no significant difference in pre-treatment CTTA between the lymphoma sub-types. Kaplan-Meier analysis found pre-treatment CTTA (medium feature scale, p=0.010) and iPET status (p<0.001) to be significant predictors of PFS. Cox analysis revealed that an interaction between pre-treatment CTTA and iPET status was the only independent predictor of PFS (HR: 25.5, 95% CI: 5.4-120, p<0.001). Specifically, pre-treatment CTTA risk stratified patients with negative iPET. CONCLUSION: CTTA can potentially provide prognostic information complementary to iPET for patients with HL and aggressive NHL

Is Prolonged Sitting a Risk Factor in Developing Hemorrhoids and Anal Fissures?

Background: Anal fissures and hemorrhoids are common anal conditions. They cause significant morbidity, social embarrassment, and work absenteeism. In addition, they form a significant workload on the healthcare system. Nevertheless, the etiology of these conditions is still contentious. It has been observed that hemorrhoids and anal fissures are associated with prolonged sitting. This study aims to investigate this observation.Methods: This is a case–control study. We compared 81 patients with symptomatic and endoscopically proven hemorrhoids and/or anal fissures with 162 controls with no symptoms or endoscopic evidence of perianal disease. The study was conducted at Khartoum North Teaching Hospital (KNTH) endoscopy unit between January and December 2019. Demographic data, sitting hours per day, and endoscopic findings of patients and controls were recorded in a proforma. The cases and controls were matched for age, sex, and bowel habits. Data were analyzed and compared using the SPSS version 23.Results: The mean sitting hours for cases was 5.99 (SD 3.4) whereas that for controls was 4.0 (SD 3.0) with a highly significant difference (P &lt; 0.001). Sitting for 5 hr or more per day (exposure) was associated with an increased risk of developing hemorrhoids and/or anal fissures [odds ratio 3.68, 95% CI: 2.1–6.47].Conclusion: The study showed that sitting down for 5 hr or more per day might increase the risk of developing hemorrhoids and/or anal fissures. This finding could help in the prevention and treatment of these diseases and the reduction of recurrences

Is Prolonged Sitting a Risk Factor in Developing Hemorrhoids and Anal Fissures?

Abstract Background: Anal fissures and hemorrhoids are common anal conditions. They cause significant morbidity, social embarrassment, and work absenteeism. In addition, they form a significant workload on the healthcare system. Nevertheless, the etiology of these conditions is still contentious. It has been observed that hemorrhoids and anal fissures are associated with prolonged sitting. This study aims to investigate this observation. Methods: This is a case–control study. We compared 81 patients with symptomatic and endoscopically proven hemorrhoids and/or anal fissures with 162 controls with no symptoms or endoscopic evidence of perianal disease. The study was conducted at Khartoum North Teaching Hospital (KNTH) endoscopy unit between January and December 2019.Demographic data, sitting hours per day, and endoscopic findings of patients and controls were recorded in a proforma. The cases and controls were matched for age, sex, and bowel habits. Data were analyzed and compared using the SPSS version 23. Results: The mean sitting hours for cases was 5.99 (SD 3.4) whereas that for controls was 4.0 (SD 3.0) with a highly significant difference (P < 0.001). Sitting for 5 hr or more per day (exposure) was associated with an increased risk of developing hemorrhoids and/or anal fissures [odds ratio 3.68, 95% CI: 2.1–6.47]. Conclusion: The study showed that sitting down for 5 hr or more per day might increase the risk of developing hemorrhoids and/or anal fissures. This finding could help in the prevention and treatment of these diseases and the reduction of recurrences

Social networking and fear of missing out (FOMO) among medical students at University of Khartoum, Sudan 2021

Abstract Background With students becoming more involved in the internet and social networking sites, they become more prone to their consequences. This study focuses on measuring the social networking intensity and the fear of missing out among the medical students of University of Khartoum, then examining the association between them. Methods Facility-based, descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted at Faculty of Medicine, Khartoum University between January and March 2021. A total of 333 students were selected by simple random sampling. Data was collected from the participants using a structured self-administered questionnaire that involved the social networking intensity (SNI) scale and fear of missing out (FOMO) scale. The data was analyzed by the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software version 26. Results Moderate positive correlation between social networking intensity and fear of missing out was found (p-value < 0.01). Of the total participants; 51 participants (15.4%) experienced low SNI and low FOMO. Another 78 participants (23.6%) had moderate SNI and moderate FOMO and only 16 Participants (4.8%) showed high SNI and high FOMO. There were no significant differences in SNI or FOMO scores among the different socio-demographic variables, except for the SNI score which was positively correlated to the monthly income. Conclusion An association between SNI and FOMO was found. SNI was not affected by socio-demographic factors except for the monthly income

Plants of Sabkha Ecosystems of the Arabian Peninsula.

Sabkhas are unique ecosystems that are highly saline and where specially adapted plants are able to grow, flower, and fruit. In general, saline environments are poor in species – for the Arabian Peninsula about 120 taxa are recorded as halophytes which constitute about 4% of the total flora of the Arabian Peninsula. Key halophytes of Arabia are nearly always perennial; predominant life-forms are somewhat succulent, semiwoody dwarf shrubs belonging to the families Amaranthaceae, Zygophyllaceae, and Plumbaginaceae and hemicryptophytes belonging to the Poaceae, Cyperaceae, and Juncaceae; annuals are exceptions. Coastal species are either obligate halophytes or salt-tolerant genera from unspecialized families, such as Sporobolus and Aeluropus (Poaceae), or salt-secreting species such as Avicennia (Acanthaceae) and Limonium (Plumbaginaceae). The submerged coastal vegetation, e.g., seagrasses, is one of the most important vegetation types of the Gulf coast and is of great importance to marine fauna. The north-south distribution of coastal species is more distinct on the Red Sea coast, with the border lying near Jeddah, than on the Persian Gulf coast where there is a broad transitional zone between Qatar and northern Oman. The east-west distribution of coastal species is not as distinct. The eastern elements are either restricted to the coasts around the Arabian Gulf or are Irano-Turanian species extending into the Gulf region. Several vicariant species groups of halophytes are represented in the Arabian Peninsula. Halophytes have developed strategies for seed germination such as high germination levels and fast germination speed. These traits are found in the sabkha plants of the Arabian Peninsula. Some halophytes have been investigated for their potential for phytoremediation in their ability to survive weathered oil-contaminated soils. They have been found to have a set of micoorganisms around their root system that are related to the degradation of oil in contaminated soils. Sabkha ecosystems are being degraded and altered throughout the Gulf countries as they appear to be nonproductive. Over the last two decades, there has been a growing concern in protecting and restoring mangroves, and programs do to so have seen promising results. But, on the whole, coastal and inland sabkhas are neglected, and these unique ecosystems require urgent protection