Detection of AML1-ETO Fusion Gene in Iraqi Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia using Nested PCR and Flow Cytometry

The rearrangement and instability of genomic material causes the occurrence of fusion genes. Over 800 distinct fusion genes have been found in human cancer, most observed in hematological cancers. Chromosomal rearrangements such as deletion, inversion, translocation, and amplification are the primary forms that lead to fusion gene formation, which are ultimately resulting from aberrant DNA transcription. The purpose of this research was to use nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and flow cytometry to determine how frequent the AML1-ETO fusion gene is among Iraqi AML patients. The AML1-ETO fusion gene was detected and documented in twenty-seven percent (27%) of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients were found to have the AML1-ETO fusion gene. The results of this study add to our understanding of the prevalence of the AML1-ETO fusion gene in Iraqi AML patients and have implications for the development of more effective treatment options

Community’s Mask Wearing Practice and its associated Undesirable Side Effects Among Iraqi Population Group in COVID-19 Era

Assessing the principles, knowledge, attitude, and compliance of the Iraqi population group with regard to mask use; raising awareness and accountability, counseling them on the value of wearing masks, and researching the most common negative effects of mask use among them. Materials and Methods: 1205 responses to an online survey with a cross-sectional design were gathered from healthy Iraqi backgrounds, ranging in age from 11 to 65 and with varying levels of education. The survey was divided into 5 components that were relevant to the major goals and objectives of the research. Gender differences were expressed as frequencies and percentages using the chi-squared fisher exact test, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Data were analyzed using SPSS between various variables. Results: Among the 1205 people enrolled in the study, females comprised of (723,60%), and males (482,40%) with age range (11-65 years old). Concerning adherence to wearing mask: The majority of the sample (73% female, 68% male) were adherent to wearing masks, whereas (25%-28%) were non-adherent, with no significant difference between them owing to uncomfortability, with social stigma being the predominant source of this uncomfortability; the overall sample was 30.80% female and 43% male. Concerning association between health problems side effects of wearing mask: More than half sample (54% females) and (59.7% males) didn’t suffer from any health conditions, while (44.40% females, 36.30% males) suffered from health conditions with highly significant difference at p 0.001 sequentially: respiratory problems, psychological problems, and others with non-significant difference between these problems at p 0.18. For children, nearly half of the sample (50% girls and 47.90% boys) had the same health problems as in adults, following the same order; respiratory, psychological, and others with a non-significant difference at p 0.096. Concerning knowledge and attitude: A relatively good percentage of total sample (61.90% females, 54% males) change their mask daily in comparison with (22.10% females, 23.90% males) who wore the mask more than 2 days with highly significant difference at p 0.001, also a good knowledge and attitude percentage concerning disposing mask after frequent use (75.30% females, 72.30% males) with significant difference at p 0.03. Concerning knowledge and attitude of general population regarding the best type of mask to wear: Less than half of the total sample (47.90% females, 47.70% males) responded that N-95 is the best type with non-significant difference at p 0.2 and (53.50% females 44.30% males) use regular, medical or non-medical mask with highly significant difference at p 0.006. Concerning the need to wear double masks during the Delta variant: One third of the sample (36.50% females, 28.80% males) felt the urge to wear a mask, while the other third (32% females, 37% males) felt it was not required to wear a mask with a highly significant difference at p 0.008. Concerning advocating for people to wear masks: More than half of the sample (56.90% females, 56.70% males) advice other people to wear masks more frequently in public places with non-significant difference at p 0.051. Conclusion: The study revealed good knowledge and attitude level of participants towards; adherence, principles, disposing masks, and promoting the necessity of mask-wearing, with fair level toward the best type of mask to wear; the type they utilize the most, unsatisfactory low level toward hand washing, sanitizing after wearing mask, and for the need to wear double masks during the delta variant with approximately half of the total sample (adults and children) suffered from health issues due to the side effects (respiratory, psychological etc…) it’s imperative to identify solutions to manage these adverse effects

Molecular Characterization of β-Thalassemia Patients in Wasit Province, IRAQ

Background: Hemoglobin-associated disorder is a different group of recessive genetic diseases. which consist of the structural hemoglobin variants and the thalassemia.Aim of the study: - to characterize the spectrum of beta globin gene mutations  in patients with beta- thalassemia who are registered in thalassemia centers, Wasit, Iraq using PCR - based DNA diagnostic techniques.Patients and methods:The genomic DNA was extracted from 106 Iraqi patients with β-thalassemia major and intermedia from unrelated families and (50) healthy numbers as control were collected from Al-Karama  Teaching Hospital, in Wasit  province, to detect mutation using PCR - based DNA diagnostic techniques. .  Results: of 106 thalassemia patients, 35 (33%) of patients with no mutation detection, IVS 1.116 [T&gt;G] mutation was detected in 42 patients ( 39.6%), followed by IVS 1.110 [G&gt;A], which was detected in 11 (10.4%) patients.Conclusions: Many mutations recorded a high frequency due to close relative marriage. By analyzing many mutations in β-globin gene leading to defect in beta chains play crucial role in drawing mutation frequency and their distribution in our society. Keywords: thalassemia, mutation, DN

The Rhipicephalus appendiculatus tick vector of Theileria parva is absent from cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer) populations and associated ecosystems in northern Uganda

Rhipicephalus appendiculatus is the major tick vector of Theileria parva, an apicomplexan protozoan parasite that causes the most economically important and lethal disease of cattle in East and central Africa. The African cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer) is the major wildlife host of T. parva from southern Uganda and Kenya to southern Africa. We show herein that R. appendiculatus appears to be absent from the two largest national parks in northern Uganda. Syncerus caffer is common in both of these national parks, specifically Murchison falls (MFNP) and Kidepo Valley (KVNP). We re-confirmed the previously reported absence of T. parva in buffalo sampled in the two northern parks based on RLB data using a nested PCR based on the T. parva p104 gene. By contrast, T. parva-infected R. appendiculatus ticks and parasite-infected buffalo were present in Lake Mburo (LMNP) in South central Uganda. This suggests that the distribution of R. appendiculatus, which is predicted to include the higher rainfall regions of northern Uganda, may be limited by additional, as yet unknown factors

Observation of B→D(∗)K−KS0{B\to D^{(*)} K^- K^{0}_S} decays using the 2019-2022 Belle II data sample

We present a measurement of the branching fractions of four $B^{0,-}\to D^{(*)+,0} K^- K^{0}_S$ decay modes. The measurement is based on data from SuperKEKB electron-positron collisions at the $\Upsilon(4S)$ resonance collected with the Belle II detector and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of ${362~\text{fb}^{-1}}$. The event yields are extracted from fits to the distributions of the difference between expected and observed $B$ meson energy to separate signal and background, and are efficiency-corrected as a function of the invariant mass of the $K^-K_S^0$ system. We find the branching fractions to be: $$\text{B}(B^-\to D^0K^-K_S^0)=(1.89\pm 0.16\pm 0.10)\times 10^{-4},$$ $$\text{B}(\overline B{}^0\to D^+K^-K_S^0)=(0.85\pm 0.11\pm 0.05)\times 10^{-4},$$ $$\text{B}(B^-\to D^{*0}K^-K_S^0)=(1.57\pm 0.27\pm 0.12)\times 10^{-4},$$ $$\text{B}(\overline B{}^0\to D^{*+}K^-K_S^0)=(0.96\pm 0.18\pm 0.06)\times 10^{-4},$$ where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. These results include the first observation of $\overline B{}^0\to D^+K^-K_S^0$, $B^-\to D^{*0}K^-K_S^0$, and $\overline B{}^0\to D^{*+}K^-K_S^0$ decays and a significant improvement in the precision of $\text{B}(B^-\to D^0K^-K_S^0)$ compared to previous measurements

Measurements of the branching fractions for B→K∗γB \to K^{*}\gamma decays at Belle II

This paper reports a study of $B \to K^{*}\gamma$ decays using $62.8\pm 0.6$ fb$^{-1}$ of data collected during 2019--2020 by the Belle II experiment at the SuperKEKB $e^{+}e^{-}$ asymmetric-energy collider, corresponding to $(68.2 \pm 0.8) \times 10^6$ $B\overline{B}$ events. We find $454 \pm 28$, $50 \pm 10$, $169 \pm 18$, and $160 \pm 17$ signal events in the decay modes $B^{0} \to K^{*0}[K^{+}\pi^{-}]\gamma$, $B^{0} \to K^{*0}[K^0_{\rm S}\pi^{0}]\gamma$, $B^{+} \to K^{*+}[K^{+}\pi^{0}]\gamma$, and $B^{+} \to K^{*+}[K^{+}\pi^{0}]\gamma$, respectively. The uncertainties quoted for the signal yield are statistical only. We report the branching fractions of these decays: $$\mathcal{B} [B^{0} \to K^{*0}[K^{+}\pi^{-}]\gamma] = (4.5 \pm 0.3 \pm 0.2) \times 10^{-5},$$ $$\mathcal{B} [B^{0} \to K^{*0}[K^0_{\rm S}\pi^{0}]\gamma] = (4.4 \pm 0.9 \pm 0.6) \times 10^{-5},$$ $$\mathcal{B} [B^{+} \to K^{*+}[K^{+}\pi^{0}]\gamma] = (5.0 \pm 0.5 \pm 0.4)\times 10^{-5},\text{ and}$$ $$\mathcal{B} [B^{+} \to K^{*+}[K^0_{\rm S}\pi^{+}]\gamma] = (5.4 \pm 0.6 \pm 0.4) \times 10^{-5},$$ where the first uncertainty is statistical, and the second is systematic. The results are consistent with world-average values

Global economic burden of unmet surgical need for appendicitis

Background: There is a substantial gap in provision of adequate surgical care in many low-and middle-income countries. This study aimed to identify the economic burden of unmet surgical need for the common condition of appendicitis. Methods: Data on the incidence of appendicitis from 170 countries and two different approaches were used to estimate numbers of patients who do not receive surgery: as a fixed proportion of the total unmet surgical need per country (approach 1); and based on country income status (approach 2). Indirect costs with current levels of access and local quality, and those if quality were at the standards of high-income countries, were estimated. A human capital approach was applied, focusing on the economic burden resulting from premature death and absenteeism. Results: Excess mortality was 4185 per 100 000 cases of appendicitis using approach 1 and 3448 per 100 000 using approach 2. The economic burden of continuing current levels of access and local quality was US $92 492 million using approach 1 and$73 141 million using approach 2. The economic burden of not providing surgical care to the standards of high-income countries was $95 004 million using approach 1 and$75 666 million using approach 2. The largest share of these costs resulted from premature death (97.7 per cent) and lack of access (97.0 per cent) in contrast to lack of quality. Conclusion: For a comparatively non-complex emergency condition such as appendicitis, increasing access to care should be prioritized. Although improving quality of care should not be neglected, increasing provision of care at current standards could reduce societal costs substantially

Reconstruction of B→ρℓνℓB \to \rho \ell \nu_\ell decays identified using hadronic decays of the recoil BB meson in 2019 -- 2021 Belle II data

We present results on the semileptonic decays $B^0 \to \rho^- \ell^+ \nu_\ell$ and $B^+ \to \rho^0 \ell^+ \nu_\ell$ in a sample corresponding to 189.9/fb of Belle II data at the SuperKEKB $e^- e^+$ collider. Signal decays are identified using full reconstruction of the recoil $B$ meson in hadronic final states. We determine the total branching fractions via fits to the distributions of the square of the "missing" mass in the event and the dipion mass in the signal candidate and find ${\mathcal{B}(B^0\to\rho^-\ell^+ \nu_\ell) = (4.12 \pm 0.64(\mathrm{stat}) \pm 1.16(\mathrm{syst})) \times 10^{-4}}$ and ${\mathcal{B}({B^+\to\rho^0\ell^+\nu_\ell}) = (1.77 \pm 0.23 (\mathrm{stat}) \pm 0.36 (\mathrm{syst})) \times 10^{-4}}$ where the dominant systematic uncertainty comes from modeling the nonresonant $B\to (\pi\pi)\ell^+\nu_\ell$ contribution

Measurement of the branching fraction for the decay B→K∗(892)ℓ+ℓ−B \to K^{\ast}(892)\ell^+\ell^- at Belle II

We report a measurement of the branching fraction of $B \to K^{\ast}(892)\ell^+\ell^-$ decays, where $\ell^+\ell^- = \mu^+\mu^-$ or $e^+e^-$, using electron-positron collisions recorded at an energy at or near the $\Upsilon(4S)$ mass and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $189$ fb$^{-1}$. The data was collected during 2019--2021 by the Belle II experiment at the SuperKEKB $e^{+}e^{-}$ asymmetric-energy collider. We reconstruct $K^{\ast}(892)$ candidates in the $K^+\pi^-$, $K_{S}^{0}\pi^+$, and $K^+\pi^0$ final states. The signal yields with statistical uncertainties are $22\pm 6$, $18 \pm 6$, and $38 \pm 9$ for the decays $B \to K^{\ast}(892)\mu^+\mu^-$, $B \to K^{\ast}(892)e^+e^-$, and $B \to K^{\ast}(892)\ell^+\ell^-$, respectively. We measure the branching fractions of these decays for the entire range of the dilepton mass, excluding the very low mass region to suppress the $B \to K^{\ast}(892)\gamma(\to e^+e^-)$ background and regions compatible with decays of charmonium resonances, to be \begin{equation} {\cal B}(B \to K^{\ast}(892)\mu^+\mu^-) = (1.19 \pm 0.31 ^{+0.08}_{-0.07}) \times 10^{-6}, {\cal B}(B \to K^{\ast}(892)e^+e^-) = (1.42 \pm 0.48 \pm 0.09)\times 10^{-6}, {\cal B}(B \to K^{\ast}(892)\ell^+\ell^-) = (1.25 \pm 0.30 ^{+0.08}_{-0.07}) \times 10^{-6}, \end{equation} where the first and second uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively. These results, limited by sample size, are the first measurements of $B \to K^{\ast}(892)\ell^+\ell^-$ branching fractions from the Belle II experiment