Children’s access to beneficial information in Arab states: Implementation of Article 17 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in Egypt, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates

In theory, the multiple platforms and transnational nature of digital media, along with a related proliferation of diverse forms of content, make it easier for children’s right to access socially and culturally beneficial information and material to be realised, as required by Article 17 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Drawing on data collected during research on children’s screen content in the Arab world, combined with scrutiny of documents collated by the Committee on the Rights of the Child, which monitors compliance with the CRC, this paper explores how three Arab countries, Egypt, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates, presented their efforts to implement Article 17 as part of their periodic reporting on their overall performance in putting the CRC into effect. It uncovers tensions over the relationship between provision, participation and protection in relation to media, reveals that Article 17 is liable to get less attention than it deserves in contexts where governments keep a tight grip on media, and that, by appearing to give it a lower priority, all parties neglect the intersection between human rights in relation to media and children’s rights

The genetic landscape of paediatric de novo acute myeloid leukaemia as defined by single nucleotide polymorphism array and exon sequencing of 100 candidate genes

Cytogenetic analyses of a consecutive series of 67 paediatric (median age 8 years; range 0-17) de novo acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) patients revealed aberrations in 55 (82%) cases. The most common subgroups were KMT2A rearrangement (29%), normal karyotype (15%), RUNX1-RUNX1T1 (10%), deletions of 5q, 7q and/or 17p (9%), myeloid leukaemia associated with Down syndrome (7%), PML-RARA (7%) and CBFB-MYH11 (5%). Single nucleotide polymorphism array (SNP-A) analysis and exon sequencing of 100 genes, performed in 52 and 40 cases, respectively (39 overlapping), revealed ≥1 aberration in 89%; when adding cytogenetic data, this frequency increased to 98%. Uniparental isodisomies (UPIDs) were detected in 13% and copy number aberrations (CNAs) in 63% (median 2/case); three UPIDs and 22 CNAs were recurrent. Twenty-two genes were targeted by focal CNAs, including AEBP2 and PHF6 deletions and genes involved in AML-associated gene fusions. Deep sequencing identified mutations in 65% of cases (median 1/case). In total, 60 mutations were found in 30 genes, primarily those encoding signalling proteins (47%), transcription factors (25%), or epigenetic modifiers (13%). Twelve genes (BCOR, CEBPA, FLT3, GATA1, KIT, KRAS, NOTCH1, NPM1, NRAS, PTPN11, SMC3 and TP53) were recurrently mutated. We conclude that SNP-A and deep sequencing analyses complement the cytogenetic diagnosis of paediatric AML

Neuroimaging Changes in Menkes Disease, Part 1.

Menkes disease is a rare multisystem X-linked disorder of copper metabolism. Despite an early, severe, and progressive neurologic involvement, our knowledge of brain involvement remains unsatisfactory. The first part of this retrospective and review MR imaging study aims to define the frequency rate, timing, imaging features, and evolution of intracranial vascular and white matter changes. According to our analysis, striking but also poorly evolutive vascular abnormalities characterize the very early phases of disease. After the first months, myelination delay becomes evident, often in association with protean focal white matter lesions, some of which reveal an age-specific brain vulnerability. In later phases of the disease, concomitant progressive neurodegeneration might hinder the myelination progression. The currently enriched knowledge of neuroradiologic finding evolution provides valuable clues for early diagnosis, identifies possible MR imaging biomarkers of new treatment efficacy, and improves our comprehension of possible mechanisms of brain injury in Menkes disease

Neuroimaging Changes in Menkes Disease, Part 2

This is the second part of a retrospective and review MR imaging study aiming to define the frequency rate, timing, imaging features, and evolution of gray matter changes in Menkes disease, a rare multisystem X-linked disorder of copper metabolism characterized by early, severe, and progressive neurologic involvement. According to our analysis, neurodegenerative changes and focal basal ganglia lesions already appear in the early phases of the disease. Subdural collections are less common than generally thought; however, their presence remains important because they might challenge the differential diagnosis with child abuse and might precipitate the clinical deterioration. Anecdotal findings in our large sample seem to provide interesting clues about the protean mechanisms of brain injury in this rare disease and further highlight the broad spectrum of MR imaging findings that might be expected while imaging a child with the suspicion of or a known diagnosis of Menkes disease

Neuroimaging Changes in Menkes Disease, Part 1

Menkes disease is a rare multisystem X-linked disorder of copper metabolism. Despite an early, severe, and progressive neurologic involvement, our knowledge of brain involvement remains unsatisfactory. The first part of this retrospective and review MR imaging study aims to define the frequency rate, timing, imaging features, and evolution of intracranial vascular and white matter changes. According to our analysis, striking but also poorly evolutive vascular abnormalities characterize the very early phases of disease. After the first months, myelination delay becomes evident, often in association with protean focal white matter lesions, some of which reveal an age-specific brain vulnerability. In later phases of the disease, concomitant progressive neurodegeneration might hinder the myelination progression. The currently enriched knowledge of neuroradiologic finding evolution provides valuable clues for early diagnosis, identifies possible MR imaging biomarkers of new treatment efficacy, and improves our comprehension of possible mechanisms of brain injury in Menkes disease

Neuroimaging Changes in Menkes Disease, Part 2

This is the second part of a retrospective and review MR imaging study aiming to define the frequency rate, timing, imaging features, and evolution of gray matter changes in Menkes disease, a rare multisystem X-linked disorder of copper metabolism characterized by early, severe, and progressive neurologic involvement. According to our analysis, neurodegenerative changes and focal basal ganglia lesions already appear in the early phases of the disease. Subdural collections are less common than generally thought; however, their presence remains important because they might challenge the differential diagnosis with child abuse and might precipitate the clinical deterioration. Anecdotal findings in our large sample seem to provide interesting clues about the protean mechanisms of brain injury in this rare disease and further highlight the broad spectrum of MR imaging findings that might be expected while imaging a child with the suspicion of or a known diagnosis of Menkes disease