Clinical and molecular studies on differentiated thyroid carcinoma management

This thesis describes clinical and fundamental studies addressing clinical challenges in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). The diagnosis of DTC is hampered by the fact that although the incidence is low thyroid nodules are prevalent. In this thesis, the diagnostic value of a potential marker for DTC has been studied. Unfortunately, in a high proportion of patients with metastases of DTC, the tumor has become resistant to RAI therapy. We have performed fundamental studies into the mechanisms of the regulation of the sodium iodide symporter (NIS) that may have implications for restoring susceptibility to RAI therapy. Furthermore, the long-term efficacy of a new treatment with the multi kinase inhibitor (MKI) sorafenib for DTC patients with metastases that are unresponsive to RAI has been evaluated. Therapy with MKI has numerous adverse effects, including hypothyroidism. We have evaluated a potential mechanism of sorafenib associated hypothyroidism. Finally, DTC patients have traditionally been treated with TSH suppressive levothyroxine substitution. However, high thyroid hormone concentrations may have adverse effects on various organ systems, including the heart. In this thesis, we studied the effects of various thyroid hormone concentrations on cardiac function in DTC, using dedicated cardiac ultrasound.UBL - phd migration 201

Notes on Ants of the genus Strumigenys F. Smith, 1860 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Arabian Peninsula, with a key to species.

The ant genus Strumigenys in the Arabian Peninsula is treated. Three species are recognized, S. arnoldi Forel, S. emmae (Emery) and S. membranifera Emery. The invasive species S. membranifera and the Afrotropical species S. arnoldi are recorded for the first time from Saudi Arabia and the Arabian Peninsula. A key to the Arabian species based on the worker caste is presented. Biological, ecological and distribution notes for each species are given. A regional distribution map for the three species is also presented

Review of the Arabian Crematogaster Lund (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), synoptic list, distribution, and description of two new species from Oman and Saudi Arabia

The genus Crematogaster is one of the most species-rich and widespread groups of ants. Despite their often-high local abundance and important ecological interactions, the taxonomy of the genus is fragmentary and in great need of modern revisionary studies. As a first step towards a revision for the Arabian fauna of Crematogaster, a review of all known species with synoptic species accounts is provided. Seventeen species are recognized and illustrated from the Arabian Peninsula, of which two new species are described: C. jacindae Sharaf & Hita Garcia, sp. nov. from the Dhofar Governorate, Oman, and C. gryllsi Sharaf & Hita Garcia, sp. nov. from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) based on the worker caste. Crematogaster jacindae sp. nov. is easily separated from the remainder of the Arabian Crematogaster fauna due to its complete lack of propodeal spines, slit-shaped propodeal spiracles, and its distinct bicoloration, whereas C. gryllsi sp. nov. is readily distinguished by its unlobed postpetiolar dorsum. Furthermore, new country records are presented: C. acaciae Forel for the KSA and Yemen, and C. delagoensis Forel and C. jehovae Forel for the KSAC. antaris for Qatar, whereas C. luctans Forel is excluded from the Arabian fauna. In addition, on the basis of morphological examination of original type material, C. affabilis Forel is proposed as junior synonym of C. chiarinii Mayr, and C. striaticeps is elevated to species rank stat. nov. Furthermore, a new identification key for the Arabian species is provided, as well as distribution maps for all species

Lifestyle Habits : Diet, physical activity and sleep duration among Omani adolescents

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the lifestyle habits—physical activity (PA), eating habits (EH), and sleep duration (SD)—of Omani adolescents, and to examine gender differences in such variables. Methods: 802 Omani adolescents (442 females and 360 males), aged 15‒18 years were randomly recruited. Anthropometric indices, PA level, and EH and SD were evaluated by the Arab Teenage Lifestyle questionnaire. A semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire for dietary assessment was also administered. Results: The results showed that although the study subjects had a sedentary lifestyle (lack of PA, average of 6.7 hours sleep, and consumption of high calorie foods), they maintained a normal body mass (less than 25 Kg/m2). Males were more than twice as active as females. With respect to EH, there were few gender differences, except in dairy and meat consumption where 62.5% and 55.5% of males consumed more than 3 servings, respectively, compared to 18.78 % and 3.76% of females, respectively. In addition, waist/height ratio, height, reasons for being active, energy drinks, potato consumption, eating sweets, vigorous PA and breakfast EHs were statistically significant independent predictors for BMI, P <0.05 for both males and females. Conclusion: This study revealed a high prevalence of sedentary behaviors and a low level of physical activity, especially among females. Unhealthy dietary habits were also widely found among both genders. There is an urgent need for more research as well as a national policy promoting active living and healthy eating and discouraging sedentary behaviour among Omani adolescents

A prospective randomized clinical trial compared the effect of various types of local anesthetics cartridges on hypertensive patients during dental extraction

Objectives: To evaluate hemodynamic changes of blood pressure and heart rate on hypertensive patients under - going tooth extraction using various types of local anesthesia (LA). Study Design: A prospective randomized clinical trial was conducted on 45 hypertensive patients who were divided equally into 3 parallel groups according to LA received. Group 1: Lidociane 2% with epinephrine 1: 80,000. Group 2: Prilocaine 3% with Felypressin 0.03 IU/ml. Group 3: Mepivacaine 3% plain. Inclusion criteria: hypertensive patients, under medical management with blood pressure = 159/99. Exclusion criteria: Blood pressure =160 /100 and patients receiving ß blockers. Negative aspiration was mandatory before the injection of 2 cartridges of LA. Blood pressure and heart rate were evaluated by Electronic Sphygmomanometer and Pulse Oximeters in 3 different time-points; 3 minutes before LA, three minutes after LA and three minutes after extraction. Results: The mean of systolic blood pressure (SBP) had increased after LA injection, and then decreased after ex - traction in the 3 groups of patients. Increase of SBP after extraction with (Mepivacaine plain) was higher than (Li - dociane with Epinephrine) and the difference was statistically significant using ANOVA ( p =0.037). The differences in the mean heart rates and mean diastolic blood pressures in the 3 groups were not significant. Conclusions: The increase of blood pressure with Epinephrine and Felypressin is negligible. Therefore, it is safe to use 2 cartridges of Lidociane 2% with Epinephrine 1:80,000 or Prilocaine 3% with Felypressin 0.03 IU/ml for hypertensive patients whose blood pressure = 159/99 provided negative aspiration is verified before injection

Ionophore-based potentiometric PVC membrane sensors for determination of phenobarbitone in its pharmaceutical formulations

The fabrication and development of two polyvinyl chloride (PVC) membrane sensors for assaying phenobarbitone sodium are described. Sensors 1 and 2 were fabricated utilizing - or -cyclodextrin as ionophore in the presence of tridodecylmethylammonium chloride as a membrane additive, and PVC and dioctyl phthalate as plasticizer. The analytical parameters of both sensors were evaluated according to the IUPAC guidelines. The proposed sensors showed rapid, stable anionic response (–59.1 and –62.0 mV per decade) over a relatively wide phenobarbitone concentration range (5.0×10–6–1×10–2 and 8×10–6–1×10–2 mol L–1) in the pH range of 9–11. The limit of detection was 3.5×10–6 and 7.0×10–6 mol L–1 for sensors 1 and 2, respectively. The fabricated sensors showed high selectivity for phenobarbitone over the investigated foreign species. An average recovery of 2.54 µg mL–1 phenobarbitone sodium was 97.4 and 101.1 %, while the mean relative standard deviation was 3.0 and 2.1 %, for sensors 1 and 2, respectively. The results acquired for determination of phenobarbitone in its dosage forms utilizing the proposed sensors are in good agreement with those obtained by the British Pharmacopoeial method

Review of the ant genus Meranoplus Smith, 1853 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Arabian Peninsula with description of a new species M. mosalahi sp. n. from Oman

The species of Meranoplus Smith, 1853 of the Arabian Peninsula are reviewed based on the worker caste. Two species are recognized, keyed, and illustrated by Scanning Electron Microscope images (SEM), Meranoplus mosalahi and M. pulcher, Sharaf, 2014. Meranoplus mosalahi sp. n. is described from the Dhofar Governorate, Oman based on the worker caste. The new species belongs to the M. magrettii-group and closely resembles M. pulcher Sharaf, 2014 from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), from which it can be distinguished by the bicolored body, the shallowly concave anterior clypeal margin, the absence of well-developed anterior clypeal teeth, the fewer irregular longitudinal cephalic rugae, and the feeble longitudinal rugae on posterior face of petiolar node

First occurrence of the ant genus Brachymyrmex Mayr, 1868 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The formicine ant genus Brachymyrmex Mayr, 1868 is recorded for the first time from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and from the Arabian Peninsula by the species B. cordemoyi Forel, 1895. A brief description and automontage images of the species are presented with ecological and biological notes

Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Attracted to Rabbit Carcasses in Three Different Habitats

This study reports the ant species that were attracted to rabbit carcasses in three different habitats (agricultural, desert, urban) in the city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from May to July 2014. Rabbit carcasses were used as a model for decomposition. Carcasses were categorized as exposed, clothed, shaded and burnt. A total of 726 ants belonging to three subfamilies and 14 species were collected during the decomposition process. Trichomyrmex mayri (Forel) was the only ant species attracted to the carcasses placed in the desert site. At the agricultural site, there was one ponerine species, five formicine species, and three myrmicine species were attracted, while at the urban site, five formicine species and one myrmicine species were recorded. The agricultural site attracted the highest number of ants. In contrast, the desert site attracted the lowest number of ants. Tr. mayri was the most prevalent species occurring in both the agricultural and desert sites. The bloated stage of decomposition attracted the highest number of ants followed by the decay, fresh and dry stages, respectively. Clothed carcasses attracted the highest number of ants followed by the exposed and burnt carcasses, respectively. The shaded carcasses attracted the fewest number of ants. This study found that ants are attracted to carcasses at all stages of decomposition and are common components of the necrofauna of central Saudi Arabia

Taxonomy of Arabian Temnothorax Mayr (Formicidae: Myrmicinae) with description of a new species enhanced by x-ray microtomography

Temnothorax elmenshawyi sp. n., a new ant species from the Asir Mountains of the southwestern region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is described based on the worker caste. The new species is a member of the T. exilis species group and is distinguished from the other species included in this group by the impressed metanotal groove, the short, acute and broadly-based propodeal spines, the finely punctate posterior half of cephalic surface, and absence of a median clypeal carina. Despite extensive collecting by the authors at the type locality, only two specimens are available for description, suggesting that this species may be rare and likely endemic to the Asir Mountains. The species description is complemented by still images of volume renderings of a 3D model and a 3D rotation video of the holotype based on x-ray microtomography (micro-CT), allowing remote in-depth examination of the specimen. The virtual micro-CT data is provided as cybertype dataset and freely available online https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.4gg39k6, as well as 3D surface model (Sketchfab.com, https://skfb.ly/6HYRz). An updated identification key to the Arabian species is presented.journal articl