GENE POLYMORPHISM FOR Α-RECEPTOR OF OESTROGENES AND ALTERATIONS IN BONE MINERAL DENSITY FOR ADULT CELIAC DISEASE PATIENTS

It is well known that osteopenia and osteoporosis are frequently found celiac disease patients presenting classical symptoms of malabsorption1. Osteomalacia cases have also been diagnosed in celiac patients who do not present clinical signs of malabsorption , in patients with latent celiac disease, as well as in first degree relatives of patients with celiac disease who do not suffer from celiac disease themselves. This suggests the presence of different pathogenic mechanisms2. The analysis of genetic polymorphism represents an effective approach for an in-depth screening of genes potentially implicated in the development of osteoporosis. Because of the central role that estrogen plays in bone metabolism, ER genes play an important role in the determination of bone mineral density and the risk of osteoporosis. The fact that osteoporotic phenotypes are observed in patients with a destructive mutation of the α receptor gene for estrogen together with the signs of reduced bone mineral density that are found in mice presenting a functional insufficiency of ER α, but not in mice showing reduced ER β function, demonstrates that ER α is one of the principal genes involved in the genesis of osteoporosis3. Previously , two intronic polymorphisms of the α ER gene, identified by restriction endonucleases PvuII and TA Xba and repetitive polymorphism sequences, have been linked to bone mass density in the Japanese population and in menopausal Italian women4

BLOOD LIPID DISORDER IN MEN WITH INCREASED WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE COMPARED TO MEN HAVING NORMAL WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE WITHIN THE SAME CATEGORY OF BMI

Background: No local studies have been performed yet to investigate the influence of central or abdominal obesity on serum lipids in men having increased Waist Circumference (WC) compared to men with normal Waist Circumference values within the same BMI (Body Mass Index) category. Objective:To examine whether the prevalence of dyslipidemia, (defined as Hypercholesterolemia (Total Cholesterol level ≥240 mg/dl), high LDL-C level (≥160 mg/dl), low HDL-C level (<35 mg/dl), or Hypertriglyceridemia (TG level ≥200 mg/dl)), is higher in men having high Waist Circumference compared to others with normal WC values within the same BMI category. Methods: The study was conducted between September 2013 and July 2014. Eighty-eight overweight men (BMI = 25-29.9) were grouped by WC as follows: 28 with high values (>102 cm) and 60 with normal values (≤ 102cm). Blood samples were drawn and assayed for total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL-C, and LDL-C,at the department of Laboratory in the Faculty of Public Health, Lebanese University. All assays were performed by enzymatic colorimetric methods using Hitachi-704. Results: Overweight men with high WC values (according to cutoff points internationally adopted) were the most likely to have dyslipidemia with its subsequent increased health risk compared with those having normal WC values. Conclusion: we showed in this study that the prevalence of dyslipidemia in men with high WC values is greater compared to those with normal WC values within the same BMI category. This finding leads us to the importance of the incorporated evaluation of WC in addition to the BMI in clinical practice

BLOOD LIPID DISORDER IN MEN WITH INCREASED WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE COMPARED TO MEN HAVING NORMAL WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE WITHIN THE SAME CATEGORY OF BMI

Background: No local studies have been performed yet to investigate the influence of central or abdominal obesity on serum lipids in men having increased Waist Circumference (WC) compared to men with normal Waist Circumference values within the same BMI (Body Mass Index) category. Objective:To examine whether the prevalence of dyslipidemia, (defined as Hypercholesterolemia (Total Cholesterol level ≥240 mg/dl), high LDL-C level (≥160 mg/dl), low HDL-C level (<35 mg/dl), or Hypertriglyceridemia (TG level ≥200 mg/dl)), is higher in men having high Waist Circumference compared to others with normal WC values within the same BMI category. Methods: The study was conducted between September 2013 and July 2014. Eighty-eight overweight men (BMI = 25-29.9) were grouped by WC as follows: 28 with high values (>102 cm) and 60 with normal values (≤ 102cm). Blood samples were drawn and assayed for total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL-C, and LDL-C,at the department of Laboratory in the Faculty of Public Health, Lebanese University. All assays were performed by enzymatic colorimetric methods using Hitachi-704. Results: Overweight men with high WC values (according to cutoff points internationally adopted) were the most likely to have dyslipidemia with its subsequent increased health risk compared with those having normal WC values. Conclusion: we showed in this study that the prevalence of dyslipidemia in men with high WC values is greater compared to those with normal WC values within the same BMI category. This finding leads us to the importance of the incorporated evaluation of WC in addition to the BMI in clinical practice

EVALUATION OF SECONDARY OSTEOPOROSIS WITH BONE MINERAL DENSITOMETRY AND BONE TURNOVER MARKERS

Osteoporosis is as a very complex multi-factorial pathogenesis; thereby any doctor facing a case of osteoporosis must be very careful. Diagnostic procedures are complex and include careful monitoring of the history of patient, physical examination and some laboratory analysis. In this study, 201 patients aged between 50 and 95 years were selected from 4872 patients consulting orthopedic clinics. This group (201 patients: 168 women, 33 men) showed evidence of osteoporosis: BMD DXA with reduced bone mineral density,T-score: greater than -2.5 SD, or X-ray signs of non traumatic fractures. Patients also underwent biochemical and instrumental investigations for an assessment of bone metabolism. Age, gender, medical history as well as tests of rheumatic metabolism, calcium-phosphorus and some indices of bone turnover were determined for each patient. Interestingly, our data showed that 104 patients had a vertebral fracture without trauma, 22 hypothyroid patients were undergoing treatment with levothyroxine, 3 patients were suffering from autoimmune thyroiditis, 3 patients were suffering from secondary hyperparathyroidism with vitamin D deficiency, 2 patients were suffering from adenoma with primary hyperparathyroidism, 20 were diabetic patients, 7 patients had monoclonal gammopathy, 7 women had hystero- ovario salpingectomy, 7 patients were HCV positive, 4 patients with rheumatoid arthritis had been treated with corticosteroids, 2 patients were suffering from multiple myeloma, and 1 patient had Crohn's disease. There was also 1 suspected case of ulcerative colitis, 5 patients were suffering from celiac disease and other cases described in the paper. As a result of this diverse association, the approach to treating osteoporotic patients should be then accurate and multidisciplinary. It is then important to perform laboratory tests and investigations for correct diagnosis and adequate treatment

EVALUATION OF SECONDARY OSTEOPOROSIS WITH BONE MINERAL DENSITOMETRY AND BONE TURNOVER MARKERS

Osteoporosis is as a very complex multi-factorial pathogenesis; thereby any doctor facing a case of osteoporosis must be very careful. Diagnostic procedures are complex and include careful monitoring of the history of patient, physical examination and some laboratory analysis. In this study, 201 patients aged between 50 and 95 years were selected from 4872 patients consulting orthopedic clinics. This group (201 patients: 168 women, 33 men) showed evidence of osteoporosis: BMD DXA with reduced bone mineral density,T-score: greater than -2.5 SD, or X-ray signs of non traumatic fractures. Patients also underwent biochemical and instrumental investigations for an assessment of bone metabolism. Age, gender, medical history as well as tests of rheumatic metabolism, calcium-phosphorus and some indices of bone turnover were determined for each patient. Interestingly, our data showed that 104 patients had a vertebral fracture without trauma, 22 hypothyroid patients were undergoing treatment with levothyroxine, 3 patients were suffering from autoimmune thyroiditis, 3 patients were suffering from secondary hyperparathyroidism with vitamin D deficiency, 2 patients were suffering from adenoma with primary hyperparathyroidism, 20 were diabetic patients, 7 patients had monoclonal gammopathy, 7 women had hystero- ovario salpingectomy, 7 patients were HCV positive, 4 patients with rheumatoid arthritis had been treated with corticosteroids, 2 patients were suffering from multiple myeloma, and 1 patient had Crohn's disease. There was also 1 suspected case of ulcerative colitis, 5 patients were suffering from celiac disease and other cases described in the paper. As a result of this diverse association, the approach to treating osteoporotic patients should be then accurate and multidisciplinary. It is then important to perform laboratory tests and investigations for correct diagnosis and adequate treatment

THE CORRELATION BETWEEN THE METABOLIC DISORDERS IN OBESE MEN AND THE BODY MASS INDEX (BMI)

Background: The influence of body weight on serum lipids and uric acid is often overlooked in clinical practice. Objective: To study the magnitude of metabolic disorders (dyslipidemia and hyper-urecaemia) in asymptomatic obese men and its relation to body mass index (BMI). Methods: The study was conducted between September 2013 and July of 2014 at the medical analyses center in the Faculty of Public Health, Lebanese University. The weight, height, BMI, waist circumference (WC) uric acid, and lipid profile of 148 obese males, apparently healthy, compared with 80 males in a control group (BMI < 25 kg / m²), were investigated. Subjects were grouped by BMI and WC in accordance with the National Institutes of Health cutoff points. Within the normal-weight (18.5-24.9), overweight (25.0-29.9), and obese (≥ 30.0) BMI categories, we distributed the results of all the blood tests and we computed the prevalence of dyslipidemia and hyperurecaemia. Results: The present work revealed that with increasing body weight, the mean total cholesterol, LDL-C, triglycerides(TG), and uric acid increased; while the mean HDL-C decreased. These changes were as follows: the means difference between the first and second group and between the second and the third group were 29 and 31 mg/dl respectively regarding total cholesterol; for TG, these were 47.5 and 53.4 mg/dl; for LDL-C, these were 12 and 29 mg/dl; for HDL-C, these were 3.6 and 3.5 mg/dl; for uric acid, these were 0.3 mg/dl as a common difference, P=0.0245). Conclusion: Excess body weight is associated with deleterious changes in the lipoprotein profile and uric acid

Similarity based image selection with frame rate adaptation and local event detection in wireless video sensor networks

International audienceWireless Video Sensor Networks (WVSNs7unding environmental information. Those sensor nodes can locally process the information and then wirelessly transmit it to the coordinator and to the sink to be further processed. As a consequence, more abundant video and image data are collected. In such densely deployed networks, the problem of data redundancy arises when information are gathered from neighboring nodes. To overcome this problem, one important enabling technology for WVSN is data aggregation, which is essential to be cost-efficient. In this paper, we propose a new approach for data aggregation in WVSN based on images and shot similarity functions. It is deployed on two levels: the video-sensor node level and the coordinator level. At the sensor node level the proposed algorithms aim at reducing the number of frames sensed by the sensor nodes and sent to the coordinator. At the coordinator level, after receiving shots from different neighbouring sensor nodes, the similarity between these shots is computed to eliminate redundancies and to only send the frames which meet a certain condition to the sink. The similarity between shots is evaluated based on their color, edge and motion information. We evaluate our approach on a live scenario and compare the results with another approach from the literature in terms of data reduction and energy consumption. The results show that the two approaches have a significant data reduction to reduce the energy consumption, thus our approach tends to overcome the other one in terms of reducing the energy consumption related to the sensing process, and to the transmitting process while guaranteeing the detection of all the critical events at the node and the coordinator levels

On The Problem of Energy Efficient Mechanisms Based on Data Reduction in Wireless Body Sensor Networks

International audienceWireless Body Sensor Networks have emerged as a low-cost solution for healthcare applications and telemedicine solutions replacing unnecessary hospitalization and ensuring continous health monitoring. Many challenges exist in such a network, especially because the sensor nodes have limited resources. In this paper, the energy consumption problem due to periodic transmission is targeted. We present a work in progress on energy-efficient mechanisms based on data reduction for body sensor networks. Many approaches have been proposed in the literature that aim to reduce the size and the amount of data collected and sent via the network. Our main idea in this paper is to confront Compressive Sensing (CS) and adaptive sampling techniques in order to come out with a problem formulation and a comprehensive comparison. The objective is to show if the adaptive samplingapproach which is based on on-node processing ensure a better Performance/Energy trade-off than CS theory applied on biosignals

Wireless multimedia sensor network deployment for disparity map calculation

International audienceThe use of Wireless Multimedia Sensor Networks (WMSNs) has been increased in the recent decade in several fields. One of the main advantages of WMSNs is activity monitoring, where 2D images and videos have been used traditionally for surveillance and detection so far. However, a lot of interest is paid to depth information that is not normally available while using 2D images. In our previous work, the use of disparity information in WMSNs has been studied. In this paper, our contribution consists of evaluating the Sensor deployment for efficient disparity calculation for indoor and outdoor purposes. The simulation results show that while considering images from adjacent sensors, the disparity map is successfully calculated. The quality of the disparity is evaluated using structural similarity metric between one reference image captured by one sensor and the calculated disparity map