Lead-, Zinc-, and Iron-Sulfide Mineralization from Northern Iraq

The samples of the mineralization of Pb-, Zn-, and Fe-sulfides were collected from three localities (Dure, Lefan, in the northern Thrust zone; and Sinjar, in the Foothill zone) in Northern Iraq. The geochemical recognition using X-ray diffraction (XRD) affirms the presence of the ore deposit sulfides (pyrite, sphalerite, galena, smithsonite, and cerussite). The characterization of mineral chemistry using electron microprobe analysis (EMPA) gives a clear and exact percentage of each element in each mineral. Fluid inclusions are mostly liquid H2O and/or water vapor, which may also contain lesser soluble salts and slightly ore elements. Some fluid inclusions contain CO2 vapor. This occurrence suggests the presence of two immiscible phases due to boiling at the time of their trapping. They are of epithermal system. The homogenization temperatures and salinities obtained for fluid inclusions can be comparable to those reported for the Mississippi Valley Type (MVT) lead-zinc deposits. It is concluded from the petrographic evidence, fluid inclusions and stable isotope data that lead-zinc mineralization was formed due to deeply circulating high-temperature fluids (brines) within the source basin, or later on by tectonic processes, which possibly contribute in leaching metals from either the diagenesis of host rocks or dewatering of deeper buried siliciclastic beds

Intrauterine device is embraced by the placenta

The intrauterine device (IUD) is a contraceptive method which are tiny, T-shaped plastic, that is placed within the uterus and left there, is used all throughout the world with more than 99% effectiveness rate. Pregnancy with a levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS) in situ is very rare. Intracavitary pregnancy with an IUD can lead to a higher risk of infection and preterm birth. We described a case of a live birth with an IUD inserted into the placenta. A 27-year-old Syrian woman in G4P3 with a history of healthy vaginal deliveries arrived in our delivery room at 39+3 weeks gestation complaining of labor pain A vaginal examination revealed bulging membranes and a fully dilated cervix. She delivered a live baby boy, weighing 3100 g and being sent to the nursery with an APGAR score of 9 to 10. When the placenta was examined, a white foreign object that was embedded there was discovered to be an intrauterine device. Although intrauterine pregnancy is a potential problem that must be taken into account, ectopic pregnancy is a reasonably common complication of intrauterine contraceptive devices. Although several studies have shown that term pregnancies with excellent prognoses can occur after the removal of intrauterine devices, close monitoring is necessary to detect misplaced copper-T and prevent undesired births

Pharmacy education and practice in 13 middle eastern countries

The Arab world has influenced the art and science of pharmacy for centuries. Pharmacy education and practice is continuing to evolve in the Arabic-speaking traditional Middle East countries, although relatively little information has been published in the English press. Our goal was to providea high-level synopsis of conditions in this region. We selected 13 countries for review. Information was obtained by reviewing the available published literature and individual university and program web sites, as well as contacting with program or country representatives. Seventy-eight active pharmacy schools in 12 countries were identified. At least 14,000 students (over 75% from Egypt) are admitted into baccalaureate degree programs every year. The 5-year baccalaureate degree remains the first professional degree to practice. While changes in pharmacy education have been relatively rapid over the past decade, the advancement of pharmacy practice, particularly in the private sector, appears to be slower. Hospital pharmacists often possess an advanced degree and tend to have a higher level of practice compared to that of community pharmacists. Despite the adversities that face academics and practitioners alike, there is a strong desire to advance the science and practice of pharmacy in the Middle East

Validation of the Arabic version of the Social Communication Questionnaire

Validated screening and diagnostic tools for autism spectrum disorder for use in Arabic-speaking individuals are scarce. This study validated the Arabic version of the Social Communication Questionnaire. The total study sample included 206 children with autism spectrum disorder and 206 typically developing children (73.8% male; mean age: 8.5 (standard deviation = 2.6) years). The mean Social Communication Questionnaire total score was significantly higher in autism spectrum disorder children than in typically developing children (p < 0.0001). Scores on the three Social Communication Questionnaire subscales also differed significantly between the groups (p < 0.001). Of the 39 items, 37 were endorsed significantly more often in the autism spectrum disorder group. The total Social Communication Questionnaire score did not vary by age or gender. Internal consistency was excellent (alpha = 0.92). In the receiver operating characteristic analysis, the area under the curve for the total score showed excellent discrimination between autism spectrum disorder and typically developing children (area under the curve = 0.95; 95% confidence interval: 0.93–0.97). The areas under the curve for the scale subscores were 0.923 (95% confidence interval: 0.898–0.949) for the social interaction score, 0.872 (95% confidence interval: 0.838–0.905) for the communication score, and 0.856 (95% confidence interval: 0.819–0.893) for the repetitive behaviors score. The findings support the use of the Arabic Social Communication Questionnaire to successfully differentiate children with clinically diagnosed autism spectrum disorder using the established cutoff value for the English version.The authors would like to thank all the staff of the autism centers and schools who contributed in distributing and collecting the SCQ forms. They also would like to thank Western Psychological Services (WPS) staff for their help during the process of translating and reviewing the Arabic SCQ. They acknowledge Jennifer Holmes, ELS, for medical editing. The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: The study was funded by the Qatar National Research Fund (NPRP 6-093-3-024)

Prevalence and correlates of autism spectrum disorder in Qatar: a national study

Background Few epidemiological data on autism spectrum disorders (ASD) exist for Arabic countries. We conducted the first survey of ASD in Qatar, a population with high consanguinity level. Methods This cross‐sectional survey was conducted from 2015 to 2018 in Qatar school‐age children (N = 176,960) from national and immigrant families. Children diagnosed with ASD were identified through medical centers and special needs schools. Records were abstracted and supplemented by parental interviews. Additionally, children attending 93 schools were screened; ASD case status was confirmed in random samples of screen‐positive and screen‐negative children. Prevalence was estimated after taking into account different sampling fractions and participation rates at each survey phase. Results One thousand three hundred and ninety‐three children already diagnosed with ASD were identified. Among 9,074 school survey participants, 760 screen‐negative children and 163 screen‐positive children were evaluated; 17 were confirmed to have ASD including five children newly diagnosed. Prevalence was 1.14% (95% CI: 0.89–1.46) among 6‐ to 11‐year‐olds. ASD was reported in full siblings/extended relatives in 5.9% (95% CI: 0.042–0.080)/11.8% (95% CI: 0.095–0.146) families. First‐degree consanguinity in Qatari cases (45%) was comparable to known population levels. Among 844 ASD cases (mean age: 7.2 years; 81% male), most children experienced language delay (words: 75.1%; phrase speech: 91.4%), and 19.4% reported developmental regression. At the time of the survey, persisting deficits in expressive language (19.4%) and peer interactions (14.0%) were reported in conjunction with behavioral problems (ADHD: 30.2%; anxiety: 11.0%). In multivariate logistic regression, ASD severity was associated with parental consanguinity, gestational diabetes, delay in walking, and developmental regression. Conclusions ASD prevalence in Qatar is consistent with recent international studies. The methods employed in this study should help designing comparable surveys in the region. We estimated that 187,000 youths under age 20 have ASD in Gulf countries. This figure should assist in planning health and educational services for a young, fast‐growing population.The study was supported by the Qatar National Research Fund. The sponsor had no role in the design and conduct of the study, or the collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data, or in the preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript, and in the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. The authors thank all the independent and private schools that have participated in the SCQ screening phase. The authors thank the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Education for providing their team with the data required throughout the study. The authors would like to express our gratitude to the psychological services team at the Shafallah Center for Children with Disabilities, as well as Dr. Irshad Shafeullah and Dr. Zakariah Al-Sayed for their support in patient recruitment. The authors also thank our colleagues from QBRI: Dr. Hatem Al-Shanti for his assistance in patient phenotyping, and Mr. Yasser Al-Sarraj and Ms. Hamda AlMutawwa for their support with patient recruitment. The authors thank Dr. Hanaa Massoud for assisting with patient recruitment through the clinic at the Child Development Center in Rumailah Hospital. The authors would also like to express their appreciation to the QBRI administration team for their assistance with planning and logistics pertaining to research-related training sessions and research collaborator visits. Additionally, the authors would like to thank all of the special needs centers and clinics which collaborated with us to provide data needed for the high probability cases; Shafallah Center for Children with Disabilities, Hamad Medical Corporation, Child Development Center ? Rumailah Hospital, Child Development Center-Private, Renad Academy, Al-Tamakun school, Step by Step Center, Qatar Institute for Speech and Hearing, and Hope Center. The authors also thank the HBKU Sponsored Research Office for the support provided throughout the research funding period.?K.R. and the OHSU Biostatistics & Design Program was partially supported by the Oregon Clinical and Translational Research Institute (OCTRI) through OHSU Clinical & Translational Science Awards (CTSA UL1TR0002369) National Consortium. The authors are immensely grateful to the families and their children for their time and participation in any of the phases of the research. F.A. and E.F. designed the research plan. F.A., M.A., and E.F. applied for funding. F.A., H.A., S.E., I.G., M.T., M.A., M.K., N.A.A., M.A., A.H.S., and L.D. organized the data collection. F.A., H.A., S.E., and I.G. completed data entry and cleaning, and performed initial data analyses with M.A. E.F. performed data and statistical analyses. K.R. provided biostatistical advice. E.F., F.A., and I.G. wrote the manuscript. All authors reviewed and approved the manuscript. The authors have declared that they have no competing or potential conflicts of interest.Scopu

Body image disturbance and surgical decision making in egyptian post menopausal breast cancer patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In most developing countries, as in Egypt; postmenopausal breast cancer cases are offered a radical form of surgery relying on their unawareness of the subsequent body image disturbance. This study aimed at evaluating the effect of breast cancer surgical choice; Breast Conservative Therapy (BCT) versus Modified Radical Mastectomy (MRM); on body image perception among Egyptian postmenopausal cases.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>One hundred postmenopausal women with breast cancer were divided into 2 groups, one group underwent BCT and the other underwent MRM. Pre- and post-operative assessments of body image distress were done using four scales; Breast Impact of Treatment Scale (BITS), Impact of Event Scale (IES), Situational Discomfort Scale (SDS), and Body Satisfaction Scale (BSS).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Preoperative assessment showed no statistical significant difference regarding cognitive, affective, behavioral and evaluative components of body image between both studied groups. While in postoperative assessment, women in MRM group showed higher levels of body image distress among cognitive, affective and behavioral aspects.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Body image is an important factor for postmenopausal women with breast cancer in developing countries where that concept is widely ignored. We should not deprive those cases from their right of less mutilating option of treatment as BCT.</p

Differential influence of vemurafenib and dabrafenib on patients' lymphocytes despite similar clinical efficacy in melanoma

In this study, we demonstrate that vemurafenib but not dabrafenib reduces peripheral lymphocyte counts in melanoma patients while both agents show similar clinical efficacy. Within the lymphocyte compartment, vemurafenib selectively decreases circulating CD4+ T cells and changes their phenotype and function. This indicates that selective BRAFi need to be assessed individually for immunomodulatory effects, especially, when planning combinations with immunotherapie