Dyke Davidoff Masson Syndrome with Crossed Cerebellar Atrophy: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Dyke Davidoff Masson Syndrome (DDMS) is characterized clinically by hemiplegia or hemiparesis, mental retardation, and epilepsy and radiologically by cerebral hemiatrophy, ipsilateral calvarial thickening, and dilation and increased aeration of the ipsilateral sinuses. Atrophy in the cerebral hemisphere may be accompanied by atrophy in the contralateral cerebellum. This condition is defined as crossed cerebellar atrophy (CCA). Although CCA's pathogenesis is unclear, it has been associated with damage to the corticopontocerebellar pathways and neuronal connections between the cerebellum and contralateral cerebral hemisphere. Diffusion tensor imaging and conventional magnetic resonance imaging may help to demonstrate axonal connection pathways and make a diagnosis. Here we present a case of a 39-year-old female patient with clinical and radiological findings of DDMS associated with CCA

Utilization of Water Hyacinth and Banana Wastes Compost in Reclamation of Sandy Soils for Increasing Growth, Yield of Cowpea

Pot experiments were carried out in the greenhouse of the Faculty of Agriculture, Fayoum University, to study the effect of water hyacinth and banana wastes compost (0, 10, 15 and 20 ton/fed) combined with inorganic nitrogenous fertilizers namely ammonium sulphate, ammonium nitrate and urea (in the rate of 60 kg N/Fed and this rate was 50% of the recommended dose), on the growth, yield and nutrient content of cowpea plants. All pots received P and K as recommended. The addition of various rates of water hyacinth and banana wastes composts (H.B.C.) under study significantly increased all plant growth parameters under the study, i.e., plant height, plant fresh weight and dry weight of both shoots and roots, the number of root nodules as well as the nutrient content of the different plant organs compared with the control and the chemical fertilizer application of the recommended dose (100%). There was a marked increase in pod characters, yield and its components, i.e., number of pods per plant, length, diameter and weight of pods per plant. The highest values of growth characters of yield and its components and the contents of nutrient elements were noticed when applying compost at the higher rates (20 ton/fed.) followed by 15 and 10 ton/fed., in a descending order as compared with the control. The best combination of nitrogen forms and the compost is considered to be one of the primary factors for high yield production and quality as well as yield components of cowpea. The highest significant increase in growth characters, yield and yield components, as well as the total carbohydrates and crude protein content of the seeds, were obtained via the application of compost in combination with ammonium sulphate at the rate of 20 ton/fed

Assessment of the Level of Knowledge about Migraines and Medication Among Pharmacy Technicians

Objective: A limited number of studies focus on pharmacy technicians (PT) and their knowledge level regarding migraines. The present study aimed to determine their level of awareness and knowledge regarding migraines and migraine treatment. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Erciyes University Faculty of Medicine in Kayseri, Türkiye. It was conducted from February 2019 to May 2019 and completed with the participation of 324 PTs (75.8% response rate). Forms containing questions about the diagnosis of migraines, the characteristics, and the treatments were administered to the PTs in person and then evaluated by a neurologist. Results: The ratio of PTs who knew of a drug therapy that reduced migraine attacks was 10.2%. Most PTs (85.2%) had no training in migraine treatment and obtained knowledge from their work experience. Ninety-one participants (28.1%) recommended medication to patients who visited the pharmacy due to headaches. When asked about the drug they recommend for migraines, 29.6% suggested ergotamine, 26.9% suggested analgesics, and 15.7% suggested triptans. Conclusion: The results of this study revealed that PTs working in pharmacies that support primary care services might not have sufficient awareness and knowledge about migraine treatments, and appropriate training should be provided on this subject

Fingolimod Alters Tissue Distribution and Cytokine Production of Human and Murine Innate Lymphoid Cells

Sphingosine-1 phosphate receptor 1 (S1PR1) is expressed by lymphocytes and regulates their egress from secondary lymphoid organs. Innate lymphoid cell (ILC) family has been expanded with the discovery of group 1, 2 and 3 ILCs, namely ILC1, ILC2 and ILC3. ILC3 and ILC1 have remarkable similarity to CD4+ helper T cell lineage members Th17 and Th1, respectively, which are important in the pathology of multiple sclerosis (MS). Whether human ILC subsets express S1PR1 or respond to its ligands have not been studied. In this study, we used peripheral blood/cord blood and tonsil lymphocytes as a source of human ILCs. We show that human ILCs express S1PR1 mRNA and protein and migrate toward S1P receptor ligands. Comparison of peripheral blood ILC numbers between fingolimod-receiving and treatment-free MS patients revealed that, in vivo, ILCs respond to fingolimod, an S1PR1 agonist, resulting in ILC-penia in circulation. Similarly, murine ILCs responded to fingolimod by exiting blood and accumulating in the secondary lymph nodes. Importantly, ex vivo exposure of ILC3 and ILC1 to fingolimod or SEW2871, another S1PR1 antagonist, reduced production of ILC3- and ILC1- associated cytokines GM-CSF, IL-22, IL-17, and IFN-γ, respectively. Surprisingly, despite reduced number of lamina propria-resident ILC3s in the long-term fingolimod-treated mice, ILC3-associated IL-22, IL-17A, GM-CSF and antimicrobial peptides were high in the gut compared to controls, suggesting that its long term use may not compromise mucosal barrier function. To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the impact of fingolimod on human ILC subsets in vivo and ex vivo, and provides insight into the impact of long term fingolimod use on ILC populations

Vaccination in Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis – Part I

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune and demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. It is a chronic disease, and in the evaluation of all other health and vital processes, decisions should be made by considering the disease process and the drugs used by the patient. Since vaccination can be performed at every stage of life, from childhood to adulthood, immune system activity, except where it is characteristic of the vaccine, should be reviewed in patients with MS. In this review, the applications of different vaccines in individuals with MS are discussed in two separate sections

Recent Advances in Health Biotechnology During Pandemic

The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which emerged in 2019, cut the epoch that will make profound fluctuates in the history of the world in social, economic, and scientific fields. Urgent needs in public health have brought with them innovative approaches, including diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. To exceed the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, various scientific authorities in the world have procreated advances in real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) based diagnostic tests, rapid diagnostic kits, the development of vaccines for immunization, and the purposing pharmaceuticals for treatment. Diagnosis, treatment, and immunization approaches put for- ward by scientific communities are cross-fed from the accrued knowledge of multidisciplinary sciences in health biotechnology. So much so that the pandemic, urgently prioritized in the world, is not only viral infections but also has been the pulsion in the development of novel approaches in many fields such as diagnosis, treatment, translational medicine, virology, mi- crobiology, immunology, functional nano- and bio-materials, bioinformatics, molecular biol- ogy, genetics, tissue engineering, biomedical devices, and artificial intelligence technologies. In this review, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the development of various scientific areas of health biotechnology are discussed