Knowledge, Perceptions and Attitude of Researchers Towards Using ChatGPT in Research.

INTRODUCTION: ChatGPT, a recently released chatbot from OpenAI, has found applications in various aspects of life, including academic research. This study investigated the knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes of researchers towards using ChatGPT and other chatbots in academic research. METHODS: A pre-designed, self-administered survey using Google Forms was employed to conduct the study. The questionnaire assessed participants' knowledge of ChatGPT and other chatbots, their awareness of current chatbot and artificial intelligence (AI) applications, and their attitudes towards ChatGPT and its potential research uses. RESULTS: Two hundred researchers participated in the survey. A majority were female (57.5%), and over two-thirds belonged to the medical field (68%). While 67% had heard of ChatGPT, only 11.5% had employed it in their research, primarily for rephrasing paragraphs and finding references. Interestingly, over one-third supported the notion of listing ChatGPT as an author in scientific publications. Concerns emerged regarding AI's potential to automate researcher tasks, particularly in language editing, statistics, and data analysis. Additionally, roughly half expressed ethical concerns about using AI applications in scientific research. CONCLUSION: The increasing use of chatbots in academic research necessitates thoughtful regulation that balances potential benefits with inherent limitations and potential risks. Chatbots should not be considered authors of scientific publications but rather assistants to researchers during manuscript preparation and review. Researchers should be equipped with proper training to utilize chatbots and other AI tools effectively and ethically.

Elevation of D-dimer levels are associated with early need for mechanical ventilation support in patients with COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Severe COVID-19 disease is typically associated with an urgent need for supplemental oxygen therapy that may be successfully delivered through conventional methods or require invasive mechanical ventilation. Early prediction of the need for invasive mechanical ventilation could significantly improve outcomes of COVID-19 patients. Plasma levels of D-dimer and a number of inflammatory markers as well as values of complete blood counts, all measured in the first two days of hospital admission of COVID-19 patients, were evaluated for their significance as predictors of the eventual need for invasive mechanical ventilation support as well as their values as predictors of post-ventilation morbidly and mortality. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at a single center and included data pertaining to 200 patients with previously confirmed moderate to severe COVID-19 disease in the period between May 2021 and the end of December 2022. Data were retrieved from medical records for further analysis. RESULTS: The mean (SD) age of patients stood at 59 (14) years of age, and with a majority of patients being male (77%). About 18% of cases, all of significantly older age, had been connected to invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). Total leucocytic count (TLC), as well as levels of urea, creatinine, D-dimer, ferritin, and CRP in IMV patients were significantly higher than non-ventilated patients (p < 0.01 for all). In contrast, lymphocytic count, hemoglobin level, and platelet count were significantly lower in IMV patients (p < 0.001, 0.04, and 0.002, respectively). The mortality rate was significantly higher in IMV patients (p < 0.001). D-dimer independently predicted IMV demand (OR = 1, p = 0.001 in adjusted and unadjusted models). The utility of D-dimer was excellent; and the cutoff level of above 1415 µ/L showed sensitivity and specificity of about 92% and 76%, respectively. Also, the D-dimer level was very effective in predicting post-IMV survival; the AUC = 0.86, p = 0.02, and a cutoff value below 4558 µ/L was associated with 100% and 66% sensitivity and specificity, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: High D-dimer levels independently correlated with the need for invasive mechanical ventilation. Low levels of this marker could evidently predict post-IMV survival of mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients. Measuring D-dimer levels during routine follow up of those patients would thus be useful in predicting patient outcomes.

Biobanks in the low- and middle-income countries of the Arab Middle East region: challenges, ethical issues, and governance arrangements-a qualitative study involving biobank managers.

BACKGROUND: Biobanks have recently been established in several low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in the Arab region of the Middle East. We aimed to explore the views of biobank managers regarding the challenges, ethical issues, and governance arrangements of their biobanks. METHODS: In-depth semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of eight biobank managers from Egypt (6), Jordan (1), and Sudan (1). Interviews were performed either face-to-face, by phone, or via Zoom and lasted approximately 45-75 min. After verbal consent, interviews were recorded and then transcribed. The authors performed a thematic analysis of the transcripts independently and then integrated the themes via a consensus process. RESULTS: Biobank managers discussed the main challenges in establishing their biobanks. These included the staff's lack of experience and training, limited funds, deficit awareness of biobanks, obtaining funding from different sources. Only four reported they were active in distributing biospecimens and health data to researchers. Six biobanks used a broad consent model, one used tiered consent, and another allowed participants to opt-out of being recontacted. Five managers avoided partnerships with pharmaceutical companies due to concerns with unfavorable reactions from the community. Five managers did not have clear policies for returning research results to the donors. Five expressed challenges with sample and data sharing with international collaborators; all five used material transfer agreements. The biobank managers revealed variable governance arrangements and activities with community involving awareness and educational efforts rather than active engagement. Several expressed the importance of transparency with the operations of their biobanks and gaining the trust of their stakeholders. CONCLUSION: Managers of biobanks in LMICs in the Arab Middle East encounter financial, operational, and social challenges toward their sustainability efforts. Discussions with key stakeholders are warranted to manage ethical issues involving informed consent, privacy, data sharing, and the return of results. We recommend that biobank managers in the Arab Middle East form collaborative networks within the region and internationally, develop trusting governance relationships with their stakeholders, and pursue engagement activities with their communities to enhance trust.

Perceptions, attitudes, and willingness of the public in low- and middle-income countries of the Arab region to participate in biobank research.

Population-based genomics studies have proven successful in identifying genetic variants associated with diseases. High-quality biospecimens linked with informative health data from diverse segments of the population have made such research possible. However, the success of biobank research depends on the willingness of the public to participate in this type of research. We aimed to explore the factors associated with the willingness of the public to participate in biobank research from four low- and middle-income countries in the Arab region (Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and Sudan). We used a previously validated questionnaire to assess several constructs that included the public's perceptions, attitudes, and willingness to participate in biobank research. We recruited 967 participants. More than half did not have prior awareness of biobanks. Participants' willingness to donate biospecimens and health data was less than 10%. Our results also showed that participants harbored concerns with trust, privacy, and with data-sharing involving international researchers. Predictors of willingness to participate in biobank research included no previous involvement in research and positive attitudes toward biobanks. Finally, our study showed several differences between the four countries regarding several of the investigated constructs. We conclude there should be additional efforts to raise public awareness and enhance perceptions of the public in biobanking research to enhance trust. We further recommend qualitative research to explore the underlying factors that contribute to the public's concerns with international data sharing that would enhance global health.

Gene expression analysis of invasive breast carcinoma yields differential patterns in luminal subtypes of breast cancer.

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease, and new biomarkers are needed for more accurate classification and prediction of prognosis. The goal of this study is to assess the expression of breast cancer classification genes, to identify new molecular signatures in different intrinsic subtypes of breast cancer and to correlate their expression with different clinical variables. The study included 84 female patients newly diagnosed with non-metastatic breast cancer at the outpatient clinic at the National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Egypt. Detection of 17 breast cancer classification genes was done using RT-PCR in tumor and normal tissues. Estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), HER2, and Ki67 expression were assessed using IHC assay for intrinsic subtyping. Combined expression of FOXA1 and GATA3 was statistically higher in luminal subtypes in comparison to non-luminal subtypes. In Luminal A subtype; GRB7, EGFR, PTGS2, ID1, and KRT5 were significantly downregulated. FOXA1 and GATA3 were significantly upregulated in luminal B subtype, where EGFR and PTGS2 were significantly downregulated. While ESR1, EGFR, KRT5 and PTGS2 showed significantly low expression in tumor tissue in Her2 enriched subtype, TFF3 was significantly downregulated in triple negative subtype. GATA3 and FOXA1 expression exhibited significant correlation with tumor grade. Furthermore, GATA3, FOXA1, ESR1, and ID1 were also correlated significantly with staging of the tumor. Combined expression of ESR1, FOXA1 and GATA3 represents a molecular signature of luminal subtypes. Long term follow-up is needed to investigate the prognostic effect of breast cancer classification genes found in this study.

Knowledge, Perceptions, and Attitude of Egyptians Towards the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been recognized as a pandemic by the World Health Organization. Global efforts have been exerted to prevent the spreading of the disease through political decisions together with personal behaviors, which depend on awareness of the public. The goal of this study is to assess the knowledge, perceptions and attitude of the Egyptian public towards the COVID-19 disease. We conducted a cross-sectional survey about these points, which was distributed among adult Egyptians. Five hundred and fifty nine persons completed the survey. The mean knowledge score was 16.39 out of 23, gained mainly though social media (66.9%), and the internet (58.3%). Knowledge was significantly lower among older, less educated, lower income participants, and rural residents. Most participants (86.9%) were concerned about the risk of infection. While 37.6% thought that their salary will be continued if they become isolated, 68.5% believed that it should be continued during this period. About 73.0% were looking forward to get the vaccine when available. In general, participants had a good knowledge about the disease and a positive attitude towards protective measures. This knowledge is gained mainly through novel media channels, which have pros and cons. Although the government has taken major steps to educate the public and limit the spread of the disease, more effort is needed to educate and support the lower economic strata. If a vaccine or a treatment is approved, we recommend a government control over its use to preserve the rights of the vulnerable and needy groups.

Researchers' Perspectives Regarding Ethical Issues of Biobank Research in the Arab Region.

Background: The recent expansion of genomic biobank research in the Arab region in the Middle East North Africa has raised complex ethical and regulatory issues. However, there is a lack of studies regarding the views of Arab researchers involved in such research. We aimed to assess the perceptions and attitudes of Arab researchers regarding these issues in biobank research. Methods: We developed a questionnaire to assess the perceptions and attitudes regarding genetic research of researchers from Egypt, Sudan, Morocco, and Jordan. The questionnaire requested demographic data, perceptions, and attitudes regarding the collection, storage, and use of biospecimens and data, the use of broad consent, data security, data sharing, and community engagement. We used multiple linear regressions to identify predictors of perceptions and attitudes. Results: We recruited 383 researchers. Researchers favored equally the use of broad and tiered consent (44.1% and 39.1%, respectively). Most respondents agreed with the importance of confidentiality protections to ensure data security (91.8%). However, lower percentages were seen regarding the importance of community engagement (64.5%), data sharing with national colleagues and international partners (60.9% and 41.1%, respectively), and biospecimen sharing with national colleagues and international partners (59.9% and 36.2%, respectively). Investigators were evenly split on whether the return of individual research results should depend on the availability or not of a medical intervention that can be offered to address the genetic anomaly (47.5% and 46.4%, respectively). Predictors of attitudes toward biospecimen research included serving on Research Ethics Committees, prior research ethics training, and affiliation with nonacademic institutions. Conclusions: We recommend further exploratory research with researchers regarding the importance of community engagement and to address their concerns about data sharing, with researchers within and outside their countries.

Monocyte to eosinophil ratio as a diagnostic biomarker for overlap syndrome and predictor of disease exacerbation.

Objectives: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is one of the most common pulmonary diseases. The concomitant association of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and COPD is known as the Overlap Syndrome (OS). This study aimed to identify markers for predicting OS, among routine laboratory tests, including differential blood counts.Methods: One hundred twenty-five patients with exacerbated COPD were enrolled in the study and screened for OSA using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Those with a positive ESS score underwent polysomnography (PSG) for confirmation. All patients were followed for 90 days to monitor for subsequent exacerbations.Results: Out of the 125 patients with exacerbated COPD, 25 were confirmed to have OSA. Those with OS had a significantly higher body mass index (BMI) (p < 0.001). The monocyte to eosinophil ratio (MER) was significantly higher in the OS group, while the neutrophil to monocyte (NMR) ratio and platelets to monocyte (PMR) ratio were significantly lower. Younger age, male sex, and higher body mass index (BMI) were all associated with OS. During the 90-day follow-up period after hospital discharge, 60% of patients with OS were re-admitted due to acute exacerbations. The hazard ratio for a second exacerbation increased by two-fold for every one-unit increase MER. The MER demonstrated excellent utility in predicting a second exacerbation, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 83% and a p-value of .005.Conclusion: The monocyte to eosinophil ratio (MER) was independent predictors of OS among exacerbated COPD patients and had a very good prognostic utility for predicting the next exacerbation episodes. Long term follow up is recommended to evaluate the severity of exacerbations and the effect of complications of OS on the morbidity and mortality of these patients.

Corrigendum: Factors influencing participation in COVID-19 clinical trials: a multinational study.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.608959.].

Circulating ESR1, long non-coding RNA HOTAIR and microRNA-130a gene expression as biomarkers for breast cancer stage and metastasis.

Breast cancer, the most prevalent cancer among women, has posed a significant challenge in identifying biomarkers for early diagnosis and prognosis. This study aimed to elucidate the gene expression profile of Estrogen Receptor-1 (ESR-1), long non-coding RNA HOTAIR, and microRNA-130a in the serum of Egyptian breast cancer patients, evaluating the potential of HOTAIR and miR-130a as biomarkers for predicting pathological parameters in BC. The study involved 45 patients with primary BC, with serum samples collected preoperatively and postoperatively twice. The expression levels of ESR-1, HOTAIR, and miR-130a were quantified using real-time PCR and analyzed for correlations with each other and with the clinical and pathological parameters of the patients. Serum HOTAIR levels exhibited a strong positive association with metastasis and demonstrated a significant increase after 6 months in all patients with locally advanced and stage IV BC. Conversely, tumors with advanced stages and metastatic lesions showed significantly lower expression levels of miR-130a. Notably, a significant positive correlation was observed between preoperative ESR-1 expression and both HOTAIR and miR-130a levels. Serum HOTAIR and miR-130a levels have emerged as promising non-invasive biomarkers with the potential to predict the pathological features of BC patients. HOTAIR, an oncogenic long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), and miR-130a, a tumor suppressor miRNA, play crucial roles in tumor progression. Further investigations are warranted to elucidate the intricate interplay between HOTAIR and miR-130a and to fully comprehend the contribution of HOTAIR to BC recurrence and its potential utility in early relapse prediction.

Predictors of post-COVID symptoms in Egyptian patients: Drugs used in COVID-19 treatment are incriminated.

OBJECTIVES: COVID-19 is a multisystem disease, and some patients suffer from physical or psychological symptoms for weeks or even months after infection, which is described as post-COVID syndrome. The goal of this study is evaluating the prevalence of post-COVID-19 symptoms among Egyptian patients and detecting the factors associated with the presence of these symptoms. METHODS: An on-line cross-sectional survey using Google Forms was used to conduct the present study, which took place between June and August 2021. RESULTS: Three hundred and ninety-six participants filled in the survey. The mean age of participants was 41.4 years. Most participants had mild to moderate COVID-19 (81.31%). The prevalence of post-COVID-19 symptoms was 87.63%, where the most frequent symptom was fatigue (60.86%). Female sex, the presence of comorbidities, lower degree of education, longer disease duration, as well as severe and critical forms of the disease were significantly associated with the presence of post-COVID symptoms. Using regression analysis, the predictors of post-COVID symptoms were severe and critical forms of the disease and intake of antibiotics and corticosteroids for treatment of COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 is followed by high prevalence of post-COVID symptoms. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report the relationship between the use of antibiotics and the development of post-COVID symptoms. We recommend further studies to understand this relationship. We also recommend restricting the use of these drugs to indicated cases according to the international guidelines. More studies are needed to gain better understanding of post-COVID symptoms especially in females.

HLA-B*15 predicts survival in Egyptian patients with COVID-19.

Genetic differences among individuals could affect the clinical presentations and outcomes of COVID-19. Human Leukocyte Antigens are associated with COVID-19 susceptibility, severity, and prognosis. This study aimed to identify HLA-B and -C genotypes among 69 Egyptian patients with COVID-19 and correlate them with disease outcomes and other clinical and laboratory data. HLA-B and -C typing was performed using Luminex-based HLA typing kits. Forty patients (58%) had severe COVID-19; 55% of these patients died, without reported mortality in the moderate group. The alleles associated with severe COVID-19 were HLA-B*41, -B*42, -C*16, and -C*17, whereas HLA-B*15, -C*7, and -C*12 were significantly associated with protection against mortality. Regression analysis showed that HLA-B*15 was the only allele associated with predicted protection against mortality, where the likelihood of survival increased with HLA-B*15 (P < 0.001). Patient survival was less likely to occur with higher total leukocytic count, ferritin, and creatinine levels. This study provides interesting insights into the association between HLA class I alleles and protection from or severity of COVID-19 through immune response modulation. This is the first study to investigate this relationship in Egyptian patients. More studies are needed to understand how HLA class I alleles interact and affect Cytotoxic T lymphocytes and natural killer cell function.

Sinopharm's BBIBP-CorV Vaccine and ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 Vaccine Are Associated with a Comparable Immune Response against SARS-CoV-2.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected millions of people worldwide. During the early stages of vaccination in Egypt, the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 and BBIBP-CorV vaccines were the most distributed. The aim of this study was to compare the immune responses and short-term efficacies of these two vaccines. We recruited adults who received two doses of either vaccine. Samples were collected after the first dose of ChAdOx1 nCoV-1 and after the second dose of both vaccines. Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 antigens were measured using LABScreen™ COVID Plus kits, and cell-mediated immune responses were assessed using flow cytometry. Of the 109 recruited subjects, 60 (55%) received the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine, and the remainder received the BBIBP-CorV vaccine. The total antibody level did not significantly differ between the two groups. The level of the anti-spike subunit 2 (S2) antibody was significantly higher in the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 group. The percentages of both total T cells and B cells were unaffected by the type of vaccination. However, the ChAdOx1 nCoV-1 vaccine was significantly associated with a higher percentage of CD8+ cells. The vaccines did not significantly differ in the number or severity of infections postvaccination. None of the participants were admitted to the hospital or died of COVID-19 infection. In conclusion, the BBIBP-CorV vaccine is associated with an immune response and protection against infection that is comparable to that of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-1 vaccine. Follow-up is needed to study the long-term protective effects of both vaccines. Inactivated vaccines are easier to manufacture in developing countries and their limited side effects may lead to better economic benefits by limiting the number of absences from work.

Knowledge, perceptions and attitude of Egyptian physicians towards biobanking issues.

OBJECTIVES: Collection and storage of biospecimens and data for biobanking raise many ethical concerns. Stakeholders' opinions about these ethical issues are important since they can help in the development of ethical guidelines to govern biobanking activities. Physicians are among the important stakeholders since they contact potential participants and could be biobank users. The goal of this study is to evaluate the perceptions and attitude of Egyptian physicians towards ethical issues in biobanking. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was designed and distributed with the target group between November 2019 and January 2020. RESULTS: The questionnaire was completed by 223 physicians. While 65.5% reported hearing the term "Biobanking" before, 45.7% knew that there are biobanks in Egypt. Participants had a general positive attitude towards the value of biobanks in research. About 73% agreed that biobanks can share biospecimens with international research organizations, but only 42.6% supported collaboration with pharmaceutical companies, and 44% agreed to the use of user fees by biobanks. About 48% supported the use of broad consent in biobanks, and 73.1% believed that donors of biospecimens should be informed about results of research performed on their biospecimens. CONCLUSION: Although many Egyptian physicians heard about biobanking, they had limited knowledge about the existence of biobanks in Egypt. They had concerns about commercialization, use of broad consent and user fees. A knowledge gap exists among these stakeholders, which should be covered by different educational activities. Community discussions should start to reach consensus about the issues of commercialization and return of research results.

Virtual educational meetings and activities during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond: Egyptian oncologists' experience.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had ramifications for most healthcare activities, including medical education and communication aspects. Virtual educational meetings and activities (VEMAs) have been utilised tremendously in the pandemic era, reflecting a transition to new horizons of cyberspace. This creates the need to explore possible challenges for the implementation of such services in the rapidly evolving field of oncology. The aim of our study is to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on VEMAs in the oncology community in Egypt. It focused on the evaluation of current attitudes, satisfaction and expectations of Egyptian oncologists during and beyond the COVID-19 era. The study is a cross-sectional study using a survey that was distributed through social media. It targeted Egyptian oncologists during the months of May and June 2020. A total of 118 participants completed the survey and most of them were younger than 35 years (71%). Most participants (93.2%) agreed that COVID-19 affected the stream of live medical educational meetings. About three-quarters of them attended VEMAs during the COVID-19 period compared to 50% prior to the pandemic. The majority reported that evening hours after 8 PM was the best time to attend VEMAs and 1 hour is the optimal duration for a virtual meeting. Although the COVID-19 pandemic appeared as an unprecedented challenge for medical education, it can be a catalyst for VEMAs, especially in a rapidly evolving field such as oncology. Further research is needed to assess whether learners are ready and willing to make greater use of online educational platforms and investigate the possible barriers and strategies to enhance their use.

Factors Influencing Participation in COVID-19 Clinical Trials: A Multi-National Study.

In 2020, the World Health Organization has characterized COVID-19, a disease caused by infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, as a pandemic. Although a few vaccines and drugs have been approved to, respectively, prevent or treat the disease, several clinical trials are still ongoing to test new vaccines or drugs to mitigate the burden of the pandemic. Few studies have shown the role of host genetics in disease prognosis and drug response highlighting the importance of diverse participation in COVID-19 clinical trials. The goal of this study is to assess public attitudes in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan toward participating in COVID-19 clinical trials and to identify the factors that may influence their attitude. An online questionnaire was developed and distributed among the target group through social media platforms. The number of responses was 1,576. Three quarters (74.9%) of participants heard about clinical trials before, 57.6% of them had a positive attitude toward participation in COVID-19 clinical trials. The conduct of clinical trials in accordance with the scientific, research, and ethical guidelines was a strong predictor of willingness to participate in clinical trials. Other positive factors also included protection of family from COVID-19 and contributing to the return to normal community life as well as receiving additional healthcare benefit was the fourth significant predictor. On the other hand, the thought that clinical trials can have a negative impact on the health of participants strongly predicted the unwillingness of individuals to participate in such trials. This was followed by having limited information about the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 and the lack of trust in physicians and hospitals. In general, Arab citizens are accepting the concept and have a positive attitude toward COVID-19 clinical trials. Increasing awareness of COVID-19 and clinical trials, enforcing the concept of altruism, and placing clear policies in conducting clinical trials are needed to increase participation in clinical trials among Arabs.

Development and Validation of a Biobank Questionnaire Intended for the Public in the Arab Region.

Background: Assessing the public perspectives regarding donation of biospecimens to biobanks would be helpful with the establishment of biobanks in the Arab region. Objective: To develop a biobanking questionnaire in Arabic and assess its psychometric properties. Design: Multicenter cross-sectional study. Methods: We used a two-step process for questionnaire development. First, we decided on the important constructs for a questionnaire followed by development of an item pool through review of the scientific literature and published questionnaires. The questionnaire was refined through cognitive interviews and translation. An expert panel assessed content validity. The final questionnaire included five domains: perceptions; aspects important to participation in biobank research; preferences for type of biobank; attitudes toward biobanking; and willingness to participate in biobank research. Second, we distributed the questionnaire to 250 members of the public from Egypt, Jordan, Sudan, and Morocco to assess the questionnaire's psychometric properties, including reliability (internal consistency and Cronbach's alpha) and construct validity (convergent and divergent validity and exploratory factor analysis [EFA]). Results: Internal consistency yielded a range of Cronbach's alpha for the five domains from 0.62 to 0.80. EFA showed a 12-factorial solution. Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy was 0.907 and Bartlett's test of sphericity was significant (p < 0.005). Attitudes were positively correlated with willingness to donate (r = 0.30; p < 0.001). Conclusions: The final biobank Arabic language questionnaire showed excellent reliability and acceptable validity parameters. The newly developed Arabic questionnaire is the first psychometrically tested tool that can be used in the Arab region to assess the public perspectives on participation in biobanking research.

Social Stigma: The Hidden Threat of COVID-19.

COVID-19 infection has been recognized as a pandemic by the World Health Organization. Efforts to prevent the spread of the disease are threatened by the appearance of disease-associated social stigma in society. In Egypt, a small wave of stigma directed at different groups started to appear. Here we report the features of COVID-19-associated stigma in Egypt and suggest recommendations to overcome this stigma before it grows and have physical and psychological impacts on society.

CRISPR-mediated gene modification of hematopoietic stem cells with beta-thalassemia IVS-1-110 mutation.

BACKGROUND: ß-Thalassemias represent a group of genetic disorders caused by human hemoglobin beta (HBB) gene mutations. The radical curative approach is to correct the mutations causing the disease. CRISPR-CAS9 is a novel gene-editing technology that can be used auspiciously for the treatment of these disorders. The study aimed to investigate the utility of CRISPR-CAS9 for gene modification of hematopoietic stem cells in ß-thalassemia with IVS-1-110 mutation. METHODS AND RESULTS: We successfully isolated CD34+ cells from peripheral blood of ß-thalassemia patients with IVS-1-110 mutation. The cells were transfected with Cas9 endonuclease together with guide RNA to create double-strand breaks and knock out the mutation. The mutation-corrected CD34+ cells were subjected to erythroid differentiation by culturing in complete media containing erythropoietin. CONCLUSION: CRISPR/Cas-9 is an effective tool for gene therapy that will broaden the spectrum of therapy and potentially improve the outcomes of ß-thalassemia.

Prevalence, Associated Factors, and Consequences of Burnout Among Egyptian Physicians During COVID-19 Pandemic.

Objectives: COVID-19 has been recognized as a pandemic by the World Health Organization, and physicians are at the frontline to confront the disease. Burnout syndrome (BOS) is a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. The objective of this study is to evaluate the frequency and associated risk factors of BOS among a sample of Egyptian physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Using Maslach Burnout Inventory Human Services Survey, a cross-sectional electronic survey was conducted to assess BOS among the target group. Results: Two hundred and twenty physicians participated in the study. The frequency of BOS among the research group was 36.36%. The possibility of development of BOS increased two times with the need to buy personal protective equipment (PPE) from participants' own money, with harassment by patients' families, and was less likely to develop in doctors with older age. While male gender was a predictor of depersonalization (DP), female gender showed a significant association with higher emotional exhaustion (EE). Infection or death from COVID-19 among colleagues or relatives showed significant association with elevated EE and lowered personal achievement (PA), respectively. Conclusion: COVID-19 pandemic added new factors to the development of BOS in our research group. Several measures should be taken to support physicians at this stage. These measures include psychological support, organizing work hours, adjusting salaries, and providing personal protective equipment and training on safety measures.