Dietary pattern, physical activity and body composition of Children with and without Down Syndrome - A case control study.

Background: Down syndrome (DS) is a known chromosomal disorder that results in changes in physical and clinical characteristics. Subjects with DS are more likely to be obese or overweight and have some recognized nutrition related problems. The objectives of this study are to compare body composition, food consumption pattern and physical activity level of children with and without DS. Methods: A case-control study of 82 participants (32 cases and 50 controls) was done. Anthropometric data related to weight, height, waist circumference, fat mass and fat free mass were obtained from the subjects. Food frequency questionnaire and survey were used to evaluate the dietary intake from 8 food groups and physical activity, respectively. Results: Children with DS exhibited significantly less intake of fruits and leafy vegetables (P < 0.05) compared to controls. There was no significant difference in the average number of sport activities that both children with DS and NDS were involved in, male with DS preferred dancing (P = 0.028) while NDS preferred football (P = 0.008). Statistically significant difference between the cases and controls was found in female fat mass (P = 0.043), waist circumference (P = 0.024, 0.007), hip circumference (P = 0.05, 0.011) and waist to height ratio (P < 0.001) of both male and female children with and without DS. Conclusion: Abdominal obesity is a major health concern among children with DS, indicating their increased risk of comorbidities associated with abdominal obesity such as insulin resistance. Their tendency to consume simple carbohydrate instead of fiber rich food, fruits and vegetables might further increase their risk of obesity. Perception of the dietary and physical activity preferences could help in the development of a life style program for higher quality of life.

Are dietary pattern associated with alexithymia in Saudi adults?

BACKGROUND: Alexithymia is characterized by difficulties in describing feelings and physical sensations. Few studies have shown that there is a relation between alexithymia and dietary habits. OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of alexithymia and its association with dietary patterns among a sample of communities in the Eastern Region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a sample of 247 participants, were selected using convenience sampling. A well-organized and valid online questionnaire was administered, which covered variables related to socio-demographic data, anthropometric measurements, dietary patterns, and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS). RESULTS: The prevalence of Alexithymia was found as 39.3%. Moreover, among the alexithymia and possible alexithymia groups, the majority eat pasta 1-4 times per week (70% and 67% respectively). Alexithemic participants eat fewer vegetables and fruits 46%), while the remaining eat more (70%), p = .001. Only 34% of the cases eat breakfast regularly (p = .005). Furthermore, the cases drink soft drinks and juices at meals more than controls in this study (p = .025). CONCLUSION: The present study provides further experimental evidence which supports existing literature that indicating the strong association between alexithymia and unhealthy dietary patterns. Also, Alexithymia prevalence in our study is (39.3%) ; because of the cultural impact of the Saudi environment due to the fact that the face of Saudi women is not revealed, and because the face is one of the main sources of expression of feelings, which makes females unable to express or read feelings well.

Molecular Surveillance of Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii.

Acinetobacter baumannii, a bacterial strain which demonstrates an elevated wide range multidrug resistance to commonly prescribed antibiotics, has been linked to recent major global outbreaks, raising a major clinical concern. Its reduced antibiotic susceptibility is closely related to the acquisition of a potent carbapenemase and/or intrinsic gene "over expression" through insertion sequences. Hence, this study aimed at investigating the antimicrobial susceptibility and molecular mechanisms underlying ß-lactam resistance in A. baumannii, isolated at an academic medical centre. To understand the basis of resistance, 103 multidrug-resistant (MDR) A. baumannii isolates were collected, their antibiotic susceptibility was tested phenotypically, and then molecular analyses were performed, by testing a range of commonly encountered carbapenemases-OXA-51, OXA-23, NDM, VIM, and KPC. All strains demonstrated pan-resistance to most of the advanced antibiotics tested, including piperacillin/tazobactam, ceftazidime, cefepime, and ciprofloxacin. Moreover, majority of isolates exhibited resistance to imipenem (98.1%) and trimethoprim (90.3%). Approximately 50% of the strains showed meropenem, amikacin, and gentamycin resistance; however, lower resistance rate to tigecycline (4.9%) was noted. Moreover, isolates contained potent carbapenemases such as the intrinsic OXA-51 (89.3%), as well as the acquired resistant genes OXA-23 (68.9%), NDM (84.5%), and VIM (88.3%). The insertion sequence element ISAba1 was only detected in 35.9% of the strains. Potent resistant genes known to be carried on mobile genetic elements that aid the spread of highly resistant phenotypes were observed in a majority of isolates. These findings enforce the need for vigilant infection control measures and continuous surveillance.

Effects of radiotherapy on olfaction and nasal function in head and neck cancer patients.

PURPOSE: Radiotherapy (RT) is a major component of treatment in head and neck malignancies and often the radiation field includes the nasal cavity and olfactory cleft region. We aimed to assess olfaction, mucociliary clearance time and quality of life (QOL) before RT and during the course of radiotherapy. METHODS: This prospective, observational, cohort study was conducted over a period of 1 year. The olfactory function, mucociliary clearance and QOL of patients with primary head and neck cancers undergoing radiation therapy as part of treatment were assessed prior to radiotherapy and followed up serially up to 3 months after radiotherapy. A total of 21 patients were enrolled. Assessment was done using noninvasive tests for better compliance and ease of examination. RESULTS: Among the 21 patients recruited, 18 completed radiotherapy and 13 were assessed 3 months post radiotherapy. Mean olfactory scores (including olfactory threshold and odor identification), using Connecticut Chemosensory Clinical Research Center (CCCRC) test, deteriorated significantly at the end of radiotherapy (p < 0.001) as compared to scores before irradiation. Subjective assessment of olfaction by Appetite, Hunger and Sensory perception (AHSP) questionnaire did not demonstrate significant impairment in nasal function (p < 0.319) although overall QOL significantly deteriorated (p 0.004). The mucociliary clearance time was prolonged in 72% of the patients at the end of radiotherapy. CONCLUSION: Deterioration in olfactory function was found to occur during the course of radiotherapy with gradual improvement after 3 months. However, patients did not notice olfactory dysfunction subjectively. Mucociliary dysfunction persisted even after 3 months following radiation.

Nonnutritive Sucking at the Mother's Breast Facilitates Oral Feeding Skills in Premature Infants: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Premature infants have difficulties in transitioning from gavage to breastfeeding. Targeted interventions to support breastfeeding in premature infants in the neonatal intensive care unit are scarce. PURPOSE: This pilot study evaluates the effectiveness of nonnutritive sucking at the mother's breast in premature infants to facilitate breastfeeding performance and exclusive breastfeeding. METHODS: The study design constituted a single-blinded randomized control trial, with 9 participants randomly allocated into experimental (n = 4) and control (n = 5) groups. The intervention, nonnutritive sucking at the mother's breast thrice a day for 5 minutes, till nutritive breastfeeding was started, was done in addition to standard care, which was nonnutritive sucking on a finger during gavage feeds. The control group received only standard care. Nonnutritive sucking was assessed using "Stages of Nonnutritive Sucking Scale," and breastfeeding performance was assessed using the "Preterm Infant Breastfeeding Behavior Scale" by a blinded assessor unaware of the infants' allocation. RESULTS: Five infants in the control arm and 4 in the intervention arm completed the study. The infants in the intervention group showed faster transition to mature stages of nonnutritive sucking (P = .05) and had longer sucking bursts during breastfeeding (P = .06) than those in the control group. There was no difference in the rates of exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months in the intervention and control groups. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Early initiation of nonnutritive sucking at the mother's breast in very preterm infants is a safe and effective intervention to facilitate maturation of oral feeding and breastfeeding behavior. IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH: Nonnutritive sucking at the mother's breast can be explored as an intervention, with a larger sample, to facilitate exclusive breastfeeding and to establish intervention fidelity.

Testicular Volume in a Cohort of Prepubertal Indian Children.

CONTEXT: There are orchidometer-based testicular volume nomograms for Indian children; however, accurate and reliable values measured by ultrasound are lacking. AIMS: The aim of this study was to (1) measure the testicular volumes of boys from birth to 8 years and generate reference values and (2) to identify factors if any that may influence variation in testicular volumes. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This was a prospective observational study conducted on 320 children in the Department of Pediatric Surgery, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 320 boys without any genital abnormalities were studied. The testes were scanned using a linear transducer, and the length, width, and depth of each testis were recorded. Testicular volume was calculated using Lambert's equation - length × width × depth × 0.71. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Mean testicular volumes and standard deviation for every year of age were calculated. The centile values for testicular volume were computed using R software. RESULTS: Age-specific nomogram of each testis was created separately. Interobserver variability of the measurement was shown to be up to 0.3 ml. No difference was demonstrated in the testicular volumes between the right and left testis. No correlation was found between body weight and body mass index with testicular volume. From the data on differences in size between the two sides, a volume differential index of 27% corresponds to the 95th centile. CONCLUSIONS: Reference values have been created for testicular volumes in prepubertal Indian children that could be used to assess the effects of disease and surgical interventions in this age group.

Changes in central venous oxygen saturation, lactates, and ST segment changes in a V lead ECG with changes in hemoglobin in neurosurgical patients undergoing craniotomy and tumor excision: A prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The aim of the study was to observe the trends in central venous oxygen saturation (ScvO2), lactate, and ST segment changes with change in hemoglobin in patients undergoing acute blood loss during surgery and to assess their role as blood transfusion trigger. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Seventy-seven consecutive patients undergoing craniotomy at a tertiary care institution were recruited for this study after obtaining written, informed consent. After establishing standard monitoring, anesthesia was induced with standard anesthetic protocol. Hemodynamic parameters such as heart rate, blood pressure (mean, systolic, diastolic), pulse pressure variation (PPV), and physiological parameters such as lactate, ScvO2, ST segment changes were checked at baseline, before and after blood transfusion and at the end of the procedure. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Comparison of the mean and standard deviation for the hemodynamic parameters was performed between the transfused and nontransfused patient groups. Pearson correlation test was done to assess the correlation between the covariates. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed for the ScvO2 variable, which was used as a transfusion trigger and the cutoff value at 100% sensitivity and 75% specificity was constructed. Linear regression analysis was done between the change in hemoglobin and the change in ScvO2 and change in hemoglobin and change in the ST segment. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant positive correlation between the change in ScvO2 and change in hemoglobin during acute blood loss with a regression coefficient of 0.8 and also between change in ST segment and hemoglobin with a regression coefficient of -0.132. No significant change was observed with lactate. The ROC showed a ScvO2 cutoff of 64.5% with a 100% sensitivity and 75% specificity with area under curve of 0.896 for blood transfusion requirement. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that ScvO2 and ST change may be considered as physiological transfusion triggers in patients requiring blood transfusion in the intraoperative period.

Evaluation of hand function in healthy individuals and patients undergoing uninstrumented central corpectomy for cervical spondylotic myelopathy using nine-hole peg test.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the hand function in healthy individuals and in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) undergoing central corpectomy using the nine-hole peg test (NHPT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The NHPT was performed in healthy adults and in patients with CSM; overall, five trials were performed in the right and left hand separately. The preoperative and follow up NHPT score was compared to the normal and correlated with Nurick and modified Japanese Orthopedic Association (mJOA) scales. RESULTS: The NHPT score was significantly less in adult healthy female compared to adult healthy male subjects (difference, 0.71 s, P < 0.002). The distribution of the NHPT scores in normal adults followed the normal binomial distribution. The time taken to perform the NHPT with the right hand was significantly lower than the time taken to perform the NHPT with the left hand in both the sexes (P < 0.001). Thirty-six of the 47 patients with CSM (76.6%) had a prolonged preoperative NHPT score. There was a strong negative correlation between the preoperative NHPT score and the preoperative upper limb component of the modified-Japanese Orthopedic Association (UlmJOA) score. No significant change was detected in the NHPT score at one week postoperatively. On follow-up at six months or more (n = 21), the NHPT score normalized in five (35.7%) of the 14 patients in whom it was prolonged preoperatively. The NHPT score remained the same as the preoperative status in the other 16 patients, 7 of whom had a normal score preoperatively. The change in the NHPT score at follow-up did not correlate with the change in the UlmJOA score. CONCLUSIONS: Normative data among the Indian population suggest that female subjects have significantly lower scores than the male ones, and that there is a difference between the two sides that needs to be considered while reporting the NHPT scores in disease. The NHPT scores were prolonged preoperatively in CSM and showed a correlation with the UlmJOA score, and there was no significant change noted at one week follow-up. While the NHPT score is a good quantitative test to evaluate hand function in patients with CSM and could detect subtle hand dysfunction preoperatively, it has a limited role, when used alone, to detect changes in hand function postoperatively.

Demographics and outcomes of surgically treated right sided colon cancer in India: a 9-year single institution experience.

Background: There is sparse Indian data on right colon cancer. Available literature suggests that it affects the young and survival is poor. Aim: This article reviews demographics and outcomes of surgically treated right sided colon cancer over a nine year period in a single colorectal unit in a tertiary care teaching hospital. Methods: A retrospective review of all patients undergoing right hemicolectomy for adenocarcinoma of the colon between January 2004 and December 2012 was undertaken. Data was collected from hospital records and telephonic interview when possible. Results: Two hundred and thirteen patients were studied. Mean age was 49 years with 57.1% being 50 years or younger. Stage 1 disease was seen in 9.9%, stage 2 in 35.2%, stage 3 in 42.3%, and stage 4 in 12.7%. Follow up was available for 81.6% with a mean follow up of 35.6 months. Five year disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) was 81% and 74%. Presence of lymphovascular invasion and age >50 years were predictors of poor survival. Poor prognostic features on histopathology were not different between the young and the old. The 5 year DFS was similar in both, but the 5 year OS was better for the young (90% vs. 73%, p=0.029). Conclusion: Patients with right colon cancer are younger in India. They have similar histopathology when compared to the older population. Operable right colon cancer has an excellent prognosis. Five year DFS is similar in the young and the old, but OS is lower in the older population.

Supraphysiological 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 level at admission is associated with illness severity and mortality in critically ill patients.

We studied the association between admission serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 level and in-hospital mortality in a prospective cohort of critically ill patients admitted to the medical intensive care unit of a tertiary care referral center. Of the 180 patients enrolled, 129 were included. Vitamin D3 deficiency was observed in 37% (n = 48) and supra-physiological levels (≥250 nmol/L) in 15.5% (n = 20). Patients with supraphysiological vitamin D3 levels were grouped as outliers. There was no difference in mortality (p = 0.41) between vitamin D3 deficient (21/48) and non-deficient (36/81) patients in analysis with and without outliers. Patients with vitamin D3 ≥250 nmol/L had a significantly higher (p = 0.02) Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS) II and mortality (p = 0.003) [mean (SD) 60.1 ± 17.1 and 75% (15/20), respectively] when compared with the rest [45.6 ± 18 and 38.5% (42/109), respectively]. The sensitivity, specificity and SAPS II independent odds ratio to predict mortality in patients with supraphysiological vitamin D3 levels were 26.3, 93.1 and 3.7% (95% confidence interval 1.2-11.4; p = 0.03), respectively. In conclusion, vitamin D3 deficiency in our cohort was not associated with mortality. A patient subset with supra-physiological vitamin D levels had higher illness severity scores and mortality. Extrinsic factors interfering with test results were ruled out. A biological hypothesis to explain this observation is proposed. Further clarification of mechanisms leading to this observation is warranted.

Small for gestational age births among South Indian women: temporal trend and risk factors from 1996 to 2010.

BACKGROUND: The birth weight and gestational age at birth are two important variables that define neonatal morbidity and mortality. In developed countries, chronic maternal diseases like hypertension, diabetes mellitus, renal disease or collagen vascular disease is the most common cause of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Maternal nutrition, pregnancy induced hypertension, chronic maternal infections, and other infections such as cytomegalovirus, parvovirus, rubella and malaria are the other causes of IUGR. The present study examines the secular trend of Small for Gestational Age (SGA) over 15 years and risk factors for SGA from a referral hospital in India. METHODS: Data from 1996 to 2010 was obtained from the labour room register. A rotational sampling scheme was used i.e. 12 months of the year were divided into 4 quarters. Taking into consideration all deliveries that met the inclusion criteria, babies whose birth weights were less than 10(th) percentile of the cut off values specific for gestational ages, were categorized as SGA. Only deliveries of live births that occurred between 22 and 42 weeks of pregnancy were considered in this study. Besides bivariate analyses, multivariable logistic regression analysis was done. Nagelkerke R(2) statistics and Hosmer and Lemeshow chi-square statistics were used as goodness of fit statistics. RESULTS: Based on the data from 36,674 deliveries, the incidence of SGA was 11.4% in 1996 and 8.4% in 2010. Women who had multiple pregnancies had the higher odds of having SGA babies, 2.8 (2.3-3.3) times. The women with hypertensive disease had 1.8 (1.5-1.9) times higher odds of having SGA. Underweight women had 1.7 (1.3 - 2.1) times and anaemic mothers had 1.29 (1.01 - 1.6) times higher odds. The mothers who had cardiac disease were 1.4 (1.01 - 2.0) times at higher odds for SGA. In teenage pregnancies, the odds of SGA was 1.3 (1.1 - 1.5) times higher than mothers in the age group 20 to 35 years. CONCLUSIONS: There is a significant reduction in the incidence of SGA by 26% over 15 years. The women with the above modifiable risk factors need to be identified early and provided with health education on optimal birth weight.

Gender Differences in Prevalence of Sleepy Driving Among Young Drivers in Saudi Arabia.

Introduction: Sleepy driving is associated with Motor Vehicles Accidents (MVAs). In Saudi Arabia, previous studies have addressed this association among men only. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of sleepy driving and associated factors between genders. Methods: In a cross-sectional study design, we offered a self-administered online questionnaire to 3272 participants from different regions of Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire included 46 questions covering sociodemographics, driving habits, sleeping habits, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and Berlin questionnaire to assess the risk of sleep apnea. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to determine the significant factors associated with self-reported sleepy driving, defined as operating a motor vehicle while feeling sleepy in the preceding six months. Results: Of the 3272 invitees, 2958 (90%) completed the questionnaire, of which 1414 (48%) were women. The prevalence of sleepy driving in the preceding six months was 42% (men: 50% and women 32%, p<0.001). Specifically, participants reported the following: 12% had had to stop their vehicle due to sleepiness (men: 16.2% and women 7%, p<0.001), 12.4% reported near-miss accidents (men: 16.2% and women: 8.2%, p<0.001) and 4.2% reported an accident due to sleepiness (men: 4.3% and women: 4%, p=0.645). In multivariable analysis, being male, younger age, use of any type of medications, shift working, working more than 12 hours per day, driving duration of 3-5 hours per day, driving experience of more than 2 years, excessive daytime sleepiness and risk of having obstructive sleep apnea were all associated with increased likelihood of falling asleep while driving in the preceding 6 months. Conclusion: Sleepy driving and MVA are prevalent in both gender but was higher in men. Future public health initiatives should particularly focus on men, since men reported a greater likelihood of both sleep-related MVA and "near miss" events.

New birth weight reference standards customised to birth order and sex of babies from South India.

BACKGROUND: The foetal growth standards for Indian children which are available today suffer due to methodological problems. These are, for example, not adhering to the WHO recommendation to base gestational age on the number of completed weeks and secondly, not excluding mothers with risk factors. This study has addressed both the above issues and in addition provides birthweight reference ranges with regard to sex of the baby and maternal parity. METHODS: Data from the labour room register from 1996 to 2010 was obtained. A rotational sampling scheme was used i.e. the 12 months of the year were divided into 4 quadrants. All deliveries in January were considered to represent the first quadrant. Similarly all deliveries in April, July and October were considered to represent 2nd, 3rd and 4th quadrants. In each successive year different months were included in each quadrant. Only those mothers aged 20-39 years and delivered between 24 to 42 weeks gestational age were considered. Those mothers with obstetric risk factors were excluded. The reference standards were fitted using the Generalized Additive Models for Location Scale and Shape (GAMLSS) method for Box-Cox t distribution with cubic spline smoothing. RESULTS: There were 41,055 deliveries considered. When women with risk factors were excluded 19,501 deliveries could be included in the final analysis. The male babies of term firstborn were found to be 45 g heavier than female babies. The mean birthweights were 2934 g and 2889.5 g respectively. Similarly, among the preterm babies, the first born male babies weighed 152 g more than the female babies. The mean birthweights were 1996 g and 1844 g respectively.In the case of later born babies, the term male babies weighed 116 grams more than the females. The mean birth weights were 3085 grams and 2969 grams respectively. When considering later born preterm babies, the males outweighed the female babies by 111 grams. The mean birthweights were 2089 grams and 1978 grams respectively. There was a substantial agreement range from k=.883, (p<.01) to k=.943, (p<.01) between adjusted and unadjusted percentile classification for the subgroups of male and female babies and first born and later born ones.Birth weight charts were adjusted for maternal height using regression methods. The birth weight charts for the first born and later born babies were regrouped into 4 categories, including male and female sexes of the babies. Reference ranges were acquired both for term and preterm babies.With economic reforms, one expects improvement in birthweights. The mean (sd) birthweights of the year 1996 was 2846 (562) as compared to year 2010 (15 years later) which was 2907 (571). There was only a difference of 61 grams in the mean birthweights over one and a half decade. CONCLUSION: New standards are presented from a large number of deliveries over 15 years, customised to the maternal height, from a south Indian tertiary hospital. Reference ranges are made available separately for first born or later born babies, for male and female sexes and for term and preterm babies.

Induction of labor using Foley catheter with weight attached versus without weight attached: A randomized control trial.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness in preventing cesarean section for failed induction by using Foley catheter for cervical ripening in comparison to Foley catheter with a weight attached to it. METHODS: A randomized control trial conducted between November 2018 and July 2020, which looked at induction of labor with 30-ml Foley catheter in one arm and the Foley placed with a 500 ml weight attached to it in the other arm. Primary outcome was the cesarean section rate. RESULTS: We randomized 399 women. Modes of delivery were similar in both groups. Numbers undergoing cesarean section for failed induction were higher in the group that underwent induction with Foley with weight but this was not statistically significant (45.7% vs 26.5%, P = 0.1). There was a shorter time to expulsion of the Foley with weight attached (mean ± standard deviation: 2.6 ± 3.3 h vs 10.9 ± 3.2 h, P < 0.001) but this did not translate into a difference in time to active labor or time to delivery. CONCLUSION: Placing a weight at the end of the Foley catheter for induction of labor does not affect the time to delivery or the rate of cesarean deliveries, although there is faster expulsion of the Foley. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NO: CTRI/2018/10/016154.

Spectrum of Chromosomal Abnormalities Detected by Conventional Cytogenetic Analysis Following Invasive Prenatal Testing of Fetuses with Abnormal Ultrasound Scans.

Objectives: The frequent association between malformations and chromosomal abnormalities is now well-established. This study looks at the incidence and type of chromosomal abnormalities detected by conventional cytogenetic analysis in women undergoing invasive tests following detection of fetal anomalies on antenatal scans as well as incidence of other genetic abnormalities detected by DNA analysis of fetuses with congenital anomalies that had a normal karyotype. Materials and Methods: A retrospective, observational study of pregnant women undergoing invasive testing following identification of fetal anomalies by ultrasonography was carried out in a tertiary care facility, Vellore, India, between 2011 and 2018. Results: 169 women underwent an invasive diagnostic procedure following detection of fetal anomalies. The most common indication for doing fetal karyotype was the presence of major fetal structural anomalies (142/169, 84%) with over a third (48/142, 34%) having multisystem involvement. Fetal hydrops was the next most common indication, detected in 18/169 (10%) fetuses. Aneuploidy was seen 19 of 25 fetuses (76%) with an abnormal karyotype with autosomal aneuploidy accounting for 13 (68%) and sex chromosome aneuploidy for seven (37%) of the fetuses. One fetus had double aneuploidy. In fetuses with normal karyotype, no additional information was obtained from further genetic testing. Conclusions: The overall detection rate of chromosomal abnormalities in our study using conventional cytogenetic analysis was 14.8%, the majority (72%) being associated with structural malformations, 20% with non-immune hydrops and 4% with soft markers. Abnormal karyotypes were seen in 12.7% of fetuses with structural malformations.

Sustaining blended and online learning during the normal and new normal conditions in a Saudi higher education institution: health science students' perspectives.

Background: Higher education institutions (HEIs) shifted from in-person attendance to blended and online learning due to the COVID-19 lockdowns. Objective: This study investigated the students' perception of satisfaction, convenience, engagement, and learning towards blended and online courses conducted before, during, and after the COVID-19 lockdowns. Methods: A longitudinal study design was adopted to examine the students' perception of online and blended learning courses before, during, and after the COVID-19 lockdowns. The subjects consist of Health science students (N = 130) belonging to two different colleges of a public university and the study period includes three academic years (i.e., six semesters) (2018-2021). A survey tool was developed to collect data from students studying the computer fundamentals course through blended and online learning modes from 2018 to 2021. Results: Over 95% of students have been satisfied with the course offered through various blended learning formats since 2018. The blended 0.50-course format is the most preferred one for the students; however, the Blended 0.75-course format is highly rated by the students regarding their satisfaction and engagement than other learning formats during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Following adaption after COVID-19, the students reported a high perception of learning towards the course when delivered through 100% online learning mode. Conclusion: Students' achievement is significantly associated with the learning modes, exam modes, and various student batches. The blended 0.75-course format group shows a higher achievement than the other three-course format groups. Likewise, those students who appeared in their exams online showed higher achievement than those who appeared physically. Further, the students felt equally convenient with Blended 0.75 and 100% online learning course formats. These findings would also help HEIs choose appropriate learning and examination modes while designing courses.

The association between two genetic polymorphisms in ITGB3 and increase risk of venous thromboembolism in cancer patients in Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is one of the major complications in most cancer patients leading to poor prognosis and short survival. Several common clinical risk factors coexist in cancer patients are used as risk predictive biomarkers to help in the management and prevention of VTE. These include cancer site and stage, chemotherapy regimen and elevated biological markers. However, Genetic polymorphisms in genes controlling coagulation and fibrinolysis are significantly associated with VTE if detected, then they might be more sensitive individual predictive biomarkers for VTE risk assessment. This study was conducted to evaluate the association between ITGB3 rs3809865 and rs5918 with VTE risk as well as monitor the effect of VTE on overall survival of these cancer patients. In this retrospective case-control study, 195 cancer patients' formalin-fixed paraffin embedded tissue (FFPE) samples were collected (controls n = 157, case n = 38) using the stored data through Jan 2010 to Sep 2018 from King Fahad Specialist Hospital in Dammam. Samples were genotyped using TaqMan genotyping assay, then logistic regression analysis and Chi-square were used to predict the association between risk factors and VTE. Survival Comparison was tested by the log-rank test. Genetic polymorphisms in ITGB3 (rs3809865 and rs5918) found not to be associated with VTE increasing risk in cancer patients (p>0.05). While the advanced stage was potentially increasing the risk of VTE events (OR 5.1 CI 2.01-12.9p = 0.001). Patients with VTE showed a poor overall survival reflected by the median survival rate of only three years compared to seven years for cancer patients without VTE. This study highlighted the potential influence of VTE on prognosis and survival of cancer patients and raised the importance of exploring risk predictive biomarkers in our population. This will improve the risk prediction biomarkers leading to implementing safe and effective thrombosis prophylaxis strategies.

Surgical management of the acute paediatric scrotum: a three-year single centre experience.

BACKGROUND: Acute scrotal pain is a common emergency presentation in paediatric surgery. Torsion of the testicular appendage (TTA) is the most common cause for pain, with testicular torsion (TT) being the sinister pathology to exclude. Outcomes are time dependent, and a delayed scrotal exploration could result in testicular loss. METHODS: We performed a review on a large retrospective cohort of 449 surgical scrotal explorations at a large referral paediatric surgical centre over three years. RESULTS: Only about a quarter of children with testicular pain presented within 4 h. TT is commonly associated with nausea and an abnormal lie. Two children with a classical 'blue dot' sign were later found to have a testicular torsion. 19% of all children with a TTA were also seen to have Bell clapper anomaly (BCA). Recurrent testicular pain was associated with 84.7% (p < 0.001) of BCA. Intra-operative diagnosis of TTA correlated with histopathology in 84.6% (p=0.021). The sensitivity of intraoperative diagnosis was 90.9% with a specificity of 75.3%. CONCLUSION: Routine histopathology for a classic TTA may not be required especially in resource poor situations. All children presenting with recurrent episodes of testicular pain must be considered for surgical scrotal exploration. And in view of the incidence of BCA in this cohort, all scrotal explorations for acute scrotal pain should include an assessment for BCA.

Normative Data for Cortical Evoked Response Audiometry of a Heterogeneous Indian Population and Its Comparison with Behavioral Audiometry.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study is to establish normative values of cortical evoked response audiometry (CERA) in a heterogeneous Indian population and correlate CERA threshold with pure tone audiometric (PTA) threshold values. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective study was carried out on 31 volunteers (n = 62) who had no otological or neurological complaints. Two study groups were formed; Group 1 with individuals from 20 to 40 years (mean age of 29.1 years) and Group 2 with individuals from 41 to 60 years (mean age of 46.2 years). The latencies and amplitudes of the waves of P1, N1, and P2 at threshold and 70 dBnHL were measured. RESULTS: Twenty-nine participants (94% of the ears) had CERA threshold within 20 dB of true behavioral threshold with only 6% having a difference of >20 dB with their PTA thresholds. There was a significant difference (P < 0.05) at 70 dB in amplitudes for waves P1, N1, and P2 at 2 kHz and additionally at 1 kHz for N1 between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Normative values for CERA in a heterogeneous Indian population at 70 dB nHL using tone burst stimulus was found to have an average latency of 46.5, 90.1, and 155.5 ms for P1, N1, and P2, respectively. The average amplitude of P1 at 70 dB nHL was 4.3 µV, N1, was 6.5 µV and P2 was 3.2 µV. Hearing threshold obtained with CERA gave a good indication of the actual behavioral hearing threshold of the normal controls, and the age of an individual had a significant effect on the values obtained during CERA testing with N1 being significantly larger at 1 kHz and 2 kHz in older adults when compared to young adults.