Effects of COVID-19 on Pediatric Cancer Care: A Multicenter Study of 11 Middle Eastern Countries.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, major challenges are facing pediatric cancer centers regarding access to cancer centers, continuity of the anti-cancer therapy, hospital admission, and infection protection precautions. Pediatric oncologists actively treating children with cancer from 29 cancer centers at 11 countries were asked to answer a survey from May 2020 to August 2020 either directly or through the internet. COVID-19 pandemic affected the access to pediatric cancer care in the form of difficulty in reaching the center in 22 (75.9%) centers and affection of patients' flow in 21 (72.4%) centers. Health care professionals (HCP) were infected with COVID-19 in 20 (69%) surveyed centers. Eighteen centers (62%) modified the treatment guidelines. Care of follow-up patients was provided in-hospital in 8(27.6%) centers, through telemedicine in 10 (34.5%) centers, and just delayed in 11 (38%) centers. Pediatric oncologists had different expectations about the future effects of COVID-19 on pediatric cancer care. Seventy-six percent of pediatric oncologists think the COVID-19 pandemic will increase the use of telemedicine. Fifty-five percent of pediatric oncologists think if the COVID-19 pandemic persists, we will need to change chemotherapy protocols to less myelosuppressive ones. Collaborative studies are required to prioritize pediatric cancer management during COVID-19 era.

Synthesis, molecular docking study and biological evaluation of new pyrrole scaffolds as potential antitubercular agents for dual targeting of enoyl ACP reductase and dihydrofolate reductase.

In this study, new series of N'-(2-(substitutedphenoxy)acetyl)-4-(1H-pyrrol-1-yl)benzohydrazides (3a-j) 4-(2,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrrol-1-yl)-N'-(2-(substitutedphenoxy)acetyl)benzohydrazides (5a-j) were synthesized, characterized and assessed as inhibitors of enoyl ACP reductase and DHFR. Most of the compounds exhibited dual inhibition against the enzymes enoyl ACP reductase and DHFR. Several synthesized substances also demonstrated significant antibacterial and antitubercular properties. A molecular docking analysis was conducted in order to determine the potential mechanism of action of the synthesized compounds. The results indicated that there were binding interactions seen with the active sites of dihydrofolate reductase and enoyl ACP reductase. Additionally, important structural details were identified that play a critical role in sustaining the dual inhibitory activity. These findings were useful for the development of future dual inhibitors. Therefore, this study provided strong evidence that several synthesized molecules could exert their antitubercular properties at the cellular level through multi-target inhibition. By shedding light on the mechanisms through which these compounds exert their inhibitory effects, this research opens up promising avenues for the future development of dual inhibitors with enhanced antibacterial and antitubercular properties. The study's findings underscore the importance of multi-target approaches in drug design, providing a strong foundation for the design and optimization of novel compounds that can effectively target bacterial infections at the cellular level.

Cluster of Differentiation 38 Protein Significantly Adds to the Prognostic Value of Cytogenetic Risk in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Objectives: There is some controversy regarding the clinical significance of cluster of differentiation 38 (CD38) protein in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We aimed to study the prognostic value of CD38 expression in relation to the standard cytogenetic risk stratification in AML patients. Methods: In this prospective study, adult patients with AML were diagnosed based on the finding of ≥ 20% blasts in the bone marrow and the flow cytometry. The control group was selected from normal bone marrow samples examined at the same period in the lab. The CD38 expression levels were assessed by immunophenotyping the bone marrow samples of the patients prior to therapy, as well as those from the controls. Results: The subjects were N = 52 newly diagnosed adult AML patients, while n = 25 sex-and-age matched normal volunteers served as the control. The CD38 expression among AML patients ranged from 3.6% to 79.9%, significantly higher levels than in the control population (p =0.001). Positive CD38 expression was higher in AML patients with favorable cytogenetics when compared to those with intermediate and poor cytogenetics (75.0%, 57.1%, and 68.2%, respectively) (p =0.007). Median CD38 expression in AML patients was higher in the favorable cytogenetic group and lower in intermediate and poor cytogenetic groups, though lacking in significance (p =0.578). Patients with poor cytogenetic risk were associated with significantly shorter median overall survival when compared to favorable and intermediate cytogenetic risk (p =0.010). Conclusions: The expression of CD38 significantly adds to the prognostic value of cytogenetic risk stratification at diagnosis of AML patients.

Perceptions of Parents towards COVID-19 Vaccination in Children, Aseer Region, Southwestern Saudi Arabia.

Vaccines are an important part of the COVID-19 pandemic response plan. This cross-sectional study aims to assess the attitude and perception levels of parents toward COVID-19 vaccines for children aged 0-18 years in the Aseer region of Saudi Arabia. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16.0. Out of a total of 1463 parents, 30.6% assumed that COVID-19 vaccination may be more dangerous for children than adults. Nearly 36.5% parents don't have any concern about children's vaccination. About 12.8% of children have not received the vaccination, 55% of parents have some sort of hesitation and 32.2% of parents did not hesitate before vaccinating their children against COVID-19. Only 15.4% of parents expect that the COVID-19 vaccine affects their child's genes. About 23.4% parents strongly agreed and 35.1% agreed about the importance of getting their children vaccinated. About 22.1% of parents strongly agreed and 33.3% agreed regarding their willingness to get their children vaccinated to prevent Coronavirus disease. More than 80% of parents recommended rushing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Health professionals and policymakers should implement and support strategies to ensure children are vaccinated for COVID-19. They also need to educate parents and families regarding childhood vaccination.