Potential domino effect of the 2023 Kahramanmaras earthquake on the centuries-long seismic quiescence of the Dead Sea fault: inferences from the North Anatolian fault.

Field observations conducted immediately following the February 6, 2023, Mw 7.8 Kahramanmaras earthquake documented the southern surface rupture termination in the Amik Basin. The termination occurred in an en-echelon pattern, extending across the 3.5 km width of the approximately 10-km-wide stepover. This extension reached towards the northern tip of the Hacipasa Fault, which constitutes the main northern segment of the Dead Sea Fault Zone (DSFZ). Archaeoseismologic and paleoseismologic data show that the approximately 800-km-long DSFZ has been seismically quiet for more than 600 years in the north and 900 years in the south. A similar fault connection geometry at the western end of the 1939 Ms 7.9 Erzincan earthquake in the easternmost part of the North Anatolian Fault Zone and the subsequently triggered successive large magnitude earthquakes migrating westward within a few decades highlights an increased seismic hazard for the entire DSFZ. This heightened seismic hazard potential along the DSFZ, combined with historical population centers experiencing wars and migrations, puts millions of people at an unparalleled risk.

Optimizing the Steering of Driverless Personal Mobility Pods with a Novel Differential Harris Hawks Optimization Algorithm (DHHO) and Encoder Modeling.

This paper aims to improve the steering performance of the Ackermann personal mobility scooter based on a new meta-heuristic optimization algorithm named Differential Harris Hawks Optimization (DHHO) and the modeling of the steering encoder. The steering response in the Ackermann mechanism is crucial for automated driving systems (ADS), especially in localization and path-planning phases. Various methods presented in the literature are used to control the steering, and meta-heuristic optimization algorithms have achieved prominent results. Harris Hawks optimization (HHO) algorithm is a recent algorithm that outperforms state-of-the-art algorithms in various optimization applications. However, it has yet to be applied to the steering control application. The research in this paper was conducted in three stages. First, practical experiments were performed on the steering encoder sensor that measures the steering angle of the Landlex mobility scooter, and supervised learning was applied to model the results obtained for the steering control. Second, the DHHO algorithm is proposed by introducing mutation between hawks in the exploration phase instead of the Hawks perch technique, improving population diversity and reducing premature convergence. The simulation results on CEC2021 benchmark functions showed that the DHHO algorithm outperforms the HHO, PSO, BAS, and CMAES algorithms. The mean error of the DHHO is improved with a confidence level of 99.8047% and 91.6016% in the 10-dimension and 20-dimension problems, respectively, compared with the original HHO. Third, DHHO is implemented for interactive real-time PID tuning to control the steering of the Ackermann scooter. The practical transient response results showed that the settling time is improved by 89.31% compared to the original response with no overshoot and steady-state error, proving the superior performance of the DHHO algorithm compared to the traditional control methods.

Efficacy of Cerebellar Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Treating Essential Tremor: A Randomized, Sham-Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the cerebellar hemisphere represents a new option in treating essential tremor (ET) patients. We aimed to determine the efficacy of cerebellar rTMS in treating ET using different protocols regarding the number of sessions, exposure duration, and follow-up duration. METHODS: A randomized sham-controlled trial was conducted, in which 45 recruit patients were randomly allocated to 2 groups. The first (active group) comprised 23 patients who were exposed to 12 sessions of active rTMS with 900 pulses of 1-Hz rTMS at 90% of the resting motor threshold daily on each side of the cerebellar hemispheres over 4 weeks. The second group (sham group) comprised 22 patients who were exposed to 12 sessions of sham rTMS. Both groups were reassessed at baseline and after 1 day, 1 month, 2 months, and 3 months using the Fahn-Tolosa-Marin tremor-rating scale (FTM). RESULTS: Demographic characteristics did no differ between the two groups. There were significant reductions both in FTM subscores A and B and in the FTM total score in the active-rTMS group during the period of assessment and after 3 months (p=0.031 and 0.011, respectively). However, subscore C did not change significantly from baseline when assessed at 2 and 3 months (p=0.073 and 0.236, respectively). Furthermore, the global assessment score was significantly higher in the active-rTMS group (p>0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Low-frequency rTMS over the cerebellar cortex for 1 month showed relative safety and long-lasting efficacy in patients with ET. Further large-sample clinical trials are needed that include different sites of stimulation and longer follow-ups.

Dexamethasone-tamoxifen combination exerts synergistic therapeutic effects in tamoxifen-resistance breast cancer cells.

Tamoxifen (TAM) is a key player in estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer (BC); however, ∼30% of patients experience relapse and a lower survival rate due to TAM resistance. TAM resistance was related to the over expression of SOX-2 gene, which is regulated by the E2F3 transcription factor in the Wnt signaling pathway. It was suggested that SOX-2 overexpression was suppressed by dexamethasone (DEX), a glucocorticoid commonly prescribed to BC patients. The aim of the present study is to explore the effect of combining DEX and TAM on the inhibition of TAM-resistant LCC-2 cells (TAMR-1) through modulating the E2F3/SOX-2-mediated Wnt signaling pathway. The effect of the combination therapy on MCF-7 and TAMR-1 cell viability was assessed. Drug interactions were analyzed using CompuSyn and SynergyFinder softwares. Cell cycle distribution, apoptotic protein expression, gene expression levels of SOX-2 and E2F3, and cell migration were also assessed. Combining DEX with TAM led to synergistic inhibition of TAMR-1 cell proliferation and migration, induced apoptosis, reduced SOX-2 and E2F3 expression and was also associated with S and G2-M phase arrest. Therefore, combining DEX with TAM may present an effective therapeutic option to overcome TAM resistance, by targeting the E2F3/SOX-2/Wnt signaling pathway, in addition to its anti-inflammatory effect.

Corrigendum: BM-MSCs alleviate diabetic nephropathy in male rats by regulating ER stress, oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptotic pathways.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1265230.].

Antioxidant, antibacterial, and molecular docking of methyl ferulate and oleic acid produced by Aspergillus pseudodeflectus AUMC 15761 utilizing wheat bran.

Secondary metabolites (SMs) are the primary source of therapeutics and lead chemicals in medicine. They have been especially important in the creation of effective cures for conditions such as cancer, malaria, bacterial and fungal infections, neurological and cardiovascular problems, and autoimmune illnesses. In the present study, Aspergillus pseudodeflectus AUMC 15761 was demonstrated to use wheat bran in solid state fermentation (SSF) at optimum conditions (pH 7.0 at 30 °C after 10 days of incubation and using sodium nitrate as a nitrogen source) to produce methyl ferulate and oleic acid with significant antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of the crude methanol extract revealed eleven peaks that indicated the most common chemical components. Purification of methyl ferulate and oleic acid was carried out by column chromatography, and both compounds were identified by in-depth spectroscopic analysis, including 1D and 2D NMR and HR-ESI-MS. DPPH activity increased as the sample concentration increased. IC50 values of both compounds obtained were 73.213 ± 11.20 and 104.178 ± 9.53 µM, respectively. Also, the MIC value for methyl ferulate against Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus was 0.31 mg/mL, while the corresponding MIC values for oleic acid were 1.25 mg/mL and 0.62 mg/mL for both bacterial strains, respectively. Molecular modeling calculations were carried out to reveal the binding mode of methyl ferulate and oleic acid within the binding site of the crucial proteins of Staphylococcus aureus. The docking results were found to be well correlated with the experimental data.

BM-MSCs alleviate diabetic nephropathy in male rats by regulating ER stress, oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptotic pathways.

Introduction: Diabetic nephropathy (DN), a chronic kidney disease, is a major cause of end-stage kidney disease worldwide. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have become a promising option to mitigate several diabetic complications. Methods: In this study, we evaluated the therapeutic potential of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) in a rat model of STZ-induced DN. After the confirmation of diabetes, rats were treated with BM-MSCs and sacrificed at week 12 after treatment. Results: Our results showed that STZ-induced DN rats had extensive histopathological changes, significant upregulation in mRNA expression of renal apoptotic markers, ER stress markers, inflammatory markers, fibronectin, and intermediate filament proteins, and reduction of positive immunostaining of PCNA and elevated P53 in kidney tissue compared to the control group. BM-MSC therapy significantly improved renal histopathological changes, reduced renal apoptosis, ER stress, inflammation, and intermediate filament proteins, as well as increased positive immunostaining of PCNA and reduced P53 in renal tissue compared to the STZ-induced DN group. Conclusion: In conclusion, our study indicates that BM-MSCs may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of DN and provide important insights into their potential use as a novel therapeutic approach for DN.

Topical timolol maleate 0.5% after fractional carbon dioxide laser versus fractional carbon dioxide laser alone in treatment of acne scars: split face comparative study.

Acne is a common inflammatory condition that mostly involves the face, chest and back. A number of different modalities had been employed for treating scars of which laser remains to be a pivotal choice. We aimed to compare the efficacy of topical timolol maleate 0.5% after fractional CO2 (AFCO2) laser versus fractional CO2 Laser alone for treatment of atrophic acne scars. A split-face comparative clinical experiment on 30 cases of atrophic post-acne scars that were treated on one side with ablative fractional CO2 laser followed by timolol application while with only ablative fractional CO2 laser on the other side. Following treatment, both sides demonstrated significant improvement with the laser + timolol treated side showing better improvement; yet not significantly higher than the laser only treated side. In conclusion, both topical timolol maleate 0.5% after fractional CO2 laser and fractional CO2 laser may achieve comparable significant improvement. The good safety profile, easy accessibility, low cost, and non-invasive nature merits the use of timolol in acne scars pending verification by larger sample reproduced and controlled trials.

Chitosan Polymer Functionalized-Activated Carbon/Montmorillonite Composite for the Potential Removal of Lead Ions from Wastewater.

A simple approach for synthesizing a highly adsorbent composite was described for the uptake of heavy metal ions from wastewater. A simple approach for synthesizing a highly adsorbent composite was also described for the elimination of heavy metal ions from contaminated water. The nanocomposite was synthesized via a polymer grafting of chitosan on the activated carbon surface, followed by a stacking process with the layers of montmorillonite clay. The spectroscopic analyses were exploited to confirm the composite structure of the prepared materials. Various adsorption parameters, such as pH, initial concentration, and adsorption time, were assessed. The results showed that the adsorption capacity of the composite for Pb2+ ions increased as the pH increased until it reached pH 5.5. The maximum adsorption capacity was observed at an initial Pb2+ level of 20 mg/L and a contact time of 150 min. Kinetic models were evaluated, and the pseudo second-order model showed the best match. The adsorption isotherm data were processed by fitting the model with different isotherm behaviors, and the Langmuir isotherm was found to be the most suitable for the system. The maximum adsorption capacity for Pb2+ ion on the MMT/CS/AC composite was found to be 50 mg/g at pH 5.5. Furthermore, the composite maintained a high adsorption capability of 85% for five adsorption-desorption cycles. Overall, this composite is envisioned as an addition to the market of wastewater remediation technology due to its chemical structure, which provides influential functional groups for wastewater treatment.

The effect of Nigella sativa oil- and wheat germ oil-loaded metal organic frameworks on chronic murine toxoplasmosis.

Treatment of chronic toxoplasmosis is challenging as the available drugs are effective only in the acute stage. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate Nigella sativa oil (NSO) and wheat germ oil (WGO) loaded on copper-benzene tricarboxylic acid metal organic framework (Cu-BTC MOF) for treating chronic toxoplasmosis in a murine model. Eighty mice were divided into 8 groups (G); uninfected untreated negative control (GI), infected untreated positive control (GII), infected and treated with: Spiramycin (GIII), Spiramycin@Cu-BTC (GIV), Cu-BTC (GV), WGO@Cu-BTC (GVI), NSO@Cu-BTC (GVII) and combined WGO+NSO@Cu-BTC (GVIII). The infected groups were orally inoculated with 10 Toxoplasma gondii Me49 strain cysts/mouse. All drugs were orally administered for 14 consecutive days starting 8 weeks post-infection (wpi). The therapeutic efficacy was evaluated by parasitological (survival rate of mice and brain cyst burden) and histopathological (brain, liver, kidney, eye) parameters. At the end of 2-weeks therapy, the highest therapeutic outcome was achieved with GVII and GVIII exhibiting 100% survival, 64.3% and 51.4% reduction of brain cysts, and an apparent amendment of pathological insults. In the next place was GVI with 90% survival, 49.5% reduction of cysts and marked amelioration of pathological lesions. Meanwhile, GIII and GIV showed 80% survival, 42.4% and 41.8% reduction of cysts as well as minimal to moderate alleviation of tissue damage. The lowest effect was obtained with GV resulting in 70% survival and 24.4% reduction of cysts. The current results support the assertion that the new metal-based nanocomposites can be promising remedies of chronic toxoplasmosis particularly if conjugated with natural herbal extracts as NSO and WGO.

Applications of Medical Digital Technologies for Noncommunicable Diseases for Follow-Up during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Noncommunicable chronic diseases (NCDs) are multifaceted, and the health implications of the COVID-19 pandemic are far-reaching, especially for NCDs. Physical distancing and quarantine can lead to the poor management of NCDs because the visual tracking of them has been replaced with medical digital technology, that is, smartphone apps. This study aimed to explore medical digital technology applications for NCDs for follow-up during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: The participants in this study were 400 adult patients with NCDs; they were selected by systematic random sampling. A descriptive cross-sectional design was used. The study was conducted in the outpatient department of Yanbu General Hospital and primary-care health centers in Yanbu Al-Baher, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The tools used in this study were a structured questionnaire to collect the sociodemographic characteristics of the patients and their health history, an NCD questionnaire to assess follow-up of the patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, and a medical digital technologies questionnaire to explore the medical digital technology applications. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 47.32 ± 14.362 years, and 62.8% of them were female and 372 were male. Of the patients, 69.2% and 57.5% had been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus and hypertension, respectively; 52.4% were followed up monthly, and 29.75% used medical digital technology applications such as Tabeby Online to monitor their health. Furthermore, 71.75% and 75.5% of the patients used the Sehhaty and Tawakkalna medical digital applications, respectively. Overall, 38.7% of the patients were satisfied with using medical digital technology applications used for follow-up during the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: The study concluded that the services that use networks, smartphones, and medical digital technology applications on the Saudi Ministry of Health website and mobile applications to improve the quality of the health-care system, and that provide health services for noncommunicable or communicable diseases, are not effective. This is because the patients lack awareness of these services, with most of the chronic patients being elderly with lower levels of education and computer literacy.

Comparative Study of Helicobacter Pylori Resistance to Clarithromycin and Metronidazole and Its Association with Epidemiological Factors in A Moroccan Population.

OBJECTIVE: Knowledge of local antibiotic resistance is crucial to the adaption of the effective empirical first-line treatment for Helicobacter Pylori (H. pylori) infection. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of H. pylori resistance to clarithromycin and compare it with that of metronidazole, and highlight the impact of epidemiological factors and gastric lesions severity on H. pylori resistance. METHODS: The susceptibility to clarithromycin of 96 isolates was determined by PCR-RFLP and the susceptibility to metronidazole of 185 isolates was determined by classic PCR. RESULT: Our results showed that the prevalence of H. pylori resistance to clarithromycin ( 14.6%) was low compared to that recorded with metronidazole ( 62.7%). Moreover, we remarked that 7.3% of isolates were co-resistant to both antibiotics. The assessment of epidemiological factors' impact on the resistance to studied antibiotics has revealed no association. Besides, our results had demonstrated that the metronidazole and clarithromycin resistance was not related to the severity of gastric lesions. CONCLUSION: In our population, clarithromycin seems to be an effective antibiotic as long as the resistance rate of H. pylori is low. In contrast to metronidazole, it appears that this antibiotic will lose its efficacy, due to the high rate of resistance among our population. Therefore, each population must conduct their epidemiologic studies separately to survey the resistance profile of strains and choose the appropriate antibiotic, in order to avoid the failure of H. pylori eradication and the development of severe gastric diseases.

Effect of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants on Growth, Digestibility and Carcass in New Zealand White Rabbits.

<b>Background and Objective:</b> Herbs, spices and botanicals have been demonstrated to improve animal performance and increase nutritional availability. So, the present study aimed to determine the effect of adding each of rosemary leaves, thyme leaves, black cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds at a level of 0.5% to the diets on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and carcass traits of growing New Zealand white rabbits. <b>Materials and Methods:</b> Sixty growing New Zealand white rabbits, 425-gram average body weight, kept from 4-11 weeks of age, divided into 5 groups to examine 4 experimental herbs (rosemary, thyme, black cumin and fenugreek) compared with the control group. Growth performance, nutrients digestibility and carcass traits were measured. <b>Results:</b> A significant improvement in feed conversion ratio and a significant increase in both final body weight, body weight gain in rabbit groups fed the 4 tested feed additives diets compared to the control group was shown. Otherwise, rabbit groups fed these diets recorded a significantly higher value of nutrient digestibility, Dry Matter (DM), Crude Protein (CP), Crude Fiber (CF), Ether Extract (EE) and Nitrogen-Free Extract (NFE), than the control group. Giblets (%) was significantly higher in rabbits group fed the control diet than other experimental rabbit groups while the opposite trend was noticed with dressing percent. In addition, rabbit groups fed the different feed additives diets achieved better economic efficiency than the control group. <b>Conclusion:</b> Data of the present study cleared that rosemary, thyme, black cumin and fenugreek had an appositive effect on the performance of growing New Zealand rabbits and higher economic efficiency.

Image-matching enhancement using a polarized intensity-hue-saturation fusion method.

Atmospheric absorption and scattering (e.g., haze) cause degradation in the image quality of outdoor scenes, which affects the image-matching process. The scale-invariant feature transform (SIFT) algorithm is not effective in haze. Edge information is required to enhance the matching process. Utilizing the polarization information expressed by the Stokes vector component S1 with its edge information can improve the keypoint localization in the matching process. In this paper, a novel, to the best of our knowledge, fusion method called polarized intensity-hue-saturation is proposed that uses polarization and depth information by fusion of a polarized haze-removed image with the estimated depth and by applying S1. The instant dehazing method uses polarized images to obtain a haze-removed image and its estimated depth map. The fused image has high spatial details required for enhancing the matching process. The experimental results show that the proposed method outperforms the existing image-matching schemes and improves the conventional SIFT matching method.

Eye movements and imaging in vestibular migraine / Movimientos oculares y pruebas de imagen en migraña vestibular

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Migrainous dizziness is one of the most frequent complaints. Dizziness associated with migraine may be the result of abnormal eye movements. Brain imaging and changes in eye movements may explain the dizziness and highlight possible pathophysiological substrates in migraine dizziness. Our aim is to evaluate eye movement using videonystagmography (VNG) and video head impulse test (vHIT) and to study the occipital lobe metabolic profile in vestibular migraine patients (VM). MATERIALS AND METHODS: There were 2 groups enrolled in the study; the first group consisted of 25 vestibular migraine patients (VM) according to the recent criteria of Barany society. The second group consisted of 20 age matched healthy subjects. Both groups underwent the following: (1) A detailed history, VNG test protocol, vHIT in three planes. (2) Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the brain and inner ear using 1.5 T magnet and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H1-MRS). RESULTS: Sixty eight percent of the patients complained of spontaneous vertigo and 28% complained of positional vertigo. Non-paroxysmal positional nystagmus was recorded in 92% during their dizzy spell. The brain MRI was unremarkable in 72% of the cases. Chemical shift in the occipital lobe was found in 92% of VM. Lactate peaks were statistically significant related with the presence of non-paroxysmal positional nystagmus. CONCLUSIONS: A statistically significant relationship exists between non-paroxysmal positional nystagmus and presence of lactate peaks in the occipital lobe in VM patients

ANTECEDENTES Y OBJETIVO: El mareo migrañoso es una de las quejas más frecuentes. Las pruebas de imagen del cerebro y los cambios en los movimientos oculares pueden explicar los mareos y destacar los posibles sustratos fisiopatológicos en la migraña vestibular. Nuestro objetivo fue evaluar el movimiento ocular utilizando videonistagmografía (VNG) y la prueba de impulso cefálico por vídeo (vHIT), y estudiar el perfil metabólico del lóbulo occipital en pacientes con migraña vestibular (VM). MATERIALES Y MÉTODOS: Se incluyeron dos grupos en el estudio; el primer grupo consistió en 25 pacientes con VM según los criterios recientes de la sociedad Bárány. El segundo grupo consistió en 20 sujetos sanos emparejados por edad. Ambos grupos se sometieron a lo siguiente: 1) Una historia detallada, protocolo de prueba de VNG y vHIT en 3 planos, y 2) Imágenes de resonancia magnética (IRM) para el cerebro y el oído interno con el imán de 1,5 tesla y la espectroscopía de resonancia magnética de protones (H1-MRS). RESULTADOS: El 68% de los pacientes se quejó de vértigo espontáneo, y el 28% de vértigo posicional. El nistagmo posicional no paroxístico se registró en el 60% de los pacientes durante su mareo. La resonancia magnética cerebral no mostró alteraciones en el 72% de los casos. El cambio químico en el lóbulo occipital se encontró en el 92% de los casos de VM. Los picos de lactato fueron estadísticamente significativos con relación a la presencia de nistagmo posicional no paroxístico. CONCLUSIONES: Existe una relación estadísticamente significativa entre el nistagmo posicional no paroxístico y la presencia de picos de lactato en el lóbulo occipital en pacientes con VM

Eye movements and imaging in vestibular migraine.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Migrainous dizziness is one of the most frequent complaints. Dizziness associated with migraine may be the result of abnormal eye movements. Brain imaging and changes in eye movements may explain the dizziness and highlight possible pathophysiological substrates in migraine dizziness. Our aim is to evaluate eye movement using videonystagmography (VNG) and video head impulse test (vHIT) and to study the occipital lobe metabolic profile in vestibular migraine patients (VM). MATERIALS AND METHODS: There were 2 groups enrolled in the study; the first group consisted of 25 vestibular migraine patients (VM) according to the recent criteria of Barany society. The second group consisted of 20 age matched healthy subjects. Both groups underwent the following: (1) A detailed history, VNG test protocol, vHIT in three planes. (2) Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the brain and inner ear using 1.5T magnet and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H1-MRS). RESULTS: Sixty eight percent of the patients complained of spontaneous vertigo and 28% complained of positional vertigo. Non-paroxysmal positional nystagmus was recorded in 92% during their dizzy spell. The brain MRI was unremarkable in 72% of the cases. Chemical shift in the occipital lobe was found in 92% of VM. Lactate peaks were statistically significant related with the presence of non-paroxysmal positional nystagmus. CONCLUSIONS: A statistically significant relationship exists between non-paroxysmal positional nystagmus and presence of lactate peaks in the occipital lobe in VM patients.

Management of pediatric CNS meningiomas: CCHE-57357 experience in 39 cases.

PURPOSE: Our aim is to present our experience in the management of pediatric meningiomas in the largest referral center in Egypt for pediatric tumors focusing on variables including clinical picture, anatomic location, histopathology, treatment strategies, and outcome together with their possible correlation to prognosis. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 39 pediatric patients who were treated for CNS meningiomas in Children's Cancer Hospital-Egypt (CCHE-57357) 2007-2017. RESULTS: The prevalence of pediatric meningioma was 1.42%. Four cases had type 2 neurofibromatosis (NFII). The mean age was 8.19 years. The presence of NFII was associated with challenging multiple lesions, older age of presentation and poorer prognosis and functional outcome. Convexity was the commonest location. Gross total resection (GTR) was achieved in 28 cases, subtotal resection (STR) in 8 cases, and biopsy was decided in 3 patients. Histopathological examination revealed WHO grade I in 16 patients and higher grades in 23 patients (59%). The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was 87.8% while the 5-years event-free survival (EFS) rate was 85.6%. Tumor location, histopathology, and clinical presentation were not statistically correlated to prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric CNS meningiomas are uncommon pediatric tumors but of an aggressive clinical and pathological behaviors as compared to adult meningiomas. The presence of NFII is associated with a poorer prognosis and functional outcomes. Although being challenging, the maximum and safe surgical excision should be exercised even in recurrent cases in order to achieve the best outcome. Adjuvant radiotherapy provides good tumor control for inoperable residual atypical or anaplastic meningiomas.

How the health-seeking behaviour of pregnant women affects neonatal outcomes: findings of system dynamics modelling in Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: Limited studies have explored how health-seeking behaviour during pregnancy through to delivery affect neonatal outcomes. We modelled health-seeking behaviour across urban and rural settings in Pakistan, where poor neonatal outcomes persist with wide disparities. METHODS AND FINDINGS: A system dynamics model was developed and parameterised. Following validation tests, the model was used to determine neonatal mortality for pregnant women considering their decisions to access, refuse and switch antenatal care services in four provider sectors: public, private, traditional and charitable. Four health-seeking scenarios were tested across different pregnancy trimesters. Health-seeking behaviour in different subgroups by geographical locations and social network effect was modelled. The largest reduction in neonatal mortality was achieved with antenatal care provided by skilled providers in public, private or charitable sectors, combined with the use of institutional delivery. Women's social networks had strong influences on if, when and where to seek care. Interventions by Lady Health Workers had a minimal impact on health-seeking behaviour and neonatal outcomes after trimester 1. Optimal benefits were achieved for urban women when antenatal care was accessed within trimester 2, but for rural women within trimester 1. Antenatal care access delayed to trimester 3 had no protective impact on neonatal mortality. CONCLUSIONS: System dynamics modelling enables capturing the complexity of health-seeking behaviours and impact on outcomes, informing intervention design, implementation of targeted policies and uptake of services specific to urban/rural settings considering structural enablers/barriers to access, cultural contexts and strong social network influences.

Video head impulse test (vHIT) in migraine dizziness.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Migraine is an extremely prevalent primary headache disorder that frequently associates parallel symptoms such as dizziness, tinnitus and hearing loss. Our aim is to investigate differences in video head impulse (vHIT) results with patients suffering from vestibular migraine (VM) and healthy people, taking into consideration mean values of vestibule ocular reflex (VOR) gain, occurrence of the compensatory saccades latency and amplitude. According to the results, determine the usefulness of vHIT in vestibular migraine diagnostics. METHODS: A total number of 120 subjects were enrolled in the study, 80 of them were vestibular migraine patients (VM), while the other 40 were a control group of age matched healthy subjects. History was taking during the evaluation; videonystagmography and the video head impulse test were done. RESULTS: The rate of saccades is much more higher in the VM group compared to the healthy subjects group, only 7.5% of the VM group showed a low VOR gain with compensatory saccades denoting a vestibular deficit. CONCLUSION: The refixation saccades are an important sign that could underlie different vestibular problems. vHIT result can contribute to the completion of full mosaic of vestibular migraine diagnostics.