Effect of the Hydoxyurea in Yemeni Transfusion-Dependent ß-Thalassemia Patients.

The response to hydroxyurea (HU) therapy of 44 Yemeni transfusion-dependent ß-thalassemia (ß-thal) patients in Sana'a City, Yemen, was assessed. All patients were treated with a dose of 15 mg/kg/day HU for 4-10 months. Thirty-six patients responded partially to HU with clinical improvement of anemia and extramedullary hematopoiesis features, whereas the rest remained almost at the same baseline levels of transfusion dependency. Hydroxyurea was shown to have a variable favorable effect on ß-thal in Yemeni patients. Further study is required to identify the various response factors to HU therapy, as well as to investigate its long-term efficacy and safety.

Using Literature Review and Structured Hybrid Electronic/ Manual Mortality Review to Identify System-Level Improvement Opportunities to Reduce Colorectal Cancer Mortality.

BACKGROUND: Despite colorectal cancer (CRC) screening and survival rates exceeding national averages in the United States, Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC) aimed to identify system-level improvement opportunities to further reduce mortality from CRC. METHODS: To examine modifiable factors contributing to CRC mortality, a structured hybrid electronic/manual mor- tality review was used to examine 50 randomly selected cases among 524 individuals aged 25-75 years diagnosed with stage II, III, or IV CRC after July 2008 who subsequently died. Physicians conducted chart reviews using a standardized data extraction tool based on evidence-based best practices. RESULTS: Eighty-six percent (43) of the 50 decedents were initially diagnosed with stage III or IV CRC; two cases of appendiceal cancer were excluded. Thirty-one percent (15) of the remaining 48 cases presented with no history of screening; 15% (7) had documented iron deficiency anemia and abdominal pain or rectal bleeding; and 6% (3) had no follow-up colonoscopy after positive screening. Eleven (52%) of the 21 patients with initial stage II-III CRC received appropriate surveillance after curative surgery; 57% (12) developed metastases. Adjuvant chemotherapy was offered to 88% (14/16) of patients with stage III (node-positive) CRC; chemotherapy initiation was delayed in 6 patients. Missed opportunities for surgical oncology evaluation occurred among 61% (11/18) of patients with liver metastases at diagnosis. Failure to report clinically significant features on pathology occurred in 2 patients; they received appropriate treatment for other reasons. CONCLUSIONS: Improvement opportunities existed at multiple stages of care, including screening, evaluation of symp toms, timeliness of care, use of adjuvant chemotherapy, and surgical oncology practices.

The spectrum of α-thalassemia mutations in the Kurdish population of Northeastern Iraq.

In an attempt to determine the spectrum of α-thalassemia (α-thal) mutations in the Kurdish population of Northeastern (NE) Iraq, a total of 101 unrelated adults with unexplained hypochromia and/or microcytosis were enrolled. α-Thalasssemia mutations were characterized by gap polymerase chain reaction (gap-PCR), multiplex PCR (m-PCR) and reverse hybridization and sequencing for both α genes. A total of nine α-thal mutations were characterized including four deletional ones: -α(3.7) (rightward), - -(MED-I), -(α)(20.5), -α(4.2) (leftward) and five nondeletional ones: α(polyA1)α, αα(Adana), α(-5 nt)α, α(CS)α and α(polyA2)α. These determinants were arranged in 12 different genotypes, the most frequent of which were: -α(3.7)/αα, - -(MED-I)/αα, -α(3.7)/-α(3.7), α(polyA1)α/αα, αα(Adana)/αα and -(α)(20.5)/αα. This pattern is similar to that reported in Turkey, western (W) Iran, Cyprus and Greece, and to some extent, different from the pattern observed in the Arabian Peninsula.

Saudi Health System and Health Security Structure: A Scope Review Study Addressing the National Need for Governing the Health Security.

Health security has gained significant attention at the national and global levels, "security" is not a simple term; instead, it is "essentially contested" - that is, it induces debates about what it means and how to use it. This study aimed to define three terms frequently used in health security discussions. These terms are national health security, Global Health Security, and public health. The research method was a scoping review performed in three stages. The first stage was electronic searching based on selection criteria among multiple sources at various time points during the year 2023. These sources included online literature searches, websites of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other governmental health agencies. The second stage involved determining the relevance of the selected papers to the study's objectives; the selected papers had moderate to high relevance to the study's objectives. The third stage was to evaluate the methodological quality of a study; we selected peer-reviewed published papers and websites recognized as trustworthy sources of information. The search yielded 143 articles; five met the inclusion criteria and were subjected to the definition of health security. Despite proposed definitions, agreement has yet to be reached on the content and scope of health security. Another main finding is that health security requires more state and international collaboration efforts to reach Global Health Security. To the best of our knowledge, no known government body or organization is responsible for governing health security in Saudi Arabia. However, the current study presents a definition of health security and differentiates it from the public health approach, in addition to emphasizing the importance of governing the related health sectors within each country in order to improve health security and have a positive impact on overall Global Health Security.

Evaluation of the hydrocarbon source rock and the reservoir characterization of the Minagish Formation using wireline logs.

We investigated the Mianagish Formation's potentiality as a Lower Cretaceous source rock and the included reservoir facies zone in the Umm Gudair oil field. The Middle Oolitic grainstone is the only producing zone in the formation. The wireline logs were used to trace the reservoir characteristics and calculate the total percentage of organic carbon (TOC) in the lithotype of the Minagish Formation. The commercial software, thin sections, and laboratory measurements are used to provide an integrated study. Integration of burial history, calculated TOC values, thermal maturity, depositional model, structural elements, and reservoir characterization were used to take a thoughtful look at the Minagish Formation's role in oil production in the field and as Lower Cretaceous source rock for the Cretaceous reservoirs. The reservoir facies are characterized by 16% average clay content, 16.7% average porosity, 420 millidarcys (mD) average permeability, and the average oil saturation is about 62%. The reservoir's quality reaches its maximum at the crest of the anticline in the west, south, and east, whereas the reservoir facies are deposited on the pre-existing structurally high shoal, while the quality decrease away from the shoal into the relatively deep water. The oil feeds the reservoir from the Lower Minagish Formation and maybe the Sulaiy Formation. According to the thermal model, the oil is heavy because of falling the TOC in the early maturation stage. The depositional environment and sequence stratigraphy are similar in the nearby Dharif and Abduliyah oil fields, and the study can be applied.

Using recombinant camel chymosin to make white soft cheese from camel milk.

Bovine derived chymosin in rennet cannot coagulate camel milk (CAM). The study aimed at producing cheese curd from CAM using a recombinant camel chymosin. Pasteurized CAM was prepared for curdling using a recombinant camel chymosin (50 IMCU/ kg). CAM (pH 6.65) contained 2.83% Fat, 3.34% proteins and 9.11% non-fat solids. Physicochemical properties of soft cheese from cultured CAM were 51.89%, 15.62%, 20.21% and 2.47% for moisture, protein, fat and ash, respectively. Cultured CAM afforded higher cheese yield (8.75%) than non-cultured CAM (3.34%). CAM cheese whey had 48.94% and 76.80% of the fat and proteins, respectively, of their corresponding concentrations in CAM. The study is the first report on soft cheeses from CAM (cultured and non-cultured) using a recombinant camel chymosin, with reference to whey constituents. CAM cheese and whey could be added-value products.

Rift Valley Fever among febrile patients at New Halfa hospital, eastern Sudan.

BACKGROUND: Since the first isolation of the Rift Valley Fever virus (RVFV) in 1930s, there have been several epizootics outbreaks in the tropic mainly in Africa including Sudan. Recognition of cases and diagnosis of RVF are critical for management and control of the disease. AIMS: To investigate the seroprevalence and risk factors for seropositive to RVFV IgG among febrile patients. METHODS: All febrile patients presented to New Halfa hospital in eastern Sudan during September through November 2007 were investigated to identify the cause of their fever including malaria and RFV. RESULTS: Out of 290 feverish patients presented to the hospital, malaria was diagnosis in 94 individuals. Fevers of unknown origin were diagnosed in 149 patients. Seropositive to RVFV IgG was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 122 (81.8%) of the sera from these 149 patients with fever of unknown origin. While socio-demographic characteristics (age, Job, education and residency) were not associated with seropositive to RVFV IgG, male (OR = 2.8, 95% CI = 1.0-7.6; P = 0.04) were at three times higher risk for seropositive to RVFV IgG. CONCLUSION: There was a high seropositive to RVFV IgG in this setting, more research is needed perhaps using other methods like PCR and IGM.

Identification of main-effect quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for low-temperature stress tolerance germination- and early seedling vigor-related traits in rice (Oryza sativa L.).

An attempt was made in the current study to identify the main-effect and co-localized quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for germination and early seedling growth traits under low-temperature stress (LTS) conditions in rice. The plant material used in this study was an early backcross population of 230 introgression lines (ILs) in BCIF7 generation derived from the Weed Tolerant Rice-1 (WTR-1) (as the recipient) and Haoannong (HNG) (as the donor). Genetic analyses of LTS tolerance revealed a total of 27 main-effect quantitative trait loci (M-QTLs) mapped on 12 chromosomes. These QTLs explained more than 10% of phenotypic variance (PV), and average PV of 12.71% while employing 704 high-quality SNP markers. Of these 27 QTLs distributed on 12 chromosomes, 11 were associated with low-temperature germination (LTG), nine with low-temperature germination stress index (LTGS), five with root length stress index (RLSI), and two with biomass stress index (BMSI) QTLs, shoot length stress index (SLSI) and root length stress index (RLSI), seven with seed vigor index (SVI), and single QTL with root length (RL). Among them, five significant major QTLs (qLTG(I) 1 , qLTGS(I) 1-2 , qLTG(I) 5 , qLTGS(I) 5 , and qLTG(I) 7 ) mapped on chromosomes 1, 5, and 7 were associated with LTG and LTGS traits and the PV explained ranged from 16 to 23.3%. The genomic regions of these QTLs were co-localized with two to six QTLs. Most of the QTLs were growth stage-specific and found to harbor QTLs governing multiple traits. Eight chromosomes had more than four QTLs and were clustered together and designated as promising LTS tolerance QTLs (qLTTs), as qLTT 1 , qLTT 2 , qLTT 3 , qLTT 5 , qLTT 6 , qLTT 8 , qLTT 9 , and qLTT 11 . A total of 16 putative candidate genes were identified in the major M-QTLs and co-localized QTL regions distributed on different chromosomes. Overall, these significant genomic regions of M-QTLs are responsible for multiple traits and this suggested that these could serve as the best predictors of LTS tolerance at germination and early seedling growth stages. Furthermore, it is necessary to fine-map these regions and to find functional markers for marker-assisted selection in rice breeding programs for cold tolerance.

Limited survey on aflatoxin contamination in rice.

Aflatoxins (AFS) are toxic and carcinogenic fungal metabolites. Aflatoxin B1 is the most toxic and has been classified as a Group I carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Samples of imported rice were analyzed for their AFS content. Finley ground rice subsamples were extracted with water/methanol (100:150 v/v) followed by purification with Immunoaffinity columns (IAC). AFS purified from extracts were determined with RP-HPLC-FLD using post column electrochemical derivatization with a Kobra Cell. Concentrations of aflatoxin B1 and total AFS in test rice samples were ≤0.123 and ≤2.58 µg/kg, respectively. Tween 80 improved recoveries (86 and 106%) of aflatoxin B1 and aflatoxin G1 from brown rice. Recoveries of Aflatoxin B2 and aflatoxin G2 were substantially reduced (non-detected to 27%) by Tween 80 used in IAC cleanup of brown rice extracts. Visible dense growth of Aspergillus parasiticus (food isolate) occurred at 25 °C but higher aflatoxin B1amounts (23.9-39.3 µg/kg) accumulated when the mold grew at 37 °C in rice seeds stored for three weeks. It could be concluded that levels of aflatoxin B1 and total AFS in rice samples were within the permissible amounts of the EU and other international legislations.

In vitro and in situ inhibition of some food-borne pathogens by essential oils from date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) spathe.

Essential oils extracted by hydro-distillation form date palm spathe (byproduct from date palm plants) were tested for their antibacterial activity against some food-borne pathogens. Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 7644, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29243, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Enteritidis ATCC 13076 and E. coli ATCC 25922 were inhibited (11-13 mm inhibition zones) by spathe essential oils (SEOs) using the agar well assay (in vitro test). Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29243 and E. coli ATCC 25922 were not detected in chicken meat treated with 1% (v/w) SEOs and subjected to abusive storage conditions (20 °C for 18 h). When treated with 0.5% SEO, counts of S. aureus and E. coli increased by only 0.2 and 0.7 log10 cfu/g, respectively, compared to the initial inoculated level in meat samples stored at 20 °C for 18 h. SEOs possessed DPPH radical scavenging activity with IC50 of 0.61 µg/ml. Forty one compounds were major constituents detected by GC-MS analysis of SEOs. 3,4-Dimethoxytoluene (38.12%) and 5,9-Undecadien-2-one (12.45%) were major compounds in extracted oils. Density and refractive index of SEOs were 0.987 and 1.5905, respectively. SOEs are added-value products from date palm, which could be employed in food industry and pharmaceuticals. The study is the first report on antibacterial activity of SEOs against L. monocytogenes ATCC 7644 and other standard food-borne pathogens in agar diffusion assay and food model (chicken meat). DPPH radical scavenging activity of SEOs has not previously been documented.

Mycobacterium chimaera Hepatitis: A New Disease Entity.

Mycobacterium chimaera was identified as a species within the Mycobacterium avium complex in 2004. Until recently, it was predominantly seen in immunocompromised patients. In 2015, an outbreak of disseminated M. chimaera disease was described in European patients after undergoing open-heart surgery in which contaminated heater-cooler water units were used. Using whole genomic sequencing and phylogenetic analysis, investigators found a highly clonal outbreak from the German manufacturing site of the heater-cooler water units. This outbreak has now proven to be world-wide. Patients present with fever, fatigue, and weight loss months to many years after surgery. They are found to have systemic manifestations, including endocarditis, pancytopenia, renal dysfunction, chorioretinitis, and hepatitis. Preliminary reports suggest a high mortality rate despite aggressive treatment. In some patients, the predominant laboratory abnormalities are elevations in liver function tests, leading to diagnostic hepatobiliary work-ups, including liver biopsy. The pathologic changes in the liver have not yet been described. Herein, we report the clinicopathologic findings of the largest series of M. chimaera liver disease in the United States to date: 7 cases within a large, multihospital health care network. Five (71%) patients died of disease, despite aggressive treatment. Liver function test abnormalities were predominantly biliary: mean values of alkaline phosphate 288 U/L, aspartate aminotransferase 79 U/L, alanine aminotransferase 64 U/L. All 7 biopsies showed a consistent and characteristic dual pattern of injury: small, ill-formed collections of sinusoidal histiocytes with rare multinucleated giant cells, and scattered architectural changes of venous outflow obstruction. Two (29%) cases showed mild pericellular fibrosis. Nodular regenerative hyperplasia was seen in 2 (29%) cases, consistent with a sinusoidal/venous obstructive pattern of injury. We postulate that the sinusoidal location of the granulomas contributes to the venous obstructive changes. Recognition of this characteristic dual pattern of injury can allow pathologists to suggest the diagnosis and prompt the appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.

Change in quality of life and immune markers after a stay at a raw vegan institute: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to explore changes in quality of life (QOL), anxiety, stress, and immune markers after a stay at a raw vegan institute. DESIGN: Prospective observational study. SETTING: English-speaking attendees at Hippocrates Health Institute (Florida, US), a raw vegan institute, were recruited on arrival and typically stayed 1-3 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Participants completed questionnaires assessing overall QOL (SF-36), dietary QOL (QOL related to dietary change), perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale), anxiety, and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) upon arrival and 12 weeks later. C-reactive protein (CRP), lymphocytes, T cells, CD4 cells, CD8 cells, B cells, and NK cells were measured at baseline and 12 weeks in participants living in North America. RESULTS: Of 107 attendees eligible for the questionnaire study and 82 for the blood marker substudy, 51 and 38 participants, respectively, provided complete follow-up data. Overall QOL improved 11.5% (p=0.001), driven mostly by the mental component. Anxiety decreased 18.6% (p=0.009) and perceived stress decreased 16.4% (p<0.001). Participants' ratings of the food's taste were unchanged, but their ratings of how well they were taking care of themselves improved. CRP, lymphocytes, T cells, and B cells did not change significantly, but CD4, CD8, and NK cells decreased slightly. CONCLUSIONS: A stay at a raw vegan institute was associated with improved mental and emotional QOL. Studies are needed to determine the feasibility of conducting a clinical trial of the raw vegan diet among healthy people, and subsequently among patients with specific diseases.

Interim results from a cluster randomized controlled oral cancer screening trial in Kerala, India.

A cluster randomized controlled oral cancer screening trial is on-going in the Trivandrum district, India, to evaluate the efficacy of screening in reducing oral cancer mortality. Subjects, aged 35 years and above, in 13 clusters in the Trivandrum district, India, were randomized to the intervention (screening) group (7 clusters, 78969 subjects) to receive three rounds of screening by oral visual inspection by trained health workers at 3-year intervals or to a control group (6 clusters, 74739 subjects). Two rounds of screening were completed between 1995 and 2002 during which 69896 (88.5%) subjects were screened at least once, and 59.7% of the 4408 screen-positive subjects were further investigated. In the intervention group, 344404 person-years were accrued and 329326 person-years were in the control group. In the intervention group, 149 incident oral cancer cases and 65 deaths from oral cancer were observed, and 106 incident cases and 62 deaths from oral cancer were observed in the control group. The programme sensitivity for detection of oral precancerous lesions and cancer was 81.5% and the programme specificity was 84.8%; the programme positive predictive value was 39.6%. In the intervention group 37.6% of the cases were in stages I-II, as opposed to 18.9% in the control group. The 3 year survival rate was 57.5% in the intervention and 38.8% in the control group (P<0.05). The age standardized oral cancer mortality rates were 21.2/100000 person-years in the intervention and 21.3/100000 in the control group. After completing two rounds of screening, oral cancer mortality rates were similar in both study groups.

Antimutagenicity of some edible Thai plants, and a bioactive carbazole alkaloid, mahanine, isolated from Micromelum minutum.

The antimutagenic activity against Trp-P-1 of methanolic extracts of 118 samples (108 species) of edible Thai plants was examined by the Ames Test. The activity was evaluated by the amount of plant extracts which suppressed 90% of the mutagenesis (ED90). Five plants, Micromelum minutum, Oroxylum indicum, Cuscuta chinensis, Azadirachta indica, and Litsea petiolata, exhibited significant activity with antimutagenic ED90 values lower than 5 microL/plate (0.1 mg of dry plant material equivalent). The activity-guided fractionation of the extract of M. minutum, which exhibited the highest antimutagenic activity in the screening, resulted in the isolation of an active principle, (+)-mahanine (1) as confirmed by its physicochemical properties. Compound 1 showed a wide variety of biological activity, including antimutagenicity against heterocyclic amines such as Trp-P-1 with an IC50 of 5.2 microM, cytotoxicity against a tumor cell line HL60 with a MIC100 of 4.0 microg/mL, and antimicrobial activity against Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus with MIC100 values of 6.25 and 12.5 microg/mL, respectively.

Idiopathic neonatal giant cell hepatitis presenting with acute hepatic failure on postnatal day one.

We report a term male infant presenting on postnatal day 1 with fulminant hepatic failure. Described congenital infection, metabolic disorders, and cardiovascular etiologies of acute neonatal liver failure were assessed and eliminated. A liver biopsy on postnatal day 10 showed neonatal giant cell hepatitis (NGCH) with an unusual degree of fibrosis for this early postnatal age. NGCH is a clinical diagnosis of cholestatic disorders of unknown etiology in the newborn, and, to our knowledge, has not been previously associated with immediate neonatal hepatic failure. The giant cell transformation is a common response to a variety of insults and only rarely occurs beyond the neonatal period. Most cases present with cholestatic jaundice and varying degrees of coagulopathy, and, many, as in this case, show progressive resolution.

Primary plasma cell leukemia occuring in the young.

Plasma Cell Leukemia (PCL) is a rare form of plasma cell dyscrasia. Plasma cell leukemia has two variants: the primary form presents de novo in patients with no previous history of multiple myeloma (MM); the secondary form consists of a leukemic transformation in a previously recognized MM. In contrast to myeloma, PCL has an aggressive course. Median age at presentation is usually above 50 years. Here we report a case of primary PCL presenting at age of 21 years, which is extremely rare. She was treated with combination chemotherapy (VAD). Although she had a good response initially, later the disease progressed and she died 6 months after the diagnosis.

Penetrating and blunt diaphragmatic injuries.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to analyze the ruptured diaphragm retrospectively in regard to mechanism of injury, diagnosis and treatment; and to discuss the difficulties in their diagnosis. METHODS: Thirty patients were included in the study and the study was carried out at Al-Yarmouk Teaching Hospital, Baghdad, Iraq, over a 9 year period (1992-2001). Their demographic data, diagnosis and treatment were recorded. RESULTS: Twenty-one patient had civilian penetrating injuries, while 9 suffered blunt trauma. Young males were the predominant victims. Three cases of the blunt trauma group had a delayed diagnosis, (2 after repeated chest radiography and one after Ba meal). CONCLUSION: The preoperative diagnosis of diaphragmatic injuries is difficult. Most cases are diagnosed during exploration for associated injuries. The case is more difficult after blunt trauma. Repeated chest radiography and gastrointestinal contrast studies can be used for the diagnosis.

Pregnancy outcomes of mothers aged 17 years or less.

OBJECTIVE: To study the obstetric complications of women who become pregnant at aged 17 years old or less. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed from January to December 2009 at Al-Thawra General Hospital, Sana'a, Yemen. We included all women aged 17 years or less who delivered in the hospital with singleton births after 24 weeks gestational age. The study group comprised 239 patients, and a control group (n=240) was chosen from women aged between 20-24 years. Data were retrieved from the hospital records. RESULTS: Pregnancy in women 17 years old or less was associated with higher frequency of low birth weight than the control group (21.3% versus 12%, p=0.0091). Anemia was higher in the study group (17.5% versus 7%, p=0.0008). Preterm labor was 11.6% in the study group, and 5.4% in the control group. In the study group, 7.9% had preeclampsia compared to 5% in the control group. The cesarean section rate in the study group was higher than the control group (6.3% versus 2%, p=0.0331). CONCLUSION: Pregnant women 17 years old or less were more likely to have maternal and neonatal morbidity, and were more likely to have abdominal deliveries.