Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genetic Diversity of Schistosoma haematobium in Qena Governorate, Upper Egypt

Introduction Schistosomiasis is an important neglected tropical disease (NTD) in several developing countries. Praziquantel is the principle and efficacious chemotherapeutic agent that has been used to treat schistosomiasis for decades. Unfortunately, emerging resistance to praziquantel with accompanying reduced efficacy is reported in some localities. Hence, genetic diversity among parasite populations is of significant interest in assessing the effects of selective pressure generated by praziquantel therapy that might result in encouraging the emergence of new genotypes that are either non-susceptible or drug-resistant. The present study aimed to investigate the genetic diversity of Schistosoma haematobium among human populations using the RAPD technique to help clarify disease epidemiology and transmission. Materials and Methods S. haematobium eggs were isolated from 50 of 134 patients from four different localities in Qena Governorate, Upper Egypt. These patients complained of terminal hematuria and burning micturition. Samples were used for molecular analysis using RAPD-PCR primers (A02, A07, A09, A10). Results Twenty S. haematobium isolates (40%) were amplified using the selected RAPD primers. Amplification patterns of these isolates showed distinct variation in the size and number of amplified fragments, indicating high genetic variation among these isolates. Conclusion To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to characterize the genetic diversity of S. haematobium in human populations in Upper Egypt. Future studies on a larger geographic scale involving many districts in Upper Egypt should be encouraged. Information from such a study would provide better insight into clonal lineages of S. haematobium in this endemic area. In turn, understanding transmission of the parasite may have a major role in establishing control strategies for urogenital schistosomiasis in Upper Egypt.
Teachers’ Knowledge About Epilepsy and Their Attitudes Toward Students with Epilepsy: A Cross-Sectional Survey in the City of Tahoua (Niger)

Purpose In this survey, first, we aimed to investigate the views held about epilepsy of primary and secondary school teachers in the city of Tahoua (Niger, a Sub-Saharan African country), and secondarily, how their experience and knowledge about epilepsy influence their attitudes towards school children with epilepsy. Materials and Methods A cross-sectional survey was carried out between November and December 2019. We used a self-administered questionnaire survey in French-language comprising sociodemographic part, and knowledge and attitudes about epilepsy part. Composite scores of knowledge and attitudes were calculated, and statistical analyses were performed to assess their association with sociodemographic characteristics. Results Two hundred eighty-four (284) school teachers had agreed to answer the questionnaire survey, among which 25% had already witnessed an epileptic seizure in the classroom or the schoolyard. Epilepsy is considered as a chronic brain disease and psychiatric illness in 31% and 32.4% of cases, respectively. In 41.9% of cases, epilepsy is considered as a contagious disease. Significantly, we found that the composite score of knowledge and attitudes was lower in younger school teachers (p = 0.007) and those with fewer years of teaching experience (p = 0.048). High school teachers had better score composite than those of primary school and college (p = 0.072). Regarding the composite score of attitudes, we did not find an association with sociodemographic characteristics. Conclusion Teachers’ attitudes were not associated with their level of school taught, years of teaching experience, and their religion. It is necessary to integrate educational training courses about epilepsy into the curriculum of teachers’ training.
Effect of Auditable Pharmaceutical Services and Transaction System on Pharmaceutical Service Outcomes in Public Hospitals of SNNPR, Ethiopia

Background Auditable pharmaceuticals service and transaction system (APTS) is unique in its systems strengthening approach. It is a data-driven package of interventions designed to establish accountable, transparent, and responsible pharmacy practice. The objective of this study was to assess the outcome performance of pharmaceuticals services among selected hospitals with and without the APTS system in SNNPR, Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional comparative facility-based study was conducted at public hospitals by using an intervention and control approach to estimate the significance of the difference between average performances of APTS and non-APTS hospitals. A case-to-control ratio was applied to decide the number of sites and a simple random lottery sampling technique was employed to select control sites. The sample size formula was used to determine the proposed population for patient care indicator assessment. Epidata version 3.1 and SPSS version 23 were used for analysis. The study was conducted from March 1 to 30, 2019. Results APTS implemented hospitals attained 92.3% patient satisfaction on the overall pharmacy services compared to 47.5% for non-APTS hospitals. They have improved essential drugs (EDs) availability, minimum stock-outs, and reduced wastage rates, unlike control groups. They undertook workload analysis to assess human power sufficiency; generate reliable information from accurate recording culture for decision making; practiced transparency and accountability through conducting physical inventory and daily sales tracking/management system; and made budget utilization rationale applying ABC analysis, VEN analysis, ABC/VEN reconciliation, and stock status analysis (SSA) that non-APTS hospitals did less/not. Conclusion In general, higher performances were observed in APTS implemented hospitals than non-APTS hospitals regarding patient knowledge, satisfaction, and medicine availability at stores. In all cases, it needs improvement to achieve target values.
Magnitude of Anemia and Its Associated Factors Among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care in Southern Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose The aim of this study was to assess the magnitude of anemia and its associated factors among pregnant women attending antenatal care (ANC) at Dilla University referral Hospital, South Ethiopia. Patients and Methods An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from January to February 2019, among 373 pregnant women who attended antenatal care at Dilla University referral hospital. Socio-demographic factors, nutritional, medical and obstetric information of the study participants were collected using a structured questionnaire. Hemoglobin was measured using a hemacue machine, and fecal specimens were examined to detect intestinal parasites. Bivariate and multiple variable binary logistic regressions were used to identify predictors of anemia. A p-value less than 0.05 was used to declare statistical significance. Results Overall prevalence of anemia was 28.7%, of which 19.6% had mild anemia. Decreased odds of anemia were found in women with good nutritional status (MUAC ≥24 cm) (AOR= 0.07 95% CI: 0.03–0.1), iron supplementation (AOR=0.06 95% CI: 0.02–0.15) and birth spacing ≥2 yrs (AOR=0.03 95% CI: 0.009–0.45). However, increased odds of anemia were seen in pregnant women with intestinal parasites (AOR=6.11 95% CI 7.70–37.0). Conclusion The magnitude of anemia among pregnant women was found to be a moderate public health problem. Iron supplementation, good nutritional status (MUAC> 24 cm), and birth spacing reduce the odds of anemia. But having intestinal parasites was found to increase the likelihood of anemia during pregnancy. Counseling on birth spacing, strengthening iron supplementation, and intestinal parasite management during pregnancy should be given due emphasis.
PTPLAD2 and USP49 Involved in the Pathogenesis of Smoke-Induced COPD by Integrative Bioinformatics Analysis

Purpose Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a typical chronic disease, but its molecular pathogenesis remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the expression of biomarkers during COPD development. Methods Markers significantly associated with COPD were screened using bioinformatics tools. qRT-PCR and Western blot were used to explore the expression of PTPLAD2 and USP49 in BEAS-2B cells. CCK-8 assay was used to determine the influence of PTPLAD2 and USP49 in BEAS-2B on cell proliferation. Results In this study, 86 DEGs were identified in GSE76925. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analyses suggested that the phosphoinositide 3-kinase-Akt signaling pathway, ECM–receptor interaction, mRNA process, and viral transcription were all involved in the development of COPD. In addition, 14 hub genes were identified by WGCNA. PTPLAD2 and USP49 shared DEGs and hub genes and their expression levels were significantly reduced after CSE-treatment in BEAS-2B cells. Conclusion Our results suggest that PTPLAD2 and USP49 may be useful biomarkers of COPD.
Diagnostic Performance of Point-of-Care Troponin I and Laboratory Troponin T in Patients Presenting to the ED with Chest Pain: A Comparative Study

Background Chest pain is a common symptom in patients visiting the emergency department (ED). Diagnosing acute coronary syndrome is a challenging task for emergency physicians. Evaluation of chest pain depends on clinical symptoms and signs, ECG, and cardiac enzymes. Here, we aimed to compare the diagnostic performance of the point-of-care troponin I assay with laboratory HsTnT assay in patients presenting to the ED with chest pain. Methods A prospective study was done at the ED of Alkhor Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation, between March 2016 and December 2016. Patients more than 18 years old who presented to the ED with chest pain were enrolled. Patients with renal failure, initial ECG showing ST-elevation MI, or arrhythmias, and hemodynamically unstable patients were excluded. A blood sample was collected at 0 and 3 hours post-admission for POC TnI and laboratory HsTnT assay. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and AUC were determined and compared. Results Out of 313 patients enrolled, ten were excluded. At 0 hour, the POC TnI assay had a lower sensitivity (72.5% versus 97.5%) and had almost equal specificity (99.24% versus 93.2%) when compared to lab HsTnT assay. At 3 hours post-admission, the sensitivity increased to 95% versus 100%, and specificity was 100% versus 94.3% when compared to lab HsTnT. The POC TnI assay had a higher PPV than HsTnT, whereas both assays showed a high NPV at 0 and 3 hours. Conclusion Although the diagnostic performance of POC TnI was lower than that of Lab HsTnT at 0 hour, at 3 hours post-admission, the diagnostic performance was almost equal to that of HsTnT. Hence we conclude that chest pain in patients with a negative POC TnI at 3 hours post-admission is unlikely to be due to NSTEMI.
A Systematic Review of the Orthopedic Literature Involving National Hockey League Players

Background Orthopedic injuries of National Hockey League (NHL) players are common and may significantly affect players’ health and careers. Evidence-based injury management is important in guiding players’ timely return to sport and their ability to play at their pre-injury levels of competition. Purpose To summarize all data published between January 1980 and March 2020 on orthopedic injuries experienced by professional ice hockey players competing in the NHL. Study Design Systematic review. Methods A literature review of studies examining orthopedic injuries in the NHL was performed using the Embase, PubMed, and CINAHL databases. The review included studies focusing on NHL players and players attending the NHL Combine and preseason NHL team camps. Studies pertaining to non-orthopedic injuries and case reports were excluded. Results A total of 39 articles met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. The articles were divided by anatomic site of injury for further analysis: hip and pelvis (24%), general/other (14%), ankle (10%), knee (10%), foot (7%), shoulder (7%), thigh (7%), trunk (7%), spine (6%), elbow (4%), and hand and wrist (4%). The majority of articles were Level IV Evidence (51.3%), followed by Level III Evidence (38.5%). Most studies obtained data from publicly available internet resources (24.7%), player medical records (19.5%) or surveys of team physicians and athletic trainers (15.5%). A much smaller number of studies utilized the NHL Injury Surveillance System (NHLISS) (6.5%) or the Athlete Health Management System (AHMS) (2.6%). Conclusion This systematic review provides NHL team physicians with a single source of the current literature regarding orthopedic injuries in NHL players. Most research was published on hip and pelvis (24%) injuries, did not utilize the NHLISS and consisted of Level IV Evidence.
ENT manifestations of tuberculosis: an important aspect of ENT practice

Tuberculosis involving organs other than the lungs is termed as 'extra pulmonary tuberculosis'. Tuberculosis (TB) remains a worldwide public health problem despite the fact that the causative organism was discovered more than 100 years ago. The present study was conducted to assess different manifestations of tuberculosis affecting the ear, nose and throat (ENT) in patients attending the outpatient department in a total of 520 cases of tuberculosis. One hundred and eight cases were of extra pulmonary tuberculosis. Sixty nine cases had the manifestations of TB in the ENT region. These included patients with tuberculous cervical lymphadenopathy (91.35), laryngeal TB (4.3%), tuberculous otitis media (1.4%), nasal TB (1.4%) and oral tuberculosis (1.4%). Extra pulmonary tuberculosis constitutes about 15-20% of all tuberculosis cases as per WHO survey and it is 20.6% in the present study.
The Effect of Pre-Operative Medical Co-Morbidities on Rehabilitation Outcomes Following Surgery for Hip Fracture Management in Geriatric Populations

Introduction: As a result of increasing longevity, we are seeing more elderly patients with complex medical co-morbidities who sustain hip fractures requiring surgical management. The aim of this study is to understand and analyze the effect of preoperative medical comorbidities and associated low physiological reserve status on functional rehabilitation outcomes following surgical management of hip fractures. Materials and methods: This study conducted a retrospective analysis of 73 patients who fulfilled the inclusion criteria . We utilized the de Morton Mobility Index (DEMMI) scores pre surgery and at the time of discharge from hospital following a period of rehabilitation as a measure of their pre and post-surgery functional status. The Physiological and Operative Score (POSSUM) was used as our tool to objectively quantify medical co-morbidities including but not limited to cardiovascular and pulmonary conditions. Results: The median age of our study population was 83 years of which 55(75%) were female. Time to surgery was a median of 21.0 hours, IQR (15.0-29.0), with a median physiological score of 21.0, IQR (19.0-26.0), the median pre surgery DEMMI was 85.0, IQR (55.5- 100.0) and the median DEMMI at discharge was 33.0, IQR (30.0-41.0). There is a moderate correlation between DEMMI pre and DEMMI at 3 months, 0.38 that is statistically significant, p = 0.001. Discussion: The effect of medical co- morbidities which causes the patient to have a poor physiological reserve even when coupled with the effect of the operative stress have no significant negative impact on the 90-day functional outcome of these patients. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the presence of medical comorbidities in patients who require surgical management of hip fractures would not adversely affect their rehabilitation outcomes. The preinjury functional status of a patient is a significant factor in predicting functional rehabilitation outcomes.
NR5A2 Promotes Cell Growth and Resistance to Temozolomide Through Regulating Notch Signal Pathway in Glioma

Background Glioma is a fatal primary malignant tumor. We aimed to explore the effect of nuclear receptor subfamily 5 group A member 2 (NR5A2) on glioma. Methods NR5A2 expression in glioma tissues and cells was detected using qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry (IHC)/Western blot. SPSS 22.0 was performed to explore the relationship between NR5A2 expression and glioma clinicopathologic features. The down-expressed plasmid of NR5A2 was transfected into glioma cells, and the cell viability, proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion were respectively determined by MTT, EdU, flow cytometry, wound healing and transwell assays. Cell cycle was analyzed using flow cytometry. Temozolomide (TMZ)-resistant glioma cells were established to define the effect of NR5A2 on drug resistance. The expressions of Notch pathway-related proteins were assessed by Western blot. Glioma nude mice model was constructed to explore the role of NR5A2 played in vivo. Results NR5A2 was highly expressed in glioma tissues and cell lines. NR5A2 overexpression was related to the poor prognosis of glioma patients. NR5A2 knockdown inhibited cell viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion, induced cell cycle arrest and promoted cell apoptosis in U138 and U251 cells. In U138/TMZ and U251/TMZ cell lines, NR5A2 upregulation enhanced TMZ resistance while NR5A2 downregulation reduced it. The knockdown of NR5A2 influenced the expressions of Notch pathway-related proteins. NR5A2 knockdown suppressed tumor growth and facilitated apoptosis in glioma mice model. Conclusion NR5A2 affected glioma cell malignant behaviors and TMZ resistance via Notch signaling pathway and it might be a novel target in glioma therapy.
Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Reduce Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Myelin Degradation and Neuroinflammatory Responses of Glial Cells in Mice

Brain inflammation is a key event triggering the pathological process associated with many neurodegenerative diseases. Current personalized medicine and translational research in neurodegenerative diseases focus on adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs), because they are patient-specific, thereby reducing the risk of immune rejection. ASCs have been shown to exert a therapeutic effect following transplantation in animal models of neuroinflammation. However, the mechanisms by which transplanted ASCs promote cell survival and/or functional recovery are not fully understood. We investigated the effects of ASCs in in vivo and in vitro lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced neuroinflammatory models. Brain damage was evaluated immunohistochemically using specific antibody markers of microglia, astroglia and oligodendrocytes. ASCs were used for intracerebral transplantation, as well as for non-contact co-culture with brain slices. In both in vivo and in vitro models, we found that LPS caused micro- and astroglial activation and oligodendrocyte degradation, whereas the presence of ASCs significantly reduced the damaging effects. It should be noted that the observed ASCs protection in a non-contact co-culture suggested that this effect was due to humoral factors via ASC-released biomodulatory molecules. However, further clinical studies are required to establish the therapeutic mechanisms of ASCs, and optimize their use as a part of a personalized medicine strategy.
LncRNA PART1 Exerts Tumor-Suppressive Functions in Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma via miR-503-5p

Background Tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) accounts for one-third of oral cancers. Previous studies had reported that lncRNA/miRNA regulated the biological behaviors of different cancer cells. However, the mechanisms of PART1 in regulating tumorigenesis and TSCC development via targeting miR-503-5p had not been studied. Methods The expressions of PART1 and miR-503-5p in tissues and cultured cell lines were detected by qRT-PCR. StarBase 3.0 was used to predict the binding sites of PART1, then dual-luciferase assay and RNA pull-down assay were executed to confirm whether miR-503-5p was a target of PART1. TSCC cells were co-transfected with PART1-overexpressed plasmid or miR-503-5p mimics in vitro, and the transfection efficiency was evaluated through qRT-PCR. Western blot was performed to assess the expressions of EMT-related proteins. CCK-8 and clone formation assays were conducted to detect cell proliferation, TUNEL assay was used to detect apoptosis, and transwell assay was executed to test migration and invasion. Results The low PART1 expression and high miR-503-5p expression were found in TSCC tissues and cell lines (CAL-27 and SCC9). PART1 expression was positively correlated with patients’ prognosis. The targeting and binding relationship between PART1 and miR-503-5p was confirmed, and overexpressed PART1 diminished the expression of miR-503-5p as well. Moreover, PART1 facilitated apoptosis, inhibited proliferation, invasion and migration of TSCC cells, and these influences were impeded by miR-503-5p overexpression. Conclusion LncRNA PART1 played a cancer-suppressing role in TSCC by targeting miR-503-5p, which provided a potential target for TSCC treatment.
Epidemiologic and Clinical Characteristics of COVID-19 Patients from a Quarantine Center in a Developing Community: A Retrospective Study

Purpose Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an ongoing infectious disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) agent, and is generally known as novel coronavirus. The impact of the disease has had apparent effects on health, social, and economic levels. This study aimed to investigate the epidemiologic features, clinical presentations, laboratory examination, and outcomes of COVID-19 patients in Jordan. Patients and Methods This retrospective study included all COVID-19 patients admitted to the quarantine center at King Abdullah University Hospital in Jordan between March 16 and May 21, 2020. Patient information was abstracted from hospital electronic records and included patient demographics, symptoms, comorbidities, laboratory tests, infection period, and outcome. Results Approximately 42% of the quarantined individuals were asymptomatic. The majority of symptomatic patients had mild to moderate symptoms of the disease. Only ten patients (9.3%) had severe symptoms, with one of them progressed to a critical stage and died 15 days after admission. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and D-dimer levels were significantly elevated in many patients. More than two-thirds (69.8%) of the symptomatic patients were females. Elevated ESR and LDH levels, along with longer periods of infection, were significantly associated with symptomatic patients. Conclusion A large proportion of Jordanian patients were asymptomatic carriers of the virus. This finding emphasizes the importance of a continuous surveillance process to discover these contagious carriers to control the disease spread. Additionally, we suggest that future analyses should investigate for sexual variation in the inflammatory response to this viral infection since most of our symptomatic patients were females. Finally, the role of ESR and LDH biomarkers should be investigated further for the possibility of earlier identification of patients with greater risk.