METHODS: This study recruited 21 ALS patients, 19 age-matched PD patients, and 21 agematched healthy controls. Patient demographics and clinical scores relating to the respective diseases were documented. The RNFL thickness was measured using optical coherence tomography at baseline and after 6 months.

RESULTS: At baseline, the RNFL in the superior quadrant was significantly thinner in the patients with ALS than in healthy controls (109.90±22.41 µm vs. 127.81±17.05 µm [mean±standard deviation], p=0.008). The RNFL thickness did not differ significantly between the ALS and PD patients or between the PD patients and healthy controls. At 6 months, there was further significant RNFL thinning in patients with ALS, for both the overall thickness (baseline: median=94.5 µm, range=83.0-106.0 µm; follow-up: median=93.5 µm, range=82.5-104.5 µm, p=0.043) and the thickness in the inferior quadrant (median=126 µm, range=109.5-142.5 µm; and median=117.5 µm, range=98.5-136.5 µm; respectively, p=0.032). However, these changes were not correlated with the ALS functional scores. In contrast, the patients with PD did not demonstrate a significant change in RNFL thickness between the two time points.

METHODS AND RESULTS: The POME final discharge, upstream (unpolluted by POME), and downstream (effluent receiving point) parts of the rivers from two sites were physicochemically characterized. The taxonomic and gene profiles were then evaluated using de novo metatranscriptomics, while the metabolites were detected using qualitative metabolomics. A similar bacterial community structure in the POME final discharge samples from both sites was recorded, but their composition varied. Redundancy analysis showed that several families, particularly Comamonadaceae and Burkholderiaceae [Pr(>F) = 0.028], were positively correlated with biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) and chemical oxygen demand (COD). The results also showed significant enrichment of genes regulating various metabolisms in the POME-receiving rivers, with methane, carbon fixation pathway, and amino acids among the predominant metabolisms identified (FDR  4, and PPDE > 0.95). This was further validated through qualitative metabolomics, whereby amino acids were detected as the predominant metabolites.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: 30 live Sprague-Dawley rats were used in this study. The rats' mandibular first molar tooth was extracted, and an incision wound was made on the tongue. The extraction socket and incision wound were irrigated using normal saline and different concentrations of locally processed miswak plant extracts (0.05%, 10%, and 20%) for 7 days. The rats were sacrificed for gross examination of the tooth socket and tongue healing. Both soft tissue and alveolar bone were examined microscopically.

RESULTS: Complete closure of the incision wound was observed on all rats' tongues; miswak groups showed better wound healing than control and placebo groups in the oral mucosa overlying the alveolar bones. 0.05% and 20% miswak extracts showed prominent wound healing effects in the sagittal sections of the tongue, with moderate formation of connective tissue under the wound site and notable wound contraction. The 20% miswak extract group showed the highest percentage of healed oral mucosa on the alveolar bone and higher bone deposition at the alveolar base.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a longitudinal study of eight IGHD subjects (2 males, 6 females) with a mean age of 11.1 ± 0.8 years and age-matched control groups. The pituitary gland, basal ganglia and limbic structures volumes were obtained using 3T MRI voxel-based morphology. The left-hand bone age was assessed using the Tanner-Whitehouse method. Follow-up imaging was performed after an average of 1.8 ± 0.4 years on rhGH.

RESULTS: Subjects with IGHD had a smaller mean volume of the pituitary gland, right thalamus, hippocampus, and amygdala than the controls. After rhGH therapy, these volumes normalized to the age-matched controls. Corpus callosum of IGHD subjects had a larger mean volume than the controls and did not show much volume changes in response to rhGH therapy. There were changes towards normalization of bone age deficit of IGHD in response to rhGH therapy.

METHODOLOGY: This was a retrospective cohort study that included 170 newborns admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM) with a history of maternal hyperthyroidism from January 2013 until December 2018. We analyzed their baseline demographic and clinical characteristics, maternal thyroid status and antibody levels. Finally, we analyzed newborn thyroid function and thyroid antibodies.

RESULTS: The proportion of neonates born to mothers with maternal hyperthyroidism was 0.8% (170 of 20,198 neonates within the study period). Seven (4.1%) developed overt hyperthyroidism, while four (2.4%) had thyroid storm. The median time for thyroid function test normalization was 30 days (95% CI: 27.1 to 32.8). The median time for TFT normalization was longer among neonates of mothers with positive thyroid antibodies [46.6 days (95% CI, 20.6 to 39.4)] and of mothers who received anti-thyroid treatment [31.7 days (95% CI, 23.5 to 39.9)].

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty-two glioma patients were subjected to MRI using a standard tumor protocol with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). The tumor and peritumor regions were delineated using snake model with reference to structural and diffusion MRI. A preprocessing pipeline of the structural MRI image, DTI data, and tumor regions was implemented. Tractography was performed to delineate the white matter (WM) tracts in the selected tumor regions via probabilistic fiber tracking. DTI indices were investigated through comparative mapping of WM tracts and tumor regions in low-grade gliomas (LGG) and high-grade gliomas (HGG).

RESULTS: Significant differences were seen in the planar tensor (Cp) in peritumor regions; mean diffusivity, axial diffusivity and pure isotropic diffusion in solid-enhancing tumor regions; and fractional anisotropy, axial diffusivity, pure anisotropic diffusion (q), total magnitude of diffusion tensor (L), relative anisotropy, Cp and spherical tensor (Cs) in solid nonenhancing tumor regions for affected WM tracts. In most cases of HGG, the WM tracts were not completely destroyed, but found intact inside the tumor.