OBJECTIVE: Given the genetic disease burden, family size, and the high consanguinity rates in the Middle East, our objective is to address current practices and challenges of DMD patient care within two countries in this region, namely the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, and to outline readiness for gene therapy.
METHODS: An expert panel meeting was held to discuss the DMD patient journey, disease awareness, current management of DMD, challenges faced and recommendations for improvement. Opportunities and challenges for gene therapy in both countries were also deliberated. A pre-meeting survey was conducted, and the results were used to guide the discussion during the meeting.
RESULTS: DMD awareness is poor resulting in a delay in referral and diagnosis of patients. Awareness and education initiatives, along with an interconnected referral system could improve early diagnosis. Genetic testing is available in both countries although coverage varies. Corticosteroid therapy is the standard of care however there is often a delay in treatment initiation. Patients with DMD should be diagnosed and managed by a multi-disciplinary team in centers of excellence for neuromuscular disorders. Key success factors to support the introduction of gene therapy include education and training, timely and accessible genetic testing and resolution of reimbursement and cost issues.
CONCLUSION: There are many challenges facing the management of DMD patients in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait and most likely other countries within the Middle East. Successful introduction of gene therapy to treat DMD will require careful planning, education, capacity building and prioritization of core initiatives.
METHODS: In this article, the steps involved in importing, segmenting, and registering tomographic images using 3D Slicer were thoroughly described, before importing them into GATE for MC simulation. The absorbed doses estimated using GATE were then compared with that of PM. SlicerRT, a 3D Slicer extension, was then used to visualize the isodose from the MC simulation.
RESULTS: A workflow diagram consisting of all the steps taken in the utilization of 3D Slicer for personalized dosimetry in 90 Y radioembolization has been presented in this article. In comparison to the MC simulation, the absorbed doses to the tumor and normal liver were overestimated by PM by 105.55% and 20.23%, respectively, whereas for lungs, the absorbed dose estimated by PM was underestimated by 25.32%. These values were supported by the isodose distribution obtained via SlicerRT, suggesting the presence of beta particles outside the volumes of interest. These findings demonstrate the importance of personalized dosimetry for a more accurate absorbed dose estimation compared to PM.
CONCLUSION: The methodology provided in this study can assist users (especially students or researchers who are new to MC simulation) in navigating intricate steps required in the importation of tomographic data for MC simulation. These steps can also be utilized for other radiation therapy related applications, not necessarily limited to internal dosimetry.
METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 16 cannabinoids are determined in optimized microwave pretreatment of hemp oil using the developed approach. Untargeted metabolomics analysis reveals that cannabinoid extract (CE) and its major constituent (cannabidiol, CBD), can alleviate high glucose-induced increases in lipids and carbohydrates, and decreases in amino acid and nucleic acid. Moreover, CE and CBD are also found to suppress the expression levels of mdt-15, sbp-1, fat-5, fat-6, fat-7, daf-2, and elevate the expression level of daf-1, daf-7, daf-16, sod-3, gst-4, lipl-4, resulting in the decrease of lipid synthesis and the enhance of kinetism. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) uncovers strong associations between specific metabolic alterations and gene expression levels.
CONCLUSION: These findings from this exploratory study offer a new insight into the roles of cannabinoids in the treatment of obesity and related complications.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective study, enrolling patients with superficial gastric neoplasms that underwent EFB followed by ESD. We divided cases to concordant or discordant group according to the histopathologic diagnosis of EFB and ESD specimens. We also analyzed the features that may have influenced the occurrence of histopathologic discordance and the association between discordant samples of adenocarcinoma and neoplastic invasion to deeper layers.
RESULTS: A total of 115 gastric ESD procedures were performed with 84 patients meeting the inclusion criteria. Histopathologic discordance between EFB and ESD specimens were observed in 35.8% of cases (30/84 lesions). The univariant-bivariant analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that histologic discordance was closely related to the size of the lesions ( P =0.028).
CONCLUSION: Histopathologic discrepancy between EFB and ESD specimens may occur in approximately one-third of cases, particularly for lesions over 20 mm, which may lead to crucial delays in gastric cancer precise diagnosis and treatment.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, a total of 2629 patients for whom orthopantomogram were selected out of 3900 new patients between August 2020 and June 2021. The positioning errors of the radiographs were evaluated and categorized into ten groups. The quality of the radiographs is further assessed as "Excellent," "Diagnostically Acceptable," and "Diagnostically Unacceptable."
RESULTS: Out of the total radiographs, 32.8% had no errors, and 77.2% of the radiographs had one or more positioning errors. The radiographs were analyzed in detail, and the errors found in the panoramic radiographs were recorded. The most common positioning error observed in the radiograph was error 8, failure to place the tongue close to the palate.
CONCLUSION: The results and evaluation inferred that attention to patient positioning and focusing on reducing diagnostically indecent images could improve the quality of panoramic radiographs. Proper instructions to the patient, patient preparation, appropriate positioning of the patient, and the technician's skill plays a vital role in reducing diagnostic errors in Panoramic Radiography.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: After a comprehensive search of RIRS-related literature published between 1 January 1964 and 1 October 2021 from the PubMed database, systematic review and assessment were performed to inform a series of recommendations, which were graded using modified GRADE methodology. Additionally, quality of evidence was classified using a modification of the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine Levels of Evidence system. Finally, related comments were provided.
RESULTS: A total of 36 recommendations were developed and graded that covered the following topics: indications and contraindications; preoperative imaging; preoperative ureteric stenting; preoperative medications; peri-operative antibiotics; management of antithrombotic therapy; anaesthesia; patient positioning; equipment; lithotripsy; exit strategy; and complications.
CONCLUSION: The series of recommendations regarding RIRS, along with the related commentary and supporting documentation, offered here should help provide safe and effective performance of RIRS.
METHODS: We prospectively observed lesions with white light imaging (WLI), LCI, and BLI using both LED and LASER colonoscopies from January 2020 to August 2021. Images were graded by 27 endoscopists from nine countries using the polyp visibility score: 4 (excellent), 3 (good), 2 (fair), and 1 (poor) and the comparison score (LED better/similar/LASER better) for WLI/LCI/BLI images of each lesion.
RESULTS: Finally, 32 lesions (polyp size: 20.0 ± 15.2 mm) including 9 serrated lesions, 13 adenomas, and 10 T1 cancers were evaluated. The polyp visibility scores of LCI/WLI for international and Japan-expert endoscopists were 3.17 ± 0.73/3.17 ± 0.79 (p = 0.92) and 3.34 ± 0.78/2.84 ± 1.22 (p