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Genetic Correlation Between Male Infertility and Prostate Cancer: An In-depth Meta-analysis
No full textIntroduction: Male infertility and prostate cancer are both significant global health issues. Male infertility refers to the failure to conceive after a year of unprotected sexual intercourse. Prostate cancer, primarily found in older men, poses a substantial health risk globally. Recent research suggests a possible connection between male reproductive dysfunction and prostate carcinoma.
Methodology: A thorough analysis of existing literature was undertaken utilizing automated databases, which included Embase, PubMed, and Google Scholar. In conducting this meta-analysis, we implemented the standards charted by the PRISMA guidelines. Findings were included investigating the link between GSTP1 gene variants, estrogen receptor genes (PvuII, XbaI, and AluI), male infertility, and prostate cancer. Criteria for inclusion required case vs. control study designs providing data on genotype and allele frequencies. The Newcastle Ottawa Scale (NOS) and assessment of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) were employed for evaluating methodological quality. Statistical analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.4, with significance defined as p < 0.05.
Results: The meta-analysis encompassed 24 case-control studies. Significant associations were observed between GSTP1 gene polymorphisms, particularly the Ile105Val genotype, and male infertility and prostate cancer in the allelic and homozygote models. However, substantial correlations involving the estrogen receptor gene polymorphisms (PvuII, XbaI, and AluI) and male infertility or prostate cancer were not found.
Conclusion: The meta-analysis shows a significant correlation between GSTP1 gene variations and both impaired male fertility and prostatic carcinoma. These results indicate a possible genetic predisposition to these conditions, underscoring the demand for additional exploration to elucidate the function of genetic influences in male reproductive health
Real-world Analysis of Clinical Characteristics and Treatment Patterns in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes in the United Arab Emirates
Get PDFIntroduction: This real-world study examined the demographics, clinical characteristics, and treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in routine clinical practice in the UAE.
Methods: Data were drawn from the Adelphi Real World Diabetes Disease Specific Programme (DSP)TM, a cross-sectional survey of physicians and their patients with T2DM in the UAE from July to October 2022. Patient data were divided into four stratification factors: physician care, HbA1c level, obesity status, and age, with factors then divided into subgroups.
Results: Seventy physicians provided data for 849 patients (mean [SD] age 46.4 [10.6] years, with 31.1% of patients ≤40 years of age; 56.8% male; BMI 28.5 [4.4] kg/m2, with 27.3% of patients having a BMI ≥30 kg/m2). The mean HbA1c was 9.0% [1.1%] at diagnosis, 8.8% [1.1%] at the start of current treatment, and 7.5% [0.9%] at the last follow-up visit. Younger age, lower BMI, and shorter time since diagnosis were associated with a lower most recent HbA1c result (each p<0.0001). Overall, 84.5% of patients did not achieve the HbA1c target set by the physician post-treatment. The mean number of treatments was 1.3, and most patients (73%) only received one line of treatment. It took 3.3 years to switch patients from their previous to current therapy; only 59.7% of patients switched because of inadequate HbA1c reduction.
Conclusion: Despite receiving prescribed antidiabetic treatment, a high proportion of patients in our survey did not reach their target HbA1c. High HbA1c was correlated with age, time since diagnosis, and BMI, indicating a need for more efficacious treatment, particularly for older and high-BMI patients. Use of more optimal treatments may improve glycemic control and outcomes in this patient population
Enhancing IVF Success Rates: The Impact of Telemedicine and AI
No full textThis is an Editorial and does not have an abstract. Please download the PDF or view the article in HTML
Hypertensive Disorders During Pregnancy: A Retrospective Study
No full textThe aim of the study is to evaluate hypertensive disorders during pregnancy and perinatal outcomes. A retrospective analysis of data from 69 pregnant women divided into three groups is presented: control (without hypertension), with gestational hypertension, and chronic hypertension. Blood pressure, pulse, and neonatal parameters (weight, height, and Apgar scale) were assessed. The results showed that pregnant women with hypertension had a significant increase in systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared to the control group. In the group with gestational hypertension, a decrease in the weight and height of newborns was found, indicating a negative effect of hypertension on fetoplacental blood flow. In chronic arterial hypertension, an increase in blood pressure was observed, but neonatal parameters remained at the level of the control group. The data obtained confirm the clinical basis for early diagnosis and timely treatment of hypertensive disorders in pregnant women in order to reduce the risk of adverse perinatal outcomes
Spontaneous pregnancy following intra-ovarian platelet-rich plasma administration in poor ovarian responders according to the POSEIDON criteria: A cross-sectional study
No full textBackground: Female infertility, especially in those individuals with poor ovarian response (POR), is a challenge in the field of infertility and sterility. Recently, intra-ovarian platelet-rich plasma (IO-PRP) administration has been suggested as a possible co-treatment.
Objective: This study aimed to investigate the biodemographic characteristics of individuals who experienced spontaneous pregnancy following IO-PRP.
Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, out of 1548 women diagnosed with POR who underwent IO-PRP, 596 individuals who completed their 2-yr follow-up period, were included. Different types of demographic and pre-intervention laboratory data (blood levels of anti-Müllerian hormone, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, estradiol, prolactin, and their spouses’ sperm analysis results) were collected from the files. Each individual was classified into a certain group according to the POSEIDON criteria, and their data were compared.
Results: The results showed that 50 (8.39%) spontaneous pregnancies were observed. However, 8 were excluded from further analyses due to missing data in their critical variables. The most prevalent POSEIDON group was 4, with a prevalence of 17/42 (40.47%). Among the POSEIDON groups, covariates including the age of the individuals and their spouses, body mass index, anti-Müllerian hormone, and antral follicle/oocytes count following the latest IO-PRP significantly differed (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p = 0.039, p < 0.001, and p = 0.022, respectively).
Conclusion: The spontaneous pregnancy rate following IO-PRP among women with POR was low. However, significant differences in biodemographic and hormonal characteristics were observed between the groups with and without spontaneous pregnancy which could be useful in leading future studies on this subject
Intensity-modulated Radiation Therapy in the Management of Diffuse Choroidal Hemangioma in Sturge-Weber Syndrome
No full textPurpose: This study aimed to report the efficiency and safety of using intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in treating diffuse choroidal hemangioma (DCH) in patients with Sturge- Weber syndrome (SWS).Methods: IMRT planning was carried out for each case after patient fixation, CT simulation, and target delineation. The purpose of treatment planning was to deliver the prescribed dose of 20 Gy to at least 95% of the planning target volume (PTV). The primary follow-up goal was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of IMRT as an alternative to traditional 3D conformal radiotherapy methods. The case series involved patients with DCH and varying degrees of vision impairment who underwent IMRT.Results: Five patients, comprising two men and three women, with an average age of 14.4 ± 3.78 years, were included in this study. These patients were followed up for an average duration of 14.4 ± 6.84 months. All patients exhibited notable reduction in subretinal fluid, significant tumor regression, and minimal side effects. Visual acuity improved in patients with pre-IMRT vision of hand motion or better.Conclusion: The findings suggest that IMRT is a promising, low-complication treatment option for managing DCH in SWS patients, warranting further research and potential integration into clinical practic
Donor-implanted Guttata in Transplanted Corneal Tissue: Clinical Signs and Impact on Graft Survival
No full textPurpose: To present our experience with patients who developed donor-implanted guttata (DIG) following uncomplicated corneal endothelial transplantation.
Case Report: Three patients who underwent Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty were diagnosed with DIG, which was confirmed by confocal microscopy. Two of the cases received corneas from the same donor and experienced delayed recovery of corneal transparency despite fully attached grafts.
Conclusion: Fuchs endothelial dystrophy is a common condition within the general population and is likely to be present in donor corneas. We assessed three cases of DIG, and the results highlight the need for improved screening of this condition prior to transplantation and its consideration in the early postoperative period if corneal edema is present despite graft attachment
Co-creating and Bricolage Among Mask Stitchers in the US Pandemic
No full textStitchers, both trained and untrained in the design process, made tens of thousands of cloth masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the US. In doing so, they demonstrated how collaboration takes place, shaping relationships between diverse people as well as the way the pandemic was experienced. This chapter is based on an ethnography conducted between 2020 and 2022 where the different working processes and exchanges of skills and knowledge between designers and non-designers were observed. A shift in identity was apparent with formally-trained designers from the costume, theater, and film industry learning to work with uncertainty and lack of material inventory. Simultaneously, those stitchers who lacked formal design training were exposed to it by working with designers. That is, during a time of crisis, designers’ bricoleur capacities were apparent while their collaborators became quasi-designers. Such processes were co-creative means of leveraging solutions for unprecedented problems.
Keywords: bricolage, co-creation, collaboration, masks, pandemi
SALAM-RINDO Application: An Innovation to Improve Licensing Services
No full textInnovation in public services through the application of information technology to improve the quality of public services in Indonesia, specifically through the SALAM RINDU application (Integrated Easy Licensing Service System) launched by the Investment and One-stop Integrated Services Office (DPMPTSP) of Banjarmasin City. Using adescriptive qualitative approach, this study aims to evaluate the implementation of the SALAM-RINDU application in strengthening bureaucratic reform and improving the quality of licensing services in the health sector. Data were collected through observation, interviews, and document studies, then analyzed using the Miles and Huberman method. The results of the study indicate that the SALAM-RINDU application facilitates the previously manual licensing process and supports bureaucratic reform by providing faster, more efficient, and easily accessible services. However, the implementation of this application still faces challenges such as a lack of socialization, unclear information regarding requirements, and technical issues. This study concludes that the SALAM-RINDU application can increase the efficiency and effectiveness of public services in Banjarmasin City but requires improved technology infrastructure and more intensive socialization efforts
A Complete Story of Organizational Excellence: Mainstreaming Islamic Perspective Into Organizational Development Discourse
No full textImam Malik bin Anas (May Allah Almighty have mercy on him) reminded that the ummah cannot be as great as the best generation of the past as long as they are not developed in a waythat the best generation was developed by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. This article explores, theoretically, the reasons why Islamic perspectives must be mainstreamed into an unnegotiable theoretical foundation for organizational development, especially for public bureaucracy reform in the next time to come, toward world-class bureaucracy