Lifestyle Changes,Emotional Eating,Gender, and Stress during COVID-19 Lockdown

Emotional eating poses health risks. It is associated with adverse weight gain and a higher body mass index and is frequently triggered by stressful situations such as pandemics. The COVID-19 pandemic was found to cause stress as well as lifestyle changes of different magnitudes. This study examined the relationship between lifestyle changes and emotional eating by focusing on the moderating effect of gender and COVID-19-related stressors. A total of 1969 respondents completed online questionnaires during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Israel. The questionnaires assessed COVID-19-related lifestyle changes concerning eating habits, alcohol consumption, sleep quality, physical activity, and cigarette smoking, COVID-19-related stressors, and emotional eating (Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire). People with positive and negative COVID-19-related lifestyle changes demonstrated higher emotional eating compared to people with no lifestyle changes. The relationship between lifestyle changes and emotional eating was moderated by gender and COVID-19-related stressors. In conclusion, health officials should consider recommendations about lifestyle changes given to the public in times of unpredictable changes, with special attention to populations at risk of emotional eating. As emotional eating is related to poor emotional regulation skills, public nutrition recommendations should focus on improving these skills rather than adopting better diets.     

Point of care ultrasound knowledge among resident doctors in Madrid's university hospitals. Influence of the induction in emergency departments with point of care ultrasound practice

BackgroundPoint of care ultrasound study (POCUS) is a relatively new technique in Spanish Emergency Departments (EDs). Nonetheless, its use is increasing, and the number of emergency doctors and the number of papers published in our country has skyrocketed in last decade. Despite this fact, there is still no evidence of how POCUS is taught in our medical schools.ObjectiveTo ascertain the level of knowledge about POCUS in first year resident doctors of three hospitals in Madrid, and one year after having worked in ED with POCUS practice.Methods and study designThe study looked at demographic aspects, POCUS knowledge, and opinions about its usefulness in the ED, prior to and after working in ED with routine use of POCUS.ResultsOf the 265 questionnaires, 197 were first-year residents (Group 1) and 68 second-year residents (Group 2). Another 55 senior medical students completed the questionnaire (Group 3). The majority of Groups 1 and 3 stated to have a very low POCUS level. Almost three-quarters (73%) of Group 2 stated having an intermediate or high level, and 26% even declared having full knowledge. More than half of the students agreed that POCUS was a useful tool in ED.ConclusionsThere is a low level of knowledge about POCUS among first-year residents. After working in POCUS qualified EDs, these resident doctors state both the importance and their higher level of knowledge of POCUS.     

Dental practitioners' and students' knowledge of medication related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ)

BackgroundMedication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is a complication affecting patients who are being treated with antiresorptive or antiangiogenic medication. These patients require meticulous treatment planning and management strategies. This research aimed to assess the knowledge of dental practitioners and students in their professional years regarding MRONJ.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among 345 dental practitioners and students in their professional years of both genders, in governmental and private dental schools. The data was collected using an electronic and paper-based self-administered structured questionnaire with six sections. The data was entered and analyzed using SPSS Version 23, and a P-value <0.05 was considered significant. A Chi-square test was used to compare the categorical variables.ResultsThough more than half of the sample 68% received information about antiresorptive and antiangiogenic drugs during their studies, the level of knowledge was low. The primary diseases targeted by antiresorptive and antiangiogenic medications were not known by the majority of the sample. Almost half of the sample could not identify any antiresorptive or antiangiogenic medication and only 28.1% knew the correct definition of MRONJ.ConclusionThe level of knowledge regarding MRONJ is a concern, necessitating more educational courses and workshops.     

Micro and Martsolf syndromes in 34 new patients: Refining the phenotypic spectrum and further molecular insights

Micro and Martsolf syndromes are rare clinically and genetically overlapping disorders caused by mutations in RAB3GAP1, RAB3GAP2, RAB18 and TBC1D20 genes. We describe 34 new patients, 27 with Micro and seven with Martsolf. Patients presented with the characteristic clinical manifestations of the two syndromes, including postnatal microcephaly, congenital cataracts, microphthalmia, optic atrophy, spasticity and intellectual disability. Brain imaging showed in the majority of cases polymicrogyria, thin corpus callosum, cortical atrophy, and white matter dysmyelination. Unusual additional findings were pectus excavatum (four patients), pectus carinatum (three patients), congenital heart disease (three patients) and bilateral calcification in basal ganglia (one patient). Mutational analysis of RAB3GAP1 and RAB3GAP2 revealed 21 mutations, including 14 novel variants. RAB3GAP1 mutations were identified in 22 patients with Micro, including a deletion of the entire gene in one patient. On the other hand, RAB3GAP2 mutations were identified in two patients with Micro and all Martsolf patients. Moreover, exome sequencing unraveled a TBC1D20 mutation in an additional family with Micro syndrome. Our results expand the phenotypic and mutational spectrum associated with Micro and Martsolf syndromes. Due to the overlapped severities and genetic basis of both syndromes, we suggest to be comprehended as one entity “Micro/Martsolf spectrum” or “RAB18 deficiency.”     

Mutations in the cofilin partner Aip1/Wdr1 cause autoinflammatory disease and macrothrombocytopenia

A pivotal mediator of actin dynamics is the protein cofilin, which promotes filament severing and depolymerization, facilitating the breakdown of existing filaments, and the enhancement of filament growth from newly created barbed ends. It does so in concert with actin interacting protein 1 (Aip1), which serves to accelerate cofilin's activity. While progress has been made in understanding its biochemical functions, the physiologic processes the cofilin/Aip1 complex regulates, particularly in higher organisms, are yet to be determined. We have generated an allelic series for WD40 repeat protein 1 (Wdr1), the mammalian homolog of Aip1, and report that reductions in Wdr1 function produce a dramatic phenotype gradient. While severe loss of function at the Wdr1 locus causes embryonic lethality, macrothrombocytopenia and autoinflammatory disease develop in mice carrying hypomorphic alleles. Macrothrombocytopenia is the result of megakaryocyte maturation defects, which lead to a failure of normal platelet shedding. Autoinflammatory disease, which is bone marrow-derived yet nonlymphoid in origin, is characterized by a massive infiltration of neutrophils into inflammatory lesions. Cytoskeletal responses are impaired in Wdr1 mutant neutrophils. These studies establish an essential requirement for Wdr1 in megakaryocytes and neutrophils, indicating that cofilin-mediated actin dynamics are critically important to the development and function of both cell types.     

The role of iron repletion in adult iron deficiency anemia and other diseases

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is the most prevalent and treatable form of anemia worldwide. The clinical management of patients with IDA requires a comprehensive understanding of the many etiologies that can lead to iron deficiency including pregnancy, blood loss, renal disease, heavy menstrual bleeding, inflammatory bowel disease, bariatric surgery, or extremely rare genetic disorders. The treatment landscape for many causes of IDA is currently shifting toward more abundant use of intravenous (IV) iron due to its effectiveness and improved formulations that decrease the likelihood of adverse effects. IV iron has found applications beyond treatment of IDA, and there is accruing data about its efficacy in patients with heart failure, restless leg syndrome, fatigue, and prevention of acute mountain sickness. This review provides a framework to diagnose, manage, and treat patients presenting with IDA and discusses other conditions that benefit from iron supplementation.     

Oral lichen planus in Arab countries : a review

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic mucocutaneous inflammatory disease of unknown etiology with a potential for malignant transformation. Little is known about the epidemiology of this condition in the Arab world. A computer‐based literature search was conducted using relevant keywords to retrieve studies conducted in Arab world pertaining to OLP, 28 articles were identified initially. After screening for exclusion criteria/retrieving full texts, a total of 15 articles were used for this review. Three studies were cross‐sectional and found a prevalence ranging from 0.35% to 1.7%. Studies about risk factors and prognostic markers were conducted in clinical settings, using a case–control design mostly (n = 9), cohort (n = 2), and clinical trial (n = 1). Genetic expressions of various proteins (e.g., BCL family), cultural determinants (Deram chewing), bacterial and viral infections [Helicobacter pylori and Hepatitis C virus (HCV)] were among factors investigated. Evidence extracted from these studies shows a possible link between OLP and Deram use, H. pylori and HCV Infections with a prevalence of the latter infection ranging from 14.7% to 26.3% in patients with OLP. However, paucity of population‐based studies limits generalizability of such evidence. Future studies in the Arab world should focus upon surveying the extent of OLP, identifying cultural risk factors, utilization of OLP genetic markers in diagnostic, and prognostic applications.