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Suaad Abdallah Audat,1 Qosay Ali Al-Balas,2 Buthina Abdallah Al-Oudat,2 Mo’ad Jamil Athamneh,1 Amanda Bryant-Friedrich3 1Department of Chemistry, College of Science and Arts, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, 22110, Jordan; 2Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, 22110, Jordan; 3Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48202, USACorrespondence: Suaad Abdallah Audat, Department of Chemistry, College of Science and Arts, Jordan University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 3030, Irbid, 22110, Jordan, Tel +962 2 720 1000, Fax +962 2 720 1071, Email saaudat@just.edu.joBackground: Glyoxalase system is one of the defense cellular mechanisms that protect cells against endogenous harmful metabolites, mainly methylglyoxal (MG), through conversion of cytotoxic methylglyoxal into the non-toxic lactic acid. Glyoxalase system comprises of two enzymes glyoxalase I, glyoxalase II, and a catalytic amount of reduced glutathione. Cancerous cells overexpress glyoxalase I, making it a target for cancer therapy. Many studies have been conducted to identify potent Glx-I inhibitors.Methods: Aiming to discover and develop novel Glx-I inhibitors, a series of 1,4-benzenesulfonamide derivatives were designed, synthesized, and biologically evaluated in vitro against human Glx-I enzyme. Seventeen compounds were designed based on the hit compound that was obtained from searching the National Cancer Institute (NCI) database. The synthesis of the target compounds ( 13– 29) was accomplished utilizing an azo coupling reaction of aniline derivatives and activated substituted aromatic compounds. To understand the binding mode of the active compounds at the active site of Glx-I, docking studies were performed.Results: Structure activity relationship (SAR) studies were accomplished which led to the identification of several compounds that showed potent inhibitory activity with IC50 values below 10 μM. Among the compounds tested, compounds (E)-2-hydroxy-5-((4-sulfamoylphenyl)diazenyl)benzoic acid ( 26) and (E)-4-((8-hydroxyquinolin-5-yl)diazenyl) benzenesulfonamide ( 28) displayed potent Glx-I inhibitory activity with IC50 values of 0.39 μM and 1.36 μM, respectively. Docking studies of compounds 26 and 28 were carried out to illustrate the binding mode of the molecules into the Glx-I active site.Conclusion: Our results show that compounds 26 and 28 displayed potent Glx-I inhibitory activity and can bind the Glx-I well. These findings should lead us to discover new classes of compounds with better Glx-I inhibition.Graphical Abstract: Keywords: anticancer agents, glyoxalase I, structure activity relationship, SAR, molecular docking

Bi-allelic variants in VWA1, encoding Von Willebrand Factor A domain containing 1 protein localized to the extracellular matrix (ECM), were linked to a neuromuscular disorder with manifestation in child- or adulthood. Clinical findings indicate a neuromyopathy presenting with muscle weakness. Given that pathophysiological processes are still incompletely understood, and biomarkers are still missing, we aimed to identify blood biomarkers of pathophysiological relevance: white blood cells (WBC) and plasma derived from six VWA1-patients were investigated by proteomics. Four proteins, BET1, HNRNPDL, NEFM and PHGDH, known to be involved in neurological diseases and dysregulated in WBC were further validated by muscle-immunostainings unravelling HNRNPDL as a protein showing differences between VWA1-patients, healthy controls and patients suffering from neurogenic muscular atrophy and BICD2-related neuromyopathy. Immunostaining studies of PHGDH indicate its involvement in apoptotic processes via co-localisation with caspase-3. NEFM showed an increase in cells within the ECM in biopsies of all patients studied. Plasma proteomics unravelled dysregulation of 15 proteins serving as biomarker candidates among which a profound proportion of increased ones (6/11) are mostly related to antioxidative processes and have even partially been described as blood biomarkers for other entities of neuromuscular disorders before. CRP elevated in plasma also showed an increase in the extracellular space of VWA1-mutant muscle. Results of our combined studies for the first time describe pathophysiologically relevant biomarkers for VWA1-related neuromyopathy and suggest that VWA1-patient derived blood might hold the potential to study disease processes of clinical relevance, an important aspect for further preclinical studies., (© 2024 The Authors. Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine published by Foundation for Cellular and Molecular Medicine and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

COVID-19 has spread throughout the world and has resulted in significant morbidity, mortality, and negative psychological impact. This prospective cross-sectional study is exploring the effect of the pandemic on mental health of medical students. The study was conducted at six Jordanian medical schools using an online survey to collect students' socio-demographic and academic data. Assessment of mental wellbeing status was done using Kessler's psychological stress scale (K10); the impact of COVID-19 on life activities and strategies followed to manage the situation were also examined. A total of 553 medical students were recruited for the study. Men constituted 40.1%, and women were 59.9%. Students reported that COVID-19 has affected the aspects of physical fitness (73.1%), study (68.4%), and social relationships (65.6%) the most. Sixty-six percent of the students were concerned about family members' affection, and more than half (58.4%) explained their concerns about the inability to get clinical sessions and labs. Cooking, baking, and hobby practicing were the most popular methods to improve their mental wellbeing. About half of the participants had a severe mental disorder, and only 13.2% were likely to be well. The study indicates that half of our medical students suffer severe mental disorders, with physical fitness, exercise, and studying being among the most affected aspects during the COVID 19 pandemic. It is recommended that measures need be taken to alleviate students' stress, which might have deleterious effects in many aspects., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background: It has been known that the type of anesthesia can affect the stress response to surgery in form of hyperglycemia. This study aims to evaluate and compare the influence of general anesthesia (GA) and spinal anesthesia (SA) on pregnant women who are scheduled to undergo cesarean section (CS) and to understand the impact of obstetrical factors on the maternal hyperglycemic-stress response during CS., Methods: Prospectively, we identified, assessed and followed those pregnant women who were scheduled to undergo elective CS surgery. The included group comprises any women who was scheduled to undergo an elective CS. The preoperative and postoperative blood glucose levels were measured and compared between both groups (GA and SA groups)., Results: The study included 302 patients who satisfied the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the study. GA was more commonly utilized in cesarean sections (56.6%) compared with SA (43.4%). The average gestational age at time of delivery was 37.4 weeks. The post-operative readings were significantly higher in the GA group with a mean sugar level of 110.1 mg/dL and a mean sugar level in the SA group of 87.7 mg/dL (P = 0.00). After performing multiple regression analysis, it was revealed that the type of anesthesia is the most independent factor affecting the postoperative sugar level., Conclusion: GA causes higher blood glucose concentrations than SA, which indicates that the impact of GA on hormonal stress response and metabolic hemostasis is greater than in SA., (© 2021 The Authors.)

Background: The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on health services offered to patients with non-communicable diseases, including chronic neurological illnesses, are diverse and universal. We used a self-reported questionnaire to investigate these impacts on neurology patients in Jordan and assess their knowledge and attitudes towards the pandemic., Results: Most respondents had positive attitudes towards the COVID-19 pandemic, with 96% reporting they believed in the seriousness of the pandemic and adhered to prevention measures. Nearly 97% resorted to the internet and media outlets for medical information about the pandemic. About one in five clinic visitors had their appointments delayed due to interruption of health services. A similar portion of patients with MS, epilepsy, and migraine or tension headache reported medication interruptions during the pandemic. One in two patients reported new events or worsening illness since the start of the pandemic, and sleep disturbances were reported by nearly one in three patients who had epilepsy or headache., Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic's impacts on patients with neurological illnesses in Jordan were deep and diverse. Meanwhile, the majority of surveyed neurology patients demonstrated a positive attitude towards the pandemic., Competing Interests: Competing interestsThe authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© The Author(s) 2021.)

BACKGROUND The current COVID-19 pandemic highlights the importance of the mindful use of financial and human resources. Preventing infections and preserving resources and manpower are crucial in healthcare. It is important to ensure the ability of surgeons and specialized interventionalists to function through the pandemic. Until now, no justified protocol has been reported for the anesthetic management in cesarean section (CS). CASE REPORT A 29-year-old pregnant woman, G2P1 at 37+4 weeks of gestation, was referred to our center on March 28, 2020, after she had tested positive for COVID-19. She was stable and the CS was planned after she reached term. Through spinal anesthesia, CS was conducted. The anesthesia team was protected with full personal protection equipment. The operation was carried out smoothly without complication. A female neonate was delivered and was tested to be negative for COVID-19. No medical staff cross-infection was reported. CONCLUSIONS Special precautions should be considered when pregnant women are undergoing CS. Spinal anesthesia is preferred over general anesthesia.

Background: Although stress reaction is high among nursing staff and nursing students in the Middle East and its effect on life is known, there are scant studies reporting on these clinical and social features. In addition, there are no studies reporting on factors that influence career choice among this group., Aim: This study aimed to investigate factors that influence career choice among nursing students and their possible association with depressive symptoms., Method: Participants were 150 (84.7% response rate) nursing students randomly selected from each academic year at the Nursing College/Jordan University of Science and Technology. Participants consented and completed the socio-demographic data collection sheet. The Arabic version of the Beck Depression Inventory-II Scale was used to assess participants with respect to depressive symptoms. A modified list of factors influencing career choice and a Likert scale to assess the level of sadness and the degree of religiosity were used as well., Results: Students ranked the most important three factors influencing their career selection as family decision, religious factors, and the desire to care for others. The prevalence of depression among the sample was 26%. Students who had a desire to care for others were less likely to suffer from depression and those who chose nursing as their career due to religious factors were significantly less depressed than those who did not. Meanwhile, students who chose nursing under family pressure or because of a lack of alternative opportunities were more depressed. The odds ratio for depressive symptoms was 0.24 when students chose nursing because of religious factors, whereas it was 4.92 when the family strongly influenced the student's career decision and 3.61 when a nursing career was the only perceived opportunity available., Conclusion: The main factors associated with depression among this sample of nursing students were pressure from their family to choose a nursing career and having no other career or employment opportunities. Religiosity was negatively associated with depression and may act as a protective factor; however, future studies using longitudinal designs will need to confirm this hypothesis.