Abstract: Purpose To examine the impact of hot ambient conditions on physical performance and physiological responses during football match-play. Methods Two experimental games were completed in temperate (∼21°C; CON) and hot ambient conditions (∼43°C; HOT). Physical performance was assessed by match analysis in 17 male elite players during the games and a repeated sprint test was conducted after the two game trials. Core and muscle temperature were measured and blood samples were obtained, before and after the games. Results Muscle and core temperatures were ∼1°C higher (P 14 km⋅h−1) by 26% in HOT compared to CON), but peak sprint speed was 4% higher (P 24 km⋅h−1) between CON and HOT. In HOT, success rates for passes and crosses were 8 and 9% higher (P<0.05), respectively, compared to CON. Delta increase in core temperature and absolute core temperature in HOT were correlated to total game distance in the heat (r = 0.85 and r = 0.53, respectively; P<0.05), whereas, total and high intensity distance deficit between CON and HOT were not correlated to absolute or delta changes in muscle or core temperature. Conclusion Total game distance and especially high intensity running were lower during a football game in the heat, but these changes were not directly related to the absolute or relative changes in core or muscle temperature. However, peak sprinting speed and execution of successful passes and crosses were improved in the HOT condition.

Abstract: Challenging environmental conditions, including heat and humidity, cold, and altitude, pose particular risks to the health of Olympic and other high-level athletes. As a further commitment to athlete safety, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Medical Commission convened a panel of experts to review the scientific evidence base, reach consensus, and underscore practical safety guidelines and new research priorities regarding the unique environmental challenges Olympic and other international-level athletes face. For non-aquatic events, external thermal load is dependent on ambient temperature, humidity, wind speed and solar radiation, while clothing and protective gear can measurably increase thermal strain and prompt premature fatigue. In swimmers, body heat loss is the direct result of convection at a rate that is proportional to the effective water velocity around the swimmer and the temperature difference between the skin and the water. Other cold exposure and conditions, such as during Alpine skiing, biathlon and other sliding sports, facilitate body heat transfer to the environment, potentially leading to hypothermia and/or frostbite; although metabolic heat production during these activities usually increases well above the rate of body heat loss, and protective clothing and limited exposure time in certain events reduces these clinical risks as well. Most athletic events are held at altitudes that pose little to no health risks; and training exposures are typically brief and well-tolerated. While these and other environment-related threats to performance and safety can be lessened or averted by implementing a variety of individual and event preventative measures, more research and evidence-based guidelines and recommendations are needed. In the mean time, the IOC Medical Commission and International Sport Federations have implemented new guidelines and taken additional steps to mitigate risk even further.

Abstract: Objectives To evaluate the electrocardiographic (ECG) characteristics of West-Asian, black and Caucasian male athletes competing in Qatar using the 2010 recommendations for 12-lead ECG interpretation by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Design Cardiovascular screening with resting 12-lead ECG analysis of 1220 national level athletes (800 West-Asian, 300 black and 120 Caucasian) and 135 West-Asian controls was performed. Results Ten per cent of athletes presented with ‘uncommon’ ECG findings. Black African descent was an independent predictor of ‘uncommon’ ECG changes when compared with West-Asian and Caucasian athletes (p 0.05). Seven athletes (0.6%) were identified with a disease associated with sudden death; this prevalence was two times higher in black athletes than in West-Asian athletes (1% vs 0.5%), and no cases were reported in Caucasian athletes and West-Asian controls. Eighteen West-Asian and black athletes were identified with repolarisation abnormalities suggestive of a cardiomyopathy, but ultimately, none were diagnosed with a cardiac disease. Conclusion West-Asian and Caucasian athletes demonstrate comparable rates of ECG findings. Black African ethnicity is positively associated with increased frequencies of ‘uncommon’ ECG traits. Future work should examine the genetic mechanisms behind ECG and myocardial adaptations in athletes of diverse ethnicity, aiding in the clinical differentiation between physiological remodelling and potential cardiomyopathy or ion channel disorders.

Abstract: Introduction: Caring for a child diagnosed with autism could affect the quality of life of the caregiver in various different ways No previous research has assessed the quality of lives of caregivers of children with autism in QatarMethods: Caregivers of a child with autism between 3 and 17 years old were recruited from child rehabilitation clinics in Qatar The non-autism group was represented by caregivers of a typically growing child visiting a primary health care facility for a routine medical examination Data collected from both groups included demographic and quality of life information for caregiversResults: A total of 98 participants consented to take part in the study Fifty-six of these were caregivers of a child with autism and 42 were caregivers of a typically growing child There was no significant difference between quality of life domains between the two groups of caregivers, but caregivers of autistic children rated their health as poor and likely to get worse (p < 005)Conclusions: T

Abstract: The evolution of many systems is dominated by rare activated events that occur on timescale ranging from nanoseconds to the hour or more. For such systems, simulations must leave aside the full thermal description to focus specifically on mechanisms that generate a configurational change. We present here the activation relaxation technique (ART), an open-ended saddle point search algorithm, and a series of recent improvements to ART nouveau and kinetic ART, an ART-based on-the-fly off-lattice self-learning kinetic Monte Carlo method.

Abstract: Despite the significant developments in construction technologies, operatives remain the key drivers in the industry. In most countries, construction labour cost comprises 30 to 50% of the overall project’s cost, and thus it is regarded as a true reflection of the efficiency and success of the operation. Following the announcement of awarding the FIFA 2022 World Cup hosting rights to the State of Qatar on December 02, 2010, the State will be spending tens of billions of dollars on hundreds of new construction projects. The objective of this research, therefore, is to identify, explore and rank the relative importance of the primary factors influencing the productivity of construction operatives in Qatar. To this end, a statistically representative sample of contractors was invited to participate in a structured questionnaire survey comprising 35 productivity factors, which were shortlisted based on previous relevant research studies and the input of local industry experts and professionals. Using ...

Abstract: Refactoring restructures a program to improve its structure without altering its behavior. However, it is challenging to preserve the domain semantics of a program when refactoring is decided/implemented automatically. Indeed, a program could be syntactically correct, have the right behavior, but model incorrectly the domain semantics. In this paper, we propose a multi-objective optimization approach to find the best sequence of refactorings that maximizes quality improvements (program structure) and minimizes semantic errors. To this end, we use the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) to find the best compromise between these two conflicting objectives. We report the results of our experiments on different open source projects.

Abstract: Objectives: To investigate the incidence, characteristics and patterns of football injuries at club level in Qatar. Design: Prospective cohort study. Methods: Data were prospectively collected from the first division football league clubs in Qatar, in accordance with the international consensus statement on football injury epidemiology. An injury was defined as any physical complaint sustained during football activity resulting in the inability to participate fully in the next training or match. Individual injuries and exposure of each player were recorded by the medical staff of each team over one season. Results: A total of 217 injuries were recorded, with an injury rate during matches of 14.5/1000 h (95% CI: 11.6-18.0) compared with 4.4/1000 h during training sessions (95% CI: 3.7-5.2). More than one third of all injuries were muscle strains (36.4%). Hamstring strains (54.4% of all muscle strains) exhibited a higher incidence than all other injury types (p < 0.001). The thigh was the most frequent inju...

Abstract: The continuous growth of social web applications along with the development of sensor capabilities in electronic devices is creating countless opportunities to analyze the enormous amounts of data that is continuously steaming from these applications and devices. To process large scale data on large scale computing clusters, MapReduce has been introduced as a framework for parallel computing. However, most of the current implementations of the MapReduce framework support only the execution of fixed-input jobs. Such restriction makes these implementations inapplicable for most streaming applications, in which queries are continuous in nature, and input data streams are continuously received at high arrival rates. In this demonstration, we showcase M$^3$, a prototype implementation of the MapReduce framework in which continuous queries over streams of data can be efficiently answered. M$^3$ extends Hadoop, the open source implementation of MapReduce, bypassing the Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS) to support main-memory-only processing. Moreover, M$^3$ supports continuous execution of the Map and Reduce phases where individual Mappers and Reducers never terminate.

Abstract: Qatar has a high burden of chronic diseases including obesity, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Low serum vitamin D levels have been implicated in the development and progression of a range of these chronic conditions. The prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency in the general population of Qatar has still not been investigated. The aim of this study was to carry out a systematic review of published studies documenting the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency in the Qatari population. A search strategy was developed for online databases (PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, Embase and Embase Classic) between 1980 to the last week of August 2012, and bibliographies of the included studies were further searched for additional reports. Search terms used were QATAR and VITAMIN D. Studies reporting the serum levels of vitamin D in several Qatari sub-populations were identified. Weighted-average vitamin D serum levels and prevalence of low vitamin D status (<75 nmol/L) were calculated. Subgroup analysis was carried out by age. The quality of each study was evaluated according to four criteria: national representativeness, representation of males and females, the sample size, and the sampling protocol. A total of 16 relevant publications were identified, and 8 of these (reporting from 7 unique studies) met our inclusion and exclusion criteria with a total number of 1,699 Qatari subjects. The pooled sample size weighted-average vitamin D concentration (±SD) was 45.3±14.3 nmol/L (95% CI: 44.6-46.0; range 29.2-66.9 nmol/L). The weighted-average prevalence of low vitamin D status was 90.4% (95% CI: 90.1-91.0; range 83%-91%). Age was inversely correlated with vitamin D levels and directly with its insufficiency/deficiency prevalence. There have only been a few studies on the prevalence of low vitamin D in Qatar a very high prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency/deficiency in Qatar that increases with age has been suggested. The present report underlines the need to develop a nationally representative study to further evaluate vitamin D status in Qatar. Given the growing evidence of the role of vitamin D in chronic disease, this study could help develop public health strategies for disease prevention in Qatar.

Abstract: The concept of neovascularization in tendin- opathy seems to have gained nearly mythological propor- tions and quasi-religious state: it is considered of diagnostic and prognostic value, related to clinical out- come, and the exclusive target of some therapeutic inter- ventions. However, we question whether these assumptions are based on scientific evidence, and we come to the conclusion that, in the light of recent well-performed research, it seems that detecting neovessels has no addi- tional value for the diagnosis, no firmly confirmed prog- nostic value, and no proven relation with symptoms. The role of neovascularization in this field should be re-thought. Level of evidence V.

Abstract: Preparticipation screening programmes for underlying cardiac pathologies are now commonplace for many international sporting organisations. However, providing medical clearance for an asymptomatic athlete without a family history of sudden cardiac death (SCD) is especially challenging when the athlete demonstrates particularly abnormal repolarisation patterns, highly suggestive of an inherited cardiomyopathy or channelopathy. Deep T-wave inversions of ≥ 2 contiguous anterior or lateral leads (but not aVR, and III) are of major concern for sports cardiologists who advise referring team physicians, as these ECG alterations are a recognised manifestation of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC). Subsequently, inverted T-waves may represent the first and only sign of an inherited heart muscle disease, in the absence of any other features and before structural changes in the heart can be detected. However, to date, there remains little evidence that deep T-wave inversions are always pathognomonic of either a cardiomyopathy or an ion channel disorder in an asymptomatic athlete following long-term follow-up. This paper aims to provide a systematic review of the prevalence of T-wave inversion in athletes and examine T-wave inversion and its relationship to structural heart disease, notably HCM and ARVC with a view to identify young athletes at risk of SCD during sport. Finally, the review proposes clinical management pathways (including genetic testing) for asymptomatic athletes demonstrating significant T-wave inversion with structurally normal hearts.

Abstract: OBJECTIVES To assess the breastfeeding practices of Arab mothers by measuring breastfeeding indicators, and to identify the related determinants that affect maternal practices in Qatar. METHODS Using interview administered questionnaires, we carried out this cross-sectional study with cluster sampling of 770 Arab mothers of children below 24 months of age attending primary health care centers in Qatar from June to October 2009. RESULTS Early initiation of breastfeeding was found in 57%, exclusive breastfeeding under 6 months in 18.9%, and continued breastfeeding at one year in 49.9% of mothers. Children ever breastfed comprised 97.9%, continued breastfeeding at 2 years old comprised 45.4%, and predominant breastfeeding 11.9%. The proportion of children who were appropriately breastfed was 29%. The `rooming in` rate was 43.9%. Receiving breast milk substitutes, exposure to advertisements for artificial teats, and employment status showed a significant relation with both early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding. On demand feeding was related to exclusive breastfeeding, and `rooming in` and mode of delivery was related to early initiation. CONCLUSIONS Breastfeeding practice among Arab mothers in Qatar is not at an acceptable level. Core indicators, optional indicators, and health facility indicators for breastfeeding practice are not at the desired World Health Organization recommended levels.

Abstract: 112:1788-1794, 2012. ; J Appl Physiol Joshua C. Weavil, Peter Bartsch and Charles F. Nelatury Samuel Verges, Patrick Levy, Eric M. Snyder, Bruce D. Johnson, Jonathon L. Stickford, Y. Millet, Benjamin D. Levine, James H. Wessel III, Bernard Wuyam, Renaud Tamisier, MacInnis, Michael S. Koehle, Thomas Rupp, Marc Jubeau, Stephane Perrey, Guillaume Laymon, Jack A. Loeppky, Matiram Pun, Kai Schommer, Mary C. Vagula, Martin J. S. Chapman, Johnny Conkin, Hugo Nespoulet, Darren P. Casey, Bryan J. Taylor, Abigail Olivier Girard, Michael S. Koehle, Jordan A. Guenette, Samuel Verges, Robert F. normobaric hypoxia induces/does not induce different responses from Comments on Point:Counterpoint: Hypobaric hypoxia

Abstract: To assess the relationship between serial serum leptin levels in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) who received thrombolysis and the degree of coronary atherosclerosis, coronary reperfusion, echocardiographic findings, and clinical outcome. 51 consecutive patients presenting with AMI were studied. Clinical characteristics including age, sex, body mass index (BMI) and cardiovascular risk factors were recorded. Serial serum leptin levels at the time of admission and subsequently at 0, 6, 12, 24, 36, 60 hours afterwards were obtained. Coronary angiography was performed in 34 patients; the relation between serum leptin levels and evidence of coronary reperfusion as well as the extent of coronary atherosclerosis according to the coronary artery surgery study classification (CASS) were evaluated. Echocardiographic evaluation was performed in all patients. 36 matched patients were enrolled as control group who had serum leptin level 9.4 ± 6.5 ng/ml. The patients mean age was 50.5 ± 10.6 years. There were 47 males and 3 females. 37.1% were diabetics, 23.5% were hypertensive, 21.6% were dyslipidemic and 22.7% were obese (BMI ≥ 30). Leptin concentrations (ng/ml) increased and peaked at the 4th sample (36 hrs) after admission (mean ± SD) sample (1) =9.55 ± 7.4, sample (2) =12.9 ± 8.4, sample (3) =13.8 ± 10.4, sample (4) =18.9 ± 18.1, sample (5) =11.4 ± 6.5, sample (6) =10.8 ± 8.9 ng/ml. There was a significant correlation between serum leptin and BMI (r = 0.342; p = 0.03). Leptin levels correlated significantly to creatine kinase level on the second day (r = 0.43, p ≤ 0.01). Significant correlation of mean serum leptin with the ejection fraction (P < 0.05) was found. No difference in timing of peak serum leptin between patients who achieved coronary reperfusion vs. those who did not (p = 0.8). There was a trend for an increase in the mean serum leptin levels with increasing number of diseased vessels. There was no correlation between serum leptin levels and outcome neither during the hospitalization nor at 9 months follow up. Serum leptin levels increase after myocardial infarction. Serum leptin level may be a predictor of the left ventricular ejection fraction and the degree of atherosclerosis but not of coronary reperfusion.

Abstract: In this review, the story of Qatar’s economic emergence is told chronologically, beginning with Qatar’s independence and the discovery of the North Field gas reservoir in 1971 and ending with the steps that Qatar is now taking as it transitions towards a more diversified and innovative economy.

Abstract: Bleaching is a stress reaction in corals, during which the symbiosis between corals and the algae (zooxanthellae) living in the coral cells breaks down As a result, zooxanthellae are expelled, and the coral appears pale or even white (Fig 61; Baker et al 2008) The link between environmental variables and coral bleaching has been well-established in a variety of studies and synthesized in several places (Phinney et al 2006; Baker et al 2008; van Oppen and Lough 2009) Large-scale and region-wide bleaching events, such as occur in the Gulf, have been clearly linked to unusually high temperatures and the accumulation of heat stress in corals Other drivers, such as UV and water acidity can have compounding effects (Baker et al 2008) and bleaching can also be caused by these factors alone, or other local drivers such as unusually cold temperatures (Saxby et al 2003; Lajeunesse et al 2007) However, it is heat stress that has been demonstrated as the most reliable predictor and defined time-integrated bleaching thresholds exist for various regions of the Indo-Pacific and the Caribbean (Berkelmans 2002a, b; Manzello et al 2007; Berkelmans 2009)

Abstract: Recently, radio-on-free-space optical (RoFSO) technology is regarded as a new universal platform for enabling seamless convergence of fiber and FSO communication networks, thus extending broadband connectivity to underserved areas. In this article, an experimental demonstration of the newly developed advanced RoFSO system capable of transmitting the Japanese integrated services digital broadcasting- terrestrial (ISDB-T) signals over a 1 km FSO link is presented. Our innovative system combines a new generation full optical FSO system with radio over fiber technology. Important performance quality metrics like the modulation error ratio and bit error rate are measured and analyzed to characterize the deployment environment influencing the transmission of ISDB-T signals over the FSO link. The obtained results can be used for designing, predicting, and evaluating the RoFSO system capable of transmitting multiple wireless services over turbulent FSO links.

Abstract: Pre-determining fetal sex is against the random and equal opportunity that both conceptus sexes have by nature. Yet, under a wide variety of circumstances, populations shift their birth sex ratio from the expected unity. Here we show, using fluorescence in situ hybridization, that in a population of pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis) with 42.5% male offspring, males bias the ratio of X- and Y-chromosome-bearing spermatozoa in their ejaculates, resulting in a 0.4337±0.0094 (mean±s.d.) proportion of Y-chromosome-bearing spermatozoa. Three alternative hypotheses for the shifted population sex ratio were compared: female counteract male, female indifferent, or male and female in agreement. We conclude that there appears little or no antagonistic sexual conflict, unexpected by prevailing theories. Our results indicate that males possess a mechanism to adjust the ratio of X- and Y-chromosome-bearing spermatozoa in the ejaculate, thereby substantially expanding currently known male options in sexual conflict.

Abstract: Glutamine synthetase (GS) is ubiquitously expressed in mammalian organisms and is a key enzyme in nitrogen metabolism. It is the only known enzyme capable of synthesising glutamine, an amino acid with many critical roles in the human organism. A defect in GLUL, encoding for GS, leads to congenital systemic glutamine deficiency and has been described in three patients with epileptic encephalopathy. There is no established treatment for this condition. Here, we describe a therapeutic trial consisting of enteral and parenteral glutamine supplementation in a four year old patient with GS deficiency. The patient received increasing doses of glutamine up to 1020 mg/kg/day. The effect of this glutamine supplementation was monitored clinically, biochemically, and by studies of the electroencephalogram (EEG) as well as by brain magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy. Treatment was well tolerated and clinical monitoring showed improved alertness. Concentrations of plasma glutamine normalized while levels in cerebrospinal fluid increased but remained below the lower reference range. The EEG showed clear improvement and spectroscopy revealed increasing concentrations of glutamine and glutamate in brain tissue. Concomitantly, there was no worsening of pre-existing chronic hyperammonemia. In conclusion, supplementation of glutamine is a safe therapeutic option for inherited GS deficiency since it corrects the peripheral biochemical phenotype and partially also improves the central biochemical phenotype. There was some clinical improvement but the patient had a long standing severe encephalopathy. Earlier supplementation with glutamine might have prevented some of the neuronal damage.

Abstract: Solar visible light is a source of clean and cheap energy. Herein, a new kind of hierarchical CuO/ZnO nanomaterial was synthesized using a facile process. Characterized by FESEM, TEM, XRD, XPS, and so forth, this CuO/ZnO naomaterial shows a special hierarchical nanostructure with CuO nanoparticles grown on ZnO nanorods. By assembling the hierarchical CuO/ZnO nanomaterials on a piece of commercial glassfiber membrane, a novel hierarchical CuO/ZnO membrane was fabricated. This CuO/ZnO membrane demonstrated excellent environmental applications, such as improved photodegradation of contaminants and antibacterial activity, under the irradiation of visible light. Compared with pure ZnO nanorod membrane, the improved photodegradation and antibacterial capacities of this hierarchical CuO/ZnO membrane result from the special hierarchical nanostructure of CuO/ZnO nanomaterials, which could enhance light utilization rate, enlarge specific surface area, and retard the recombination of electrons and holes at the interfacial between CuO and ZnO. This hierarchical CuO/ZnO membrane is also easy to be regenerated by completely mineralizing the adsorbed contaminants under the irradiation of visible light. All the above characteristics of this hierarchical CuO/ZnO membrane indicate its great potential in environmental applications with solar visible light.

Abstract: We appreciate the insightful comments in the 3 accompanying letters regarding our recent article.1 The letters highlight important issues with regard to khat and acute cardiac events. In the first letter, we thank Drs Aleryani and Al-akwa for suggesting potentially additional mechanisms whereby khat chewing has cardiovascular effects in addition to those already described in our article, which are coronary artery vasoconstriction, elevation in blood pressure, and possibly hypercoagulable state. The authors suggest khat-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis as well as pesticide exposure of khat before it is “freshly” chewed as possibly contributing to these detrimental effects. Although to date there is lack of definitive data linking pesticides exposure to acute coronary syndrome risk, we concur with the authors that further studies evaluating the various aspects of khat use and its cardiovascular effects are urgently needed. We also concur with the authors that although Cathinone, the main active substance in khat, is very similar to amphetamine; however, it is not identical to it. The term “herbal or natural amphetamine” we used for khat was first introduced in the literature by Kalix et al2 in 1991, to highlight its similarity to amphetamine. In the second letter, we appreciate Dr Burrilo-Putze's description of the clinical impact of khat use in Europe. Indeed, cardiovascular complications of khat use have been reported in Europe and more recently in Australia,3; …

Abstract: The built environment has a direct impact on the Gulf Region natural environment, the economy and human health. Buildings have to respond to local climate and site conditions to maximize building users’ comfort and health while minimizing energy use. Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) developed a simplified, standalone, building energy standard to support Qatar’s and the MENA region building energy ratings. Air conditioning counts for more than 60% of the electricity consumption in GCC countries. Consequently, GSAS limited the maximum annual cooling demand for new-build housing compliance in Qatar to 121 kW h/m 2 . High rated energy-efficient houses must call for 72 kW h/m 2 or less. GSAS targets raised the need for innovative passive design technologies to reduce the cooling demand in hot humid climates. A prototype house was constructed to test new technologies and variant insulation techniques, such as dynamic insulation. The house has two operation modes, the static mode and the active mode. This paper presents the Passive-House pilot project construction details and the monitoring results within the tested period. The study compares the annual cooling demand from the simplified GSAS Energy Calculator model and the detailed Dynamic Simulation Model (DSM). Neither model can handle the thermodynamic and fluid dynamic processes of the active insulation. An independent model is used to calculate the heat-transfer coefficient of the dynamically insulated walls, validated experimentally and then coupled with the energy models. The discrepancies in the predicted annual cooling demand between the simplified and detailed models did not exceed 15% for both static and dynamic operations of the Passive-House. Energy assessors can use GSAS Energy Calculator to predict the annual cooling demand with more confidence to demonstrate buildings compliance. Energy models should account for in-use factors to allow for differences in practical installation and performance compared to the laboratory test conditions for selected systems and technologies, which require field trials.

Abstract: Genes control biological processes such as muscle, cartilage and bone formation, muscle energy production and metabolism (mitochondriogenesis, lactic acid removal), blood and tissue oxygenation (erythropoiesis, angiogenesis, vasodilatation), all essential in sport and athletic performance. DNA sequence variations in such genes confer genetic advantages that can be exploited, or genetic 'barriers' that could be overcome to achieve optimal athletic performance. Predictive Genomic DNA Profiling for athletic performance reveals genetic variations that may be associated with better suitability for endurance, strength and speed sports, vulnerability to sports-related injuries and individualized nutritional requirements. Knowledge of genetic 'suitability' in respect to endurance capacity or strength and speed would lead to appropriate sport and athletic activity selection. Knowledge of genetic advantages and barriers would 'direct' an individualized training program, nutritional plan and nutritional supplementation to achieving optimal performance, overcoming 'barriers' that results from intense exercise and pressure under competition with minimum waste of time and energy and avoidance of health risks (hypertension, cardiovascular disease, inflammation, and musculoskeletal injuries) related to exercise, training and competition. Predictive Genomics DNA profiling for Athletics and Sports performance is developing into a tool for athletic activity and sport selection and for the formulation of individualized and personalized training and nutritional programs to optimize health and performance for the athlete. Human DNA sequences are patentable in some countries, while in others DNA testing methodologies [unless proprietary], are non patentable. On the other hand, gene and variant selection, genotype interpretation and the risk and suitability assigning algorithms based on the specific Genomic variants used are amenable to patent protection.

Abstract: Objective: To assess the prevalence of periodontal disease, orofacial changes and craniofacial abnormalities in patients with thalassemia major (TM). Dental management is discussed. Study design: The sample consisted of 54 patients with TM, 31 males and 23 females aged 5.5 to 18.3 years, with the mean age (± SD) of 11.6 ± 3.2 years. The sample was divided into two subgroups according to age. A similar number of unaffected control group matched by age and sex served as a control. Clinical and radiographic examinations were carried out to assess the prevalence of changes caused by this disorder. Student’s t-test was used to compare the means between thalassemic group and the control group. The Chi-square test was employed to determine statistical differences in frequencies between the two groups. Results: Poor oral hygiene and gingivitis were observed in 61.1% and 43.0% of the thalassemic patients, respectively. The overall mean plaque score was 1.66 ± 0.51 and gingival score 1.43 ± 0.59. In all tested peri...