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Ali F, Zeb M, Amin M, Rajpar M, Hidayat S, Khan W. Vegetation-edaphic correlation and importance value index in himalayan 'ecotone' temperate conifer forest using the multivariate technique. Saudi J Biol Sci 2024; 31:103983. [PMID: 38590389 PMCID: PMC11000104 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2024.103983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 03/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Himalayan 'Ecotone' temperate conifer forest is the cradle of life for human survival and wildlife existence. In spite of the importance of these areas, they have not been studied in depth. This study aimed to quantify the floristic structure, important value index (IVI), topographic and edaphic variables between 2019 and 2020 utilizing circular quadrant method (10 m x 10 m). The upper-storey layer consisted of 17 tree species belongs to 12 families and 9 orders. Middle-storey shrubs comprised of 23 species representing 14 families and 12 orders. A total of 43 species of herbs, grasses, and ferns were identified from the ground-storey layer, representing 25 families and 21 orders. Upper-storey vegetation structure was dominated by Pinus roxburghii (22.45 %) and middle-storey by Dodonaea viscosa (7.69 %). However, the ground layer vegetation was diverse in species composition (43 species) and distribution. The floral vegetation structure was encompassing of three floral communities which were diverse in IVI, such as, in Piro-Aial (Group 2), Pinus roxburghii (54.46 x 15.94) had the highest IVI value, followed by Pinus wallichiana (45.21 x 14.85) in Piwa-Quin (Group 3) and Ailanthus altissima (22.84 x 19.25) in Aial-Qugal (Group 1). However, the IVI values for Aesculus indica, Celtis australis, and Quercus incana in Aial-Qugal (Group 1) were not determined due to low detection rate. Nevertheless, eleven of these species showed 0 IVI values in Piro-Aial (Group 2) and Piwa-Quin (Group 3). CCA ordination biplot illustrated the significant differences among floral communities and its distribution, which impacted by temperature, rainfall, soil pH, altitude, and topographic features. Ward's agglomerative clustering finding reflected 'Ecotone' temperate conifer forest is rich and diverse floristic structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- F. Ali
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Life Sciences, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University Sheringal, Dir Upper 18050, Pakistan
| | - M. Zeb
- Department of Forestry, Faculty of Life Sciences, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University Sheringal, Dir Upper 18050, Pakistan
| | - M. Amin
- Department of Environment, Faculty of Life Sciences, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University Sheringal, Dir Upper 18050, Pakistan
| | - M.N. Rajpar
- Department of Forestry, Faculty of Life Sciences, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University Sheringal, Dir Upper 18050, Pakistan
| | - S. Hidayat
- Department of Forestry, Faculty of Life Sciences, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University Sheringal, Dir Upper 18050, Pakistan
| | - W.R. Khan
- Department of Forestry Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia Kampus Bintulu Sarawak, 97008, Malaysia
- Institut Ekosains Borneo, Universiti Putra Malaysia Kampus Bintulu Sarawak 97008, Malaysia
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Shah S, Morris H, Thiagarajah S, Gordon A, Sharma S, Haslam P, Garcia J, Ali F. Handling 'carbon footprint' in orthopaedics. Ann R Coll Surg Engl 2024. [PMID: 38563077 DOI: 10.1308/rcsann.2023.0052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The National Health Service contributes 4%-5% of England and Wales' greenhouse gases and a quarter of all public sector waste. Between 20% and 33% of healthcare waste originates from a hospital's operating room, and up to 90% of waste is sent for costly and unneeded hazardous waste processing. The goal of this study was to quantify the amount and type of waste produced during a selection of common trauma and elective orthopaedic operations, and to calculate the carbon footprint of processing the waste. METHODS Waste generated for both elective and trauma procedures was separated primarily into clean and contaminated, paper or plastic, and then weighed. The annual carbon footprint for each operation at each site was subsequently calculated. RESULTS Elective procedures can generate up to 16.5kg of plastic waste per procedure. Practices such as double-draping the patient contribute to increasing the quantity of waste. Over the procedures analysed, the mean total plastic waste at the hospital sites varied from 6 to 12kg. One hospital site undertook a pilot of switching disposable gowns for reusable ones with a subsequent reduction of 66% in the carbon footprint and a cost saving of £13,483.89. CONCLUSIONS This study sheds new light on the environmental impact of waste produced during trauma and elective orthopaedic procedures. Mitigating the environmental impact of the operating room requires a collective drive for a culture change to sustainability and social responsibility. Each clinician can have an impact upon the carbon footprint of their operating theatre.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Shah
- Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK
- Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK
| | - H Morris
- East Midlands North Training Rotation, UK
| | - S Thiagarajah
- Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK
| | - A Gordon
- Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK
| | - S Sharma
- Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, UK
| | - P Haslam
- Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK
- Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust, UK
| | - J Garcia
- Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, UK
| | - F Ali
- Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust, UK
- Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, UK
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The purpose of this review is to summarize commonly encountered nutritional deficiencies in children and their implications. Considering data suggesting that the majority of children with the United States consume unhealthy diets, the growing interest in the consumption of limiting diets, as well as the insidious clinical presentation of nutritional deficiencies, this is a timely and highly relevant review. RECENT FINDINGS The underlying socioeconomic and medical circumstances that predispose to nutritional deficiencies in the Western world are covered. The high index of suspicion required to recognize nutritional deficiencies and the limitations of available testing are also discussed. Finally, the need for the development of accurate nutritional biomarkers is presented as a future research priority. SUMMARY Nutritional deficiencies are not uncommon, even in high resource countries. Clinicians should remain vigilant and include nutritional deficiencies in the differential diagnoses of patients presenting with nonspecific symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farhana Ali
- Primary Children's Hospital, University of Utah
| | - Marialena Mouzaki
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
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Shah S, Morris H, Nicolaou N, MacInnes S, Haslam P, Shahane S, Ali F, Garcia J. The carbon footprint of arthroscopic procedures. Ann R Coll Surg Engl 2024; 106:256-261. [PMID: 37381779 PMCID: PMC10906500 DOI: 10.1308/rcsann.2023.0036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The healthcare sector contributes the equivalent of 4.4% of global net emissions to the climate carbon footprint; between 20% and 70% of healthcare waste originates from a hospital's operating theatre and up to 90% of waste is sent for costly and unneeded hazardous waste processing. This study aimed to quantify the amount and type of waste produced during an arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) and an arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (RCR), calculate the carbon footprint and assess the cost of the waste disposal. METHODS The amount of waste generated from ACLR and RCR procedures was calculated across a range of hospital sites. The waste was separated primarily into clean and contaminated, paper or plastic. Both carbon footprint and cost of disposal across the hospital sites was subsequently calculated. RESULTS RCR generated 3.3-15.5kg of plastic waste and 0.9-2.3kg of paper waste. ACLR generated 2.4-9.6kg of plastic waste and 1.1-1.6kg of paper waste. The cost to process waste varies widely between hospital sites, waste disposal contractors and method of waste disposal. The annual burden of the included hospital sites for the arthroscopic procedures undertaken was 6.2 tonnes of carbon dioxide. CONCLUSIONS The data collected demonstrated a significant variability in waste production and cost for waste disposal between hospital sites. At a national level, consideration should be given to the procurement of appropriate products such that waste can be efficiently recycled or disposed of by environmentally sustainable methods.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - H Morris
- East Midlands North Training Rotation, UK
| | - N Nicolaou
- Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, UK
| | - S MacInnes
- Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK
| | | | - S Shahane
- Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, UK
| | - F Ali
- Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, UK
| | - J Garcia
- Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, UK
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Khalil T, Okla MK, Al-Qahtani WH, Ali F, Zahra M, Shakeela Q, Ahmed S, Akhtar N, AbdElgawad H, Asif R, Hameed Y, Adetunji CO, Farid A, Ghazanfar S. Tracing probiotic producing bacterial species from gut of buffalo (Bubalus bubalis), South-East-Asia. BRAZ J BIOL 2024; 84:e259094. [DOI: 10.1590/1519-6984.259094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract Due to extensive application of antibiotics as growth promoters in animal feed, antimicrobial resistance has been increased. To overcome this challenge, rumen microbiologists search for new probiotics to improve the rate of livestock production. The present study was aimed to isolate and evaluate breed-specific lactic acid bacteria (LAB) as potential animal probiotics. The current study was conducted during 10 months from July 2020 to April 2021, in which a total of n=12 strains were isolated from different samples including milk, rumen, and feces of Nilli Ravi Buffaloes. These isolates were evaluated for their antimicrobial potential against common animal pathogens (Bacillus spp., E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp., Listeria spp.). All the isolates were identified using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and the phylogenetic analyses inferred that these strains showed close relations to the species of various genera; Enterococcus lactis, Pediococcus pentosaceus, Bacillus subtilis Weissella cibaria, Weissella soli, Bacillus tequilensis, Weissella bombi, Bacillus licheniformis, Lactococcus lactis, Bacillus megaterium, Lactobacillus ruminis, and Lactococcus lactis. NMCC-Ru2 has exhibited the enormous potential of antimicrobial activity, 28 mm, for Salmonella typhimurium;23 mm for Listeria monocytogenes 21 mm for E.coil. Highest resistance was seen in NMCC-Ru2 agasint test antbiotic, like 25.5 mm for Tetracycline. Overall results revesl that the probiotic profile of isolates was achieved using standard criteria, particularly with animal probiotic properties
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Affiliation(s)
- T. Khalil
- Hazara University Mansehra, Pakistan
| | | | | | - F. Ali
- Hazara University Mansehra, Pakistan
| | - M. Zahra
- University of Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - Q. Shakeela
- Faculty of Biological Science Quaid-i-Azam University, Pakistan
| | - S. Ahmed
- Hazara University Mansehra, Pakistan
| | - N. Akhtar
- National University of Medical Science, Pakistan
| | | | - Rizwan Asif
- Government College University Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Y. Hameed
- The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan
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Ali F, Cole CR, Hornung L, Mouzaki M, Wasserman H, Kalkwarf HJ. Age-related trajectory of bone density in children with intestinal failure: A longitudinal retrospective cohort study. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr 2023; 47:736-745. [PMID: 37227158 PMCID: PMC10875680 DOI: 10.1002/jpen.2525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Longitudinal changes in bone health in children with intestinal failure (IF) are unclear. We aimed to better understand the trajectory of bone mineral status over time in children with IF and identify clinical factors that influence the trajectory. METHODS Clinical records of patients attending the Intestinal Rehabilitation Center of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center between 2012 and 2021 were reviewed. Children diagnosed with IF before age 3 years with at least two lumbar spine dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scans were included. We abstracted information on medical history, parenteral nutrition, bone density, and growth. We calculated bone density z scores with and without adjustment for height z scores. RESULTS Thirty-four children with IF met inclusion criteria. Children were shorter than average with a mean height z score of -1.5 ± 1.3. The mean bone density z score was -1.5 ± 1.3 with 25 of the cohort having a z score < -2.0. After height adjustment, the mean bone density z score was -0.42 ± 1.4 with 11% below -2.0. Most dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scans (60%) had a feeding tube artifact. Bone density z scores increased slightly with age and lower parenteral nutrition dependency and were higher in scans without an artifact. Etiologies of IF, line infections, prematurity, and vitamin D status were not associated with height-adjusted bone density z scores. CONCLUSION Children with IF were shorter than expected for age. Deficits in bone mineral status were less common when adjusting for short stature. Etiologies of IF, prematurity, and vitamin D deficiency were not associated with bone density.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farhana Ali
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Conrad R. Cole
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Lindsey Hornung
- Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Marialena Mouzaki
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Halley Wasserman
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
- Division of Endocrinology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Heidi J. Kalkwarf
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
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Ali F, Ali S, Mohamed S, Khan I, Khan I, Khan S, Khan F, Alfeel AH, Higazi H. Analysis of mitochondrial DNA mutations in Pakistani population diagnosed with cardiovascular diseases. BRAZ J BIOL 2023; 84:e266924. [PMID: 36856233 DOI: 10.1590/1519-6984.266924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Heart and blood vessel disorders, such as coronary heart disease, brain vessel disease, rheumatic heart disease, and others, are together referred to as cardiovascular disease (CVD). In this study, we sought to determine how mitochondrial Leucine Transfer RNA genes and CVDs are related (MT-L1 and MT-L2). From CVD patients in Peshawar, a total of 27 saliva samples were taken. Leu-tRNA genes expressed by mitochondria were amplified using polymerase chain reaction after DNA was removed. Ten samples were sent for sequencing after PCR and gene cleaning. We obtained all of the sequenced results, which were subsequently aligned and evaluated against the mitochondrial revised Cambridge Reference Sequence (rCRS). However, in our sequenced samples, Leu-tRNA MT-L1 and MT-L2 genes were determined to be unaltered. Thus, it is suggested that a large population be taken into account while screening for mutations in the mitochondrial encoded Leu-tRNA MT-L1 and MT-L2 genes of cardiac patients in areas of Pakistan. Additionally, it is recommended that patients with cardiac problems should also have other mitochondrial encoded genes checked for potential mutations. This could result in the identification of genetic markers that could be used for early CVD screening in Pakistan.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Ali
- Dalian Medical University, Department of Cell Biology, Dalian, Liaoning, China
| | - S Ali
- Gulf Medical University, College of Health Sciences, Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
| | - S Mohamed
- Gulf Medical University, College of Health Sciences, Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
| | - I Khan
- Lanzhou University, School of Life Sciences, Department of Microbiology, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - I Khan
- Khyber Medical University, Department of Microbiology, Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - S Khan
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Henan Key Laboratory of Reproduction and Genetics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - F Khan
- Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Department of Zoology, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
| | - A H Alfeel
- Gulf Medical University, College of Health Sciences, Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
| | - H Higazi
- Gulf Medical University, College of Health Sciences, Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
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Ahmed A, Elgamal D, Mohammad Farrag A, Ali F, Abd El-Aziz M, Abd El-Maksoud M, Ibrahim I. Potential Therapeutic Effects of Morin Hydrate in Folic Acid-Induced Acute Kidney Injury. Am J Clin Pathol 2022; 158:S72-S73. [DOI: 10.1093/ajcp/aqac126.148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Introduction/Objective
Acute kidney injury (AKI) causes significant morbidity and mortality and, if left unmanaged, can progress to chronic kidney disease. Despite the advances in our understanding of the pathogenesis of AKI, there are no available therapeutics to combat it effectively. Folic acid (FA)-induced AKI is a well established rat model characterized by acute renal injury due to the disturbance of the antioxidant system with subsequent renal fibrosis. Morin hydrate, a well-known bioactive flavonoid, has been proven to alleviate oxidative stress and exhibits anti- inflammatory, anti-apoptotic and neuroprotective activity.
Methods/Case Report
We investigated the potential protective and therapeutic effects of morin hydrate on FA-induced AKI. Thirty-five rats were divided randomly into 5 groups (6 rats/ group) as follows: control group received a vehicle for 10 days, FA group received a vehicle for 10 days with an intraperitoneal (IP) injection of a single dose (SD) of FA (250 mg/kg) on the 7thday, FA-Withdrawal group injected with a SD of FA (250 mg/kg IP) on the 1st day with a vehicle for 10 days, morin-pretreated group received morin hydrate (40 mg/kg orally) for 7 days, followed by a SD of FA (250 mg/kg, i.p), and morin-treated group injected with a SD of FA (250 mg/kg IP), then treated with morin hydrate (40 mg/kg orally) for 7 consecutive days. All animals were sacrificed after 10 days and then, blood samples and kidneys were collected for biochemical and histopathological examination.
Results (if a Case Study enter NA)
FA group showed extensive structural damage in renal tubules and glomeruli with no significant improvement in withdrawal and morin-pretreated groups. Morin treatment significantly attenuated histopathological changes and reduced FA-induced increase in serum creatinine, albumin and urea levels. This therapeutic role of morin was associated with suppression of inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis.
Conclusion
These findings suggest that morin hydrate constitutes a potential natural therapeutic product for treating AKI.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Ahmed
- Pathology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University , Solon, Ohio , United States
| | - D Elgamal
- Histology and Cell Biology, Assiut University, Faculty of Medicine , Assiut , Egypt
| | - A Mohammad Farrag
- Histology and Cell Biology, Assiut University, Faculty of Medicine , Assiut , Egypt
| | - F Ali
- Pharmacology and Toxicology, Al-Azhar University, Faculty of Pharmacy , Assiut , Egypt
| | - M Abd El-Aziz
- Al-Azhar University, Faculty of Pharmacy , Assiut , Egypt
| | | | - I Ibrahim
- Al-Azhar University, Faculty of Pharmacy , Assiut , Egypt
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Ali F, Musbahi O, Petohazi A, Sindhar J, Akilapa S, Bailey D, Harnett P. 974 Fragility Fractures of the Hip: A Matched Cohort Study of Acetabular Fractures and Neck of Femur Fractures. Br J Surg 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/bjs/znac269.486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Aim
Due to an ageing population, acetabular fractures in the elderly are on the rise. Management of this group of patients remains controversial, especially as it is associated with high morbidity and mortality. With an ageing population, there will be an increasing trend in low energy associated acetabular fractures. We present the largest cohort of operatively treated acetabular geriatric patients in the UK, comparing complications and mortality, and also comparing them to patients with neck of femur fractures.
Method
A review of a prospectively collected acetabular database was conducted. All patients over the age of 60 that had an operative fixation for an acetabular fracture from 2015 to 2020 were identified. Demographic data, operative details and complications were recorded. We cohort-matched these patients with neck of femur fractures during the same period to compare patient outcomes and cohort demographics.
Results
204 patients were included in the study. The mean age was 76. The most common mechanism of injury was a fall from less than 1 metre (64%). The mean length of stay for acetabular fractures was 25 days. In-hospital mortality was 3% and 10% for acetabular fractures and neck of femur fractures respectively.
Conclusion
There is little difference in demographic information between geriatric acetabular fractures and neck of femur fractures. Operatively treated geriatric acetabular fractures are associated with greater length of stay than neck of femur fractures.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Ali
- King’s College Hospital NHS Trust , London , United Kingdom
| | - O Musbahi
- King’s College Hospital NHS Trust , London , United Kingdom
| | - A Petohazi
- King’s College Hospital NHS Trust , London , United Kingdom
| | - J Sindhar
- King’s College Hospital NHS Trust , London , United Kingdom
| | - S Akilapa
- King’s College Hospital NHS Trust , London , United Kingdom
| | - D Bailey
- King’s College Hospital NHS Trust , London , United Kingdom
| | - P Harnett
- King’s College Hospital NHS Trust , London , United Kingdom
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Laskova A, Mohammed B, Ali F, Syritsa B. AB0629 Glomerulonephritis associated with ANCA after COVID-19 vaccine: a systematic review. Ann Rheum Dis 2022. [DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2022-eular.3379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has led to widespread vaccination with effective results and a great safety profile. However, as the vaccination rate has increased, more cases of autoimmune diseases after the COVID-19 vaccine have been described. We present a systematic review of ANCA-associated glomerulonephritis after the COVID-19 vaccine.ObjectivesTo summarize the existing evidence on ANCA-associated glomerulonephritis after the COVID-19 vaccine.MethodsWe searched all studies from inception till January 27, 2022, that described ANCA-associated biopsy-proven glomerulonephritis after COVID-19 vaccine through Embase and Medline. Methodological quality was evaluated with the 4 domains tool. We included 13 patients from 2 case series and 9 case reports. We extracted demographics, history, lab results, outcomes. We then applied descriptive statistics.Results46% of the patients were males and 54% were females. The median age was 74 years. 54% developed symptoms after the second dose of the 2-dose vaccine. The median interval between the vaccine and the symptom onset was 10.5 days. 85% had anti-MPO antibodies, and the rest – anti-PR3 antibodies. 31% of patients had persistent creatinine (Cr) elevation on follow-up, and 3 patients were requiring hemodialysis. Of those 3 patients, 1 patient had normal renal function prior to presentation, and the rest had chronic kidney disease. The summary of the cases is presented in Table 1.Table 1.Gender, ageDe novo (1) or relapse (2)AZD1222 (1), or mRNA-1273 (2), or BNT162b2 (3)OutcomeM, 75121HemodialysisM, 74121Improved CrF, 82212Improved CrF, 70312Improved CrF, 78413Improved CrF, 79513RemissionF, 54613Improved CrF, 78623HemodialysisM, 58712RemissionM, 63811Improved CrF, 29913RemissionM, 521012HemodialysisM, 841113Worsened CrConclusionAlthough the causality cannot be established on current evidence, the COVID-19 vaccine can probably trigger glomerulonephritis associated with ANCA, primarily anti-MPO type. We need a bigger cohort to identify patients predisposed for disease development or relapse after the COVID-19 vaccine.References[1]David R, Hanna P, Lee K, et al. Relapsed ANCA associated vasculitis following Oxford AstraZeneca ChAdOx1-S COVID-19 vaccination: A case series of two patients. Nephrol. 2021;27(1):109-110.[2]Klomjit N, Alexander MP, Fervenza FC, et al. COVID-19 Vaccination and Glomerulonephritis. Kidney Int Rep. 2021;6(12):2969-2978.[3]Chen C-C, Chen H-Y, Lu C-C, et al. Case Report: Anti-neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-Associated Vasculitis With Acute Renal Failure and Pulmonary Hemorrhage May Occur After COVID-19 Vaccination. Front Med. 2021;8.[4]Shakoor MT, Birkenbach MP, Lynch M. ANCA-Associated Vasculitis Following Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine. Am J Kidney Dis. 2021;78(4):611-613.[5]Hakroush S, Tampe B. Case Report: ANCA-Associated Vasculitis Presenting With Rhabdomyolysis and Pauci-Immune Crescentic Glomerulonephritis After Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination. Front Immunol. 2021;12.[6]Davidovic T, Schimpf J, Sprenger-Mahr H, et al. De Novo and Relapsing Glomerulonephritis following SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccination in Microscopic Polyangiitis. Case Reports Nephrol. 2021.[7]Feghali EJ, Zafar M, Abid S, et al. De-novo Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-Associated Vasculitis Following the mRNA-1273 (Moderna) Vaccine for COVID-19. Cureus. 2021;13(11).[8]Villa M, Diaz-Crespo F, Perez de Jose A, et al. A case of ANCA-associated vasculitis after AZD1222 (Oxford–AstraZeneca) SARS-CoV-2 vaccination: casualty or causality? Kidney Int. 2021;100(4):937-938.[9]Dube GK, Benvenuto L, Batal I. Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody-Associated Glomerulonephritis Following the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine. Kidney Int Rep. 2021;6(12):3087-3089.[10]Sekar A, Campbell R, Tabbara J, et al. ANCA glomerulonephritis after the Moderna COVID-19 vaccination. Kidney Int. 2021;100(2):473-474.[11]Obata S, Hidaka S, Yamano M, et al. MPO-ANCA-associated vasculitis after the Pfizer/BioNTech SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. Clin Kidney J. 2021.Disclosure of InterestsNone declared
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Khanna D, Furst D, LI JW, Shah S, Lesperance T, Ali F, Lamoreaux B, Taylor S. POS0867 COMORBIDITY AND COMPLICATIONS PRIOR TO SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS DIAGNOSIS: A RETROSPECTIVE COHORT ANALYSIS. Ann Rheum Dis 2022. [DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2022-eular.1888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
BackgroundSystemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare autoimmune disease characterized by progressive microvascular damage, collagen deposition and subsequent fibrosis of the skin and internal organs which contributes to substantial morbidity and premature death.1-2ObjectivesThe objective was to evaluate the disease burden of SSc patients prior to their SSc diagnosis.MethodsPatients with SSc were identified in a claims dataset (IBM MarketScan Commercial Database, 2015-2019) using ICD 10 diagnosis codes for SSc. Eligible subjects were required to have > 1 inpatient or >2 outpatient/office claims with a scleroderma diagnosis code on separate days and > 24 months of continuous health plan enrollment without a SSc diagnosis before the first SSc claim (‘index date’) and > 12 months of enrollment after the index date. Overall comorbid disease burden was assessed via the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) 13-24 and 12 months before and 12 months after index date. The prevalence of SSc-related complications for atherosclerosis, pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), pulmonary fibrosis (PF), Raynaud’s Phenomenon (RP), and gastrointestinal (GI) complications (e.g., GERD, dysphagia, etc.) were identified using ICD codes and reported as percentages for the aforementioned time intervals relative to patients’ index dates.Results902 eligible SSc patients were identified for analysis. The mean age at index SSc diagnosis was 54.3 years and 84.7% of patients were female. Mean CCI scores 13-24 months before, 12 months before, and 12 months after index SSc diagnosis were 0.84, 1.13 and 1.30, respectively. From the time points 13-24 months before, 12 months before, and 12 months after index SSc diagnosis, increasing rates were also observed of atherosclerosis, PAH, PF, RP, and GI complications (Table 1).Table 1.Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) and systemic sclerosis-related complications by time-intervalClinical characteristic13-24 months before Index12 months before Index12 months after IndexMean CCI (std dev)0.84 (1.58)1.13 (1.71)1.30 (1.75)Systemic sclerosis-related complicationsAtherosclerosis7%9%14%Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)1%4%12%Pulmonary fibrosis (PF)5%8%16%Raynaud’s Phenomenon (RP)13%29%43%GI complications23%32%46%ConclusionResults from this analysis suggests that SSc-related sequalae are present at least two years prior to SSc diagnosis and rates of these complications increased markedly over time. Patients’ overall comorbid disease burden also worsened substantially over this period, likely because of these complications. The internal organ involvement is likely under reported due to requirements to link each diagnosis with an ICD-10 code. These data indicate the significant burden of SSc, prior to and after diagnosis, highlighting the need for awareness, prompt diagnosis, and effective therapies for SSc and its related complications.References[1]Cutolo M, et al. Expert Rev Clin Immunol. 2019;15(7):753-764.[2]Steen VD, Medsger TA. Ann Rheum Dis. 2007;66(7):940-944.Disclosure of InterestsDinesh Khanna Consultant of: Horizon Therapeutics, Daniel Furst Consultant of: Horizon Therapeutics, Justin W. Li Grant/research support from: Horizon Therapeutics, Saloni Shah Grant/research support from: Horizon Therapeutics, Tamara Lesperance Shareholder of: Horizon Therapeutics, Employee of: Horizon Therapeutics, Farah Ali Shareholder of: Horizon Therapeutics, Employee of: Horizon Therapeutics, Brian LaMoreaux Shareholder of: Horizon Therapeutics, Employee of: Horizon Therapeutics, Stephanie Taylor Shareholder of: Horizon Therapeutics, Employee of: Horizon Therapeutics
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Mahrous S, Radwan A, Khalifa A, Ibraheem M, Ali F, Elsaman A. POS0933 IMPACT OF SACROILIAC JOINT STEROID INJECTION IN AXIAL SpA PATIENTS WITH BONE MARROW EDEMA ON DIFFERENT DISEASE OUTCOME MEASURES: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. Ann Rheum Dis 2022. [DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2022-eular.688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
BackgroundSacroiliac joint injection in axial spondyloarthritis (SpA) patients with steroid was controversial. A well designed randomized clinical trial testing its effect on different disease outcome measures particularly bone marrow edema was missing [1].ObjectivesTo test the effect of steroid injection in the sacroiliac joint of axial SpA patients on different disease outcome measures.MethodsN = 43 were registered. They were randomly assigned into 2 groups; Group I (23 cases) received sacroiliac joint injection lidocaine hydrochloride mixed with triamcinolone, whereas Group II (22 cases) received subcutaneous saline injections. All participants fulfilled the ASAS criteria for axial SPA and they all had bone marrow edema at baseline. Outcomes measures were: Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), ASDAS, BASFI, and SPARCC scores. Participants were assessed at baseline (before and after sacroiliac joint injection) and after 3 months.ResultsThere was a significant difference between both groups regarding pain, spine mobility, SPARCC and ASDAS scores in favor of group I. Spine mobility showed the earliest improvement, followed by pain whilst SPARCC and ASDAS scores showed improvement after 3 months. Higher disease activity, younger age, and shorter disease duration all were associated with better outcomes. Bilateral hip involvement was a predictor of poor responseConclusionSacroiliac joint injection of lidocaine and triamcinolone in axial SpA patients is effective in controlling pain, improving function, disease activity scores, and bone marrow edema with acceptable complications and relatively sustained effect.References[1]Elsaman, A., A. Hamed, and A. Radwan, Ultrasound-guided epidural block in axial spondyloarthritis patients with limited spine mobility: a randomized controlled trial. The Korean journal of pain, 2021. 34(1): p. 114.Table 1.Comparison between the two study groupsGroup I (N=24)Group II (N=23)P value*Age35.4±6.233.5±6.70.354SexMale17(77.3%)16(76.2%)1.000Female5(22.7%)5(23.8%)VASBefore injection (0)7.95±0.847.86±0.730.688After injection (1)3.55±1.446.95±1.02<0.00112 weeks later (2)4.82±1.377.19±0.81<0.001P value 0 vs 1**<0.0010.003-P value 0 vs 2**<0.0010.001-P value 1 vs 2**<0.0010.397-ASDASBefore injection2.69±0.442.60±0.370.45112 weeks later1.51±0.442.40±0.46<0.001P value **<0.0010.022BASFIBefore injection61.91±9.7062.95±11.710.75212 weeks later57.50±8.1361.24±0.530.199P value **<0.0010.081-SPARCCBefore injection34.73±9.1433.48±8.930.65212 weeks later15.68±6.6030.95±7.85<0.001P value **<0.0010.024-Finger to floorBefore injection (0)27.68±9.9426.90±11.620.815After injection (1)17.09±7.0025.48±11.230.00512 weeks later (2)19.64±7.8326.76±11.790.024P value 0 vs 1**<0.0010.001-P value 0 vs 2**<0.0010.791-P value 1 vs 2**0.0010.072-Lateral bendingBefore injection (0)21.64±5.9122.29±4.510.688After injection (1)25.50±6.1322.57±3.430.06012 weeks later (2)24.55±4.9522.24±2.950.071P value 0 vs 1**<0.0010.649-P value 0 vs 2**0.0030.947-P value 1 vs 2**0.0870.426-* p values were calculated using Independent t test, except for the sex, where Fisher Exact test was used.** p values for paired data was calculated using paired t test, to compare the baseline values (0) with either immediate post-injection (1) or 12 weeks later (2) values.Disclosure of InterestsNone declared
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Spencer-Tansley R, Meade N, Ali F, Simpson A, Hunter A. Mental health care for rare disease in the UK - recommendations from a quantitative survey and multi-stakeholder workshop. BMC Health Serv Res 2022; 22:648. [PMID: 35568910 PMCID: PMC9107210 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-022-08060-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Rare disease patients and carers report significant impacts on mental health but studies on UK populations have focussed on relatively few, specific conditions. Collectively rare conditions represent a substantial health burden, with an estimated 3.5 million affected individuals in the UK. Method We explored the impact on mental health of living with a rare condition, and experiences of health service support, through an online survey. The survey assessed the impact of specific experiences commonly reported by those affected by a rare condition through multiple choice questions and Likert scale items, and open text question boxes. Through a multi-stakeholder workshop that involved facilitated discussion of our findings with patients/carers, clinicians and a government advisor, we developed recommendations for policy and practice toward a more person-centred and integrated approach. Results Eligible responses came from 1231 patients and 564 carers. Due to their rare condition, the majority of respondents (> 90%) had felt worried/anxious; stressed; and /or low/depressed. Thirty-six percent of patients and 19% of carers had had suicidal thoughts. Challenges that are particular to rare conditions and which negatively affect mental health included limited knowledge of the condition amongst healthcare professionals (88%), and not being believed or taken seriously by them. Only 23% of respondents felt healthcare professionals considered mental and physical health as equally important. Almost half reported never having been asked about mental health by healthcare professionals. Our findings indicate that access to, and appropriateness of, professional psychological support needs to be improved. Peer group support is important but signposting is inadequate. Our recommendations are for healthcare professionals to be supported to effectively and sensitively recognise and address patients’ and carers’ mental health needs; and for service level coordination of care to integrate professional psychological support with rare disease services. Conclusion Living with a rare disease substantially impacts mental health. Many of the drivers of poor mental health reflect issues specific to managing rare conditions. To meet UK government commitments, there should be a focus on empowering healthcare professionals who treat rare disease patients and on integration of mental health support with rare disease services.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nick Meade
- Genetic Alliance UK, Creative Works, Blackhorse Lane, London, E17 6DS, UK
| | - Farhana Ali
- Genetic Alliance UK, Creative Works, Blackhorse Lane, London, E17 6DS, UK
| | - Amy Simpson
- Genetic Alliance UK, Creative Works, Blackhorse Lane, London, E17 6DS, UK
| | - Amy Hunter
- Genetic Alliance UK, Creative Works, Blackhorse Lane, London, E17 6DS, UK.
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Kozman M, Ali F, Keller B, Hershey D. Hematemesis From Varices in a 14-year-old Without Hepatobiliary Disease: A "Wandering" Diagnosis. Pediatrics 2022; 149:186867. [PMID: 35485171 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2020-016469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Maggie Kozman
- Departments of Internal Medicine.,Pediatrics.,Division of Pediatrics Hospital Medicine, Rady Children's Hospital San Diego, Department of Pediatric Hospital Medicine, San Diego, California.,Departments of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Harbor UCLA Medical Center Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Los Angeles, California
| | | | - Benjamin Keller
- Pediatric Surgery, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California
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15
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Ahmad S, Zainab, Ahmad H, Khan I, Alghamdi S, Almehmadi M, Ali M, Ullah A, Hussain H, Khan NM, Ali F, Ahmad M. Green synthesis of gold nanaoparticles using Delphinium Chitralense tuber extracts, their characterization and enzyme inhibitory potential. BRAZ J BIOL 2022; 82:e257622. [PMID: 35293518 DOI: 10.1590/1519-6984.257622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Green synthesis has been introduced as an alternative to chemical synthesis due to the serious consequences. Metal nanoparticles synthesized through green approach have different pharmaceutical, medical and agricultural applications. The present study followed a green and simple route for the preparation of potentially bioactive gold nanoparticles (Au NPs). Au NPs were prepared via green synthesis approach using crude basic alkaloidal portion of the tuber of Delphinium chitralense. The green synthesized Au NPs were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and UV-Visible spectrophotometer. Morphological analysis shows that Au NPs have cubic geometry with different sizes. UV-Vis spectroscopic analysis confirmed the synthesis of Au NPs while XRD proved their pure crystalline phase. The Au NPs showed promising dose dependent inhibition of both AChE and BChE as compared to the crude as well as standard drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Ahmad
- University of Malakand, Department of Chemistry, Chakdara, Dir (L), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.,Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University Sheringal, Department of Pharmacy, Dir (Upper), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Zainab
- University of Malakand, Department of Chemistry, Chakdara, Dir (L), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - H Ahmad
- University of Malakand, Department of Chemistry, Chakdara, Dir (L), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - I Khan
- Bacha Khan University Charsadda, Department of Chemistry, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - S Alghamdi
- Umm Al-Qura University, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Laboratory Medicine Department, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
| | - M Almehmadi
- Taif University, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Taif, Saudi Arabia
| | - M Ali
- University of Malakand, Department of Chemistry, Chakdara, Dir (L), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - A Ullah
- Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University Sheringal, Department of Pharmacy, Dir (Upper), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - H Hussain
- Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University Sheringal, Department of Pharmacy, Dir (Upper), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - N M Khan
- Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University Sheringal, Department of Agriculture, Dir (Upper), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - F Ali
- Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University Sheringal, Department of Chemistry, Dir (Upper), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - M Ahmad
- University of Malakand, Department of Chemistry, Chakdara, Dir (L), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
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16
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Ali F, Kocoshis SA. 50 Years Ago in TheJournalofPediatrics: Growing and Adapting Despite Intestinal Failure. J Pediatr 2022; 241:82. [PMID: 35067290 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2021.10.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Farhana Ali
- Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Samuel A Kocoshis
- Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
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17
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Ali F, Rehman F, Hadi R, Raza G, Khan N, Ibrahim F, Aziz F, Amin M, Khalil B, Mahwish M, Bashir S, Ali A, Hussain M. Environmental sustainability assessment of wooden furniture produced in Pakistan. BRAZ J BIOL 2022; 84:e253107. [PMID: 35019094 DOI: 10.1590/1519-6984.253107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Life cycle assessment was carried out for a conventional wooden furniture set produced in Mardan division of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan during 2018-19. Primary data regarding inputs and outputs were collected through questionnaire surveys from 100 conventional wooden furniture set manufacturers, 50 in district Mardan and 50 in district Swabi. In the present study, cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment approach was applied for a functional unit of one conventional wooden furniture set. Production weighted average data were modelled in the environmental impacts modelling software i.e., SimaPro v.8.5. The results showed that textile used in sofa set, wood preservative for polishing and preventing insects attack and petrol used in generator had the highest contribution to all the environmental impact categories evaluated. Total cumulative energy demand for wooden furniture set manufactured was 30,005 MJ with most of the energy acquired from non-renewable fossil fuel resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Ali
- University of Haripur, Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - F Rehman
- COMSATS University Islamabad - CUI, Department of Economics, Lahore Campus, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - R Hadi
- Jinnah University for Women, Department of Zoology, Nazimabad, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
| | - G Raza
- University of Baltistan, Department of Biological Sciences, Skardu, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
| | - N Khan
- Jinnah University for Women, Department of Zoology, Nazimabad, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
| | - F Ibrahim
- Jinnah University for Women, Department of Zoology, Nazimabad, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
| | - F Aziz
- Jinnah University for Women, Department of Biochemistry, Nazimabad, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
| | - M Amin
- Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University, Department of Environmental Sciences, Sheringal, Dir (U), KP, Pakistan
| | - B Khalil
- Jinnah University for Women, Department of Zoology, Nazimabad, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
| | - M Mahwish
- Jinnah University for Women, Department of Zoology, Nazimabad, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
| | - S Bashir
- Planning, Agriculture Research System, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - A Ali
- Department of Forestry, Range and Wildlife Management, Karakoram International University, 15100, Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan
| | - M Hussain
- University of Haripur, Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
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Lowe A, Dawood S, Al-Tayeb A, Hancock P, Pararajasingam A, Ali F, Goodwin RG. Evaluating paediatric dermatology telephone clinics during COVID-19 from a dual clinician and patient perspective: a prospective study. Clin Exp Dermatol 2021; 47:553-560. [PMID: 34674296 PMCID: PMC8652731 DOI: 10.1111/ced.14990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The landscape of dermatology services, already rapidly evolving into an increasingly digital one, has been irretrievably altered by the COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. Data are needed to assess how best to deliver virtual dermatology services in specific patient subgroups in an era of ongoing social distancing and beyond. Initial studies of teledermatology in paediatric populations suggest that many of the problems experienced in adult telemedicine are more apparent when treating children and come with additional challenges. AIM To evaluate the efficacy of a virtual paediatric dermatology telephone clinic in comparison to traditional face-to-face (FTF) clinics, both from the clinician and patient/parental perspective. METHODS We carried out a prospective service evaluation examining a single centre cohort of paediatric dermatology patients managed during the COVID-19 pandemic via a telephone clinic supported by images. The study period covered June-September 2020. Data on outcomes were collected from clinicians and a qualitative patient/parental telephone survey was undertaken separately. A five-point Likert scale was used to assess both satisfaction and levels of agreement regarding whether a telephone clinic was more convenient than an FTF clinic. RESULTS Of 116 patients included, 24% were new and 76% were follow-up patients, with a mixture of inflammatory dermatoses (75%) and lesions (25%). From the clinician's perspective, most consultations (91%) were successfully completed over the telephone. However, qualitative patient and parent feedback paradoxically illustrated that although nearly all (98%) respondents had no outstanding concerns, 52% felt highly unsatisfied and only 22% agreed that telephone clinics were more convenient. Most (65%) preferred FTF follow-up in the future. Statistical analysis using χ² test showed that among those with established follow-ups, the preference for future consultation type was independent of specific reasons for follow-up. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates a clear discrepancy between the practical successes of a virtual service from the clinician's perspective compared with the patient/parental perspective. Parental anxiety appears to be less effectively allayed virtually than with FTF. This raises the question of whether there is a role for virtual paediatric telephone clinics in the postpandemic future, which may be better left to patients/parents to decide on an individual basis.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Lowe
- Department of Dermatology, Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport, Gwent, Wales, UK
| | - S Dawood
- Department of Dermatology, Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport, Gwent, Wales, UK
| | - A Al-Tayeb
- Department of Dermatology, Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport, Gwent, Wales, UK
| | - P Hancock
- Department of Dermatology, Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport, Gwent, Wales, UK
| | - A Pararajasingam
- Department of Dermatology, Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport, Gwent, Wales, UK
| | - F Ali
- Department of Dermatology, Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport, Gwent, Wales, UK
| | - R G Goodwin
- Department of Dermatology, Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport, Gwent, Wales, UK
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Khaddour L, Zhang C, Ali F, Gadgeel S, Tadesse E, Thompson M, Reding D, Treisman J, Berry A, Izano M, Sweetnam C, Stafford A, Wolf F, Brown T, Rybkin I. P10.04 Immunotherapy-Treated Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients With Sensitizing Gene Alterations: A Real World Survival Analysis. J Thorac Oncol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtho.2021.08.309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Ali F, Mouzaki M. 50 Years Ago in TheJournalofPediatrics: MCTs: Are They what We want Them to Be? J Pediatr 2021; 236:94. [PMID: 34446182 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2021.05.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Farhana Ali
- Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, University of California San Diego, Rady Children's Hospital San Diego, San Diego, California
| | - Marialena Mouzaki
- Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
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Vissers G, Mantella M, Ra A, Labib A, Ali F. Strategic planning of plastic surgery emergencies during the COVID-19 pandemic: Lessons learnt from a tertiary plastic surgery centre. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg 2021; 74:1931-1971. [PMID: 34148838 PMCID: PMC8187746 DOI: 10.1016/j.bjps.2021.05.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- G Vissers
- Department of Plastic Surgery, St. George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Blackshaw Road, London SW17 0QT, United Kingdom.
| | - M Mantella
- Department of Plastic Surgery, St. George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Blackshaw Road, London SW17 0QT, United Kingdom
| | - A Ra
- Department of Plastic Surgery, St. George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Blackshaw Road, London SW17 0QT, United Kingdom
| | - A Labib
- Department of Plastic Surgery, St. George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Blackshaw Road, London SW17 0QT, United Kingdom
| | - F Ali
- Department of Plastic Surgery, St. George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Blackshaw Road, London SW17 0QT, United Kingdom
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Marotz C, Belda-Ferre P, Ali F, Das P, Huang S, Cantrell K, Jiang L, Martino C, Diner RE, Rahman G, McDonald D, Armstrong G, Kodera S, Donato S, Ecklu-Mensah G, Gottel N, Salas Garcia MC, Chiang LY, Salido RA, Shaffer JP, Bryant MK, Sanders K, Humphrey G, Ackermann G, Haiminen N, Beck KL, Kim HC, Carrieri AP, Parida L, Vázquez-Baeza Y, Torriani FJ, Knight R, Gilbert J, Sweeney DA, Allard SM. SARS-CoV-2 detection status associates with bacterial community composition in patients and the hospital environment. Microbiome 2021; 9:132. [PMID: 34103074 PMCID: PMC8186369 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-021-01083-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND SARS-CoV-2 is an RNA virus responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Viruses exist in complex microbial environments, and recent studies have revealed both synergistic and antagonistic effects of specific bacterial taxa on viral prevalence and infectivity. We set out to test whether specific bacterial communities predict SARS-CoV-2 occurrence in a hospital setting. METHODS We collected 972 samples from hospitalized patients with COVID-19, their health care providers, and hospital surfaces before, during, and after admission. We screened for SARS-CoV-2 using RT-qPCR, characterized microbial communities using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, and used these bacterial profiles to classify SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection with a random forest model. RESULTS Sixteen percent of surfaces from COVID-19 patient rooms had detectable SARS-CoV-2 RNA, although infectivity was not assessed. The highest prevalence was in floor samples next to patient beds (39%) and directly outside their rooms (29%). Although bed rail samples more closely resembled the patient microbiome compared to floor samples, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected less often in bed rail samples (11%). SARS-CoV-2 positive samples had higher bacterial phylogenetic diversity in both human and surface samples and higher biomass in floor samples. 16S microbial community profiles enabled high classifier accuracy for SARS-CoV-2 status in not only nares, but also forehead, stool, and floor samples. Across these distinct microbial profiles, a single amplicon sequence variant from the genus Rothia strongly predicted SARS-CoV-2 presence across sample types, with greater prevalence in positive surface and human samples, even when compared to samples from patients in other intensive care units prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSIONS These results contextualize the vast diversity of microbial niches where SARS-CoV-2 RNA is detected and identify specific bacterial taxa that associate with the viral RNA prevalence both in the host and hospital environment. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clarisse Marotz
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Pedro Belda-Ferre
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Farhana Ali
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Promi Das
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Shi Huang
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Kalen Cantrell
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Lingjing Jiang
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Division of Biostatistics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Cameron Martino
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Program, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Rachel E Diner
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Gibraan Rahman
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Program, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Daniel McDonald
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - George Armstrong
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Program, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Sho Kodera
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Sonya Donato
- Microbiome Core, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Gertrude Ecklu-Mensah
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Neil Gottel
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Mariana C Salas Garcia
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Leslie Y Chiang
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Rodolfo A Salido
- Infection Prevention and Clinical Epidemiology Unit at UC San Diego Health, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, UC San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Justin P Shaffer
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Mac Kenzie Bryant
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Karenina Sanders
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Greg Humphrey
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Gail Ackermann
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Niina Haiminen
- IBM, T.J Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, New York, USA
| | - Kristen L Beck
- AI and Cognitive Software, IBM Research-Almaden, San Jose, CA, USA
| | - Ho-Cheol Kim
- AI and Cognitive Software, IBM Research-Almaden, San Jose, CA, USA
| | | | - Laxmi Parida
- IBM, T.J Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, New York, USA
| | - Yoshiki Vázquez-Baeza
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Francesca J Torriani
- Infection Prevention and Clinical Epidemiology Unit at UC San Diego Health, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, UC San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Rob Knight
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jack Gilbert
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Daniel A Sweeney
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Sarah M Allard
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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Ali F, Sweeney DA. No One Likes a Stick up Their Nose: Making the Case for Saliva-based Testing for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Clin Infect Dis 2021; 72:e357-e358. [PMID: 32875330 PMCID: PMC7499553 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciaa1314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Farhana Ali
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Daniel A Sweeney
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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24
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Ghareib A, Vinnicombe Z, Visser G, Ra A, Mantella M, Ali F. 964 Telemedicine: Speedy Triage Tool or Clinical Record? Br J Surg 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/bjs/znab134.515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Introduction
St. George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is a tertiary plastic surgery centre serving a population of 3.5 million in and around South West London. Telemedicine Referral Image Portal System (TRIPS) is integral to our service, allowing triage of patients in remote locations. During Covid, TRIPS helped in reducing footfall and streamlining out of hospital referrals to reduce unnecessary transfer. The aim of this project was to assess the quality of clinical documentation for emergency referrals to plastic surgery via TRIPS.
Method
We performed a retrospective review of all patients referred to plastic surgery via TRIPS during April 2020. Documentation standards were determined from national guidance. After introduction of a condensed guide, a second review was performed four months later.
Results
In April, 131 referrals were recorded on TRIPS. Only 22.9% of records met the standard. The most common omission was treatment advice. Following introduction of guidance, 215 TRIPS records were reviewed. The quality of clinical documentation improved in all aspects with a compliance rate of 89%.
Conclusions
Although TRIPS remains a useful tool for triage, it is a clinical document and must meet the standards of clinical record keeping. Introduction of clear guidelines improves overall compliance.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Ghareib
- St. George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Z Vinnicombe
- St. George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - G Visser
- St. George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - A Ra
- St. George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - M Mantella
- St. George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - F Ali
- St. George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
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25
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Ali F, Jha M. 1022 Socioeconomic Deprivation and Colorectal Cancer Survival. Br J Surg 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/bjs/znab135.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Factors related to CRC survival include age, tumour site and stage. Other factors that may play a role on survival include race and socioeconomic status(SES).We aim to investigate the impact of SES on CRC survival.
Method
All patients diagnosed with CRC between January 2006-January 2019 were included. Demographics were collected from a prospective database. SES was defined using the Index of Multiple Deprivation(IMD).Cox-regression was used to investigate the effect of factors on survival and Kaplan-Meier to estimate survival.
Results
A total of 5,073 patients diagnosed with CRC with a median follow up of 65 months were include. Overall survival was 72.2% (76.0%0-78.4%), 59.6%(58.2%-61.0%) and 50.3% (48.8%-51.8%) at 1 year, 3 years and 5 years, respectively. Colon cancer was associated with worse survival(p = 0.00256,HR = 1.163). On multivariate analysis, socioeconomic deprivation was associated with poorer survival (HR = 1.02,p=0.00302).Male and female sex were associated with similar survival outcomes(HR = 0.9831 and 0.9341,respectively; p = 0.986 and 0.946 respectively).
Conclusions
SES impact on CRC survival seems to be inconsistent across the literature potentially due to lack of uniformity of indices used to assess SES and the heterogeneity of access to healthcare. This could ultimately impact comparability across different studies investigating the impact SES on CRC survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Ali
- Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals, Newcastle, United Kingdom
| | - M Jha
- James Cook university Hopsital, Middlesbrough, United Kingdom
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26
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Stanikzai A, Ali F, Kamarulzaman N. Vulnerabilities of wheat crop farmers in war zone. Food Res 2021. [DOI: 10.26656/fr.2017.5(2).506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Wheat is the staple food crop in Afghanistan and maintaining its production plays
important role in ensuring food security and food self-sufficiency. Wheat and its products
are accounted for almost 60% to 75% of calories intake. However, being a country that
has been facing war since 1978, it has been challenging for the wheat production industry
to maintain its production to feed its people. Hence, the purpose of this study is to
investigate wheat crop industry players’ vulnerabilities in the production of the wheat crop
in a prolonged war zone. The study is conducted through the case study approach.
Required data was collected through interviews, observations and documents which was
analyzed through thematic analysis. This study found that in addition to the normal
vulnerabilities/issues faced by the wheat crop industry players in the world, the players in
the war zone have to face psychological effects, and financial corruption as well.
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27
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Ali F, Ghareeb AE, Jha A, Van der Voet H, Garg D, Jha M. Anal cancer survival: a socioeconomic analysis. Ann R Coll Surg Engl 2021; 103:191-196. [PMID: 33645271 DOI: 10.1308/rcsann.2020.7019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common variant of anal malignancy. Certain disease-related factors have been established in determining survival. These include tumour size, differentiation and nodal involvement. Other factors such as HIV status, human papillomavirus infection, smoking and socioeconomic disparity may have important roles, however few data are available on the UK population. We aim to correlate social deprivation and survival of anal cancer patients at a tertiary centre. MATERIALS AND METHODS All consecutive cases diagnosed with anal squamous cell carcinoma and treated as per local protocol between July 2010 and April 2017 were included. The pathological and demographical details were collected from a prospectively maintained database. Socioeconomic deprivation was defined for each postcode using the Index of Multiple Deprivation decile compiled by local governments in England. Survival was estimated using Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression was used to investigate the effect of different factors on overall survival. RESULTS A total of 129 patients with anal squamous cell carcinoma over a median follow-up of 43 months were included. Overall survival for the entire patient cohort was 87.7% (95% confidence interval, CI, 82.0-93.7%), 75.5% (95% CI 67.5-84.5%) and 68.9% (95% CI 59.7-79.6%) at one year, three years and five years, respectively. On multivariate analysis, Index of Multiple Deprivation and income do not significantly influence overall survival (p = 0.79, hazard ratio, HR, 1.07; 95% CI 0.61-1.63), (p = 0.99, HR=1.00; 95% CI 0.61-1.63), respectively. Increased risk of death was observed for male sex (p = 0.02, HR=2.80; 95% CI 1.02-5.50) and larger tumour size (p = 0.01, HR=1.64; 95% CI 1.12-2.41). CONCLUSION In contrast to US studies, there is little difference in survival between the least deprived and most deprived groups. We attribute this to equal access to intensity-modulated radiation therapy-based chemoradiotherapy. Thus, a highly effective treatment made available to all mitigates any survival difference between socioeconomic groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Ali
- James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, UK
| | - A E Ghareeb
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - A Jha
- James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, UK
| | | | - D Garg
- James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, UK
| | - M Jha
- James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, UK
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Siddiqui ZS, Ali F, Uddin Z. Sustainable effect of a symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti on nodulation and photosynthetic traits of four leguminous plants under low moisture stress environment. Lett Appl Microbiol 2021; 72:714-724. [PMID: 33590939 DOI: 10.1111/lam.13463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Sustainable effect of a nitrogen-fixing bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti on nodulation and photosynthetic traits (phenomenological fluxes) in four leguminous plants species under low moisture stress (20-25% soil moisture content) environment was studied. Sinorhizobium meliloti was isolated from fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) root nodules, and later, it was cultured and purified. Nodulation and photosynthetic ability in the presence of S. meliloti were tested in four leguminous plant species, that is, kidney bean (cv. lobia-2000), black bean (cv. NM-97), mung bean (cv. NM-2006) and chickpea (cv. Pb-2008). Plants of each species were grown in sterilized soil that was previously treated with 25 ml suspension containing S. meliloti at 41 × 106 CFU ml-1 kg-1 pot. One-month-old plants were subjected to low soil moisture stress conditions for 15 days, and soil moisture contents were maintained to 20-25% throughout the experimental period. The ability to fix nitrogen, nodule formation, and their subsequent effect on phenomenological fluxes in low moisture treated legumes were studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z S Siddiqui
- Stress Physiology and Phenomic Centre, Department of Botany, University of Karachi, Karachi City, Sindh, Pakistan
| | - F Ali
- Stress Physiology and Phenomic Centre, Department of Botany, University of Karachi, Karachi City, Sindh, Pakistan
| | - Z Uddin
- Department of Physics, University of Karachi, Karachi City, Sindh, Pakistan
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29
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Minich JJ, Ali F, Marotz C, Belda-Ferre P, Chiang L, Shaffer JP, Carpenter CS, McDonald D, Gilbert J, Allard SM, Allen EE, Knight R, Sweeney DA, Swafford AD. Feasibility of using alternative swabs and storage solutions for paired SARS-CoV-2 detection and microbiome analysis in the hospital environment. Microbiome 2021; 9:25. [PMID: 33482920 PMCID: PMC7821463 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-020-00960-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/06/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Determining the role of fomites in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is essential in the hospital setting and will likely be important outside of medical facilities as governments around the world make plans to ease COVID-19 public health restrictions and attempt to safely reopen economies. Expanding COVID-19 testing to include environmental surfaces would ideally be performed with inexpensive swabs that could be transported safely without concern of being a source of new infections. However, CDC-approved clinical-grade sampling supplies and techniques using a synthetic swab are expensive, potentially expose laboratory workers to viable virus and prohibit analysis of the microbiome due to the presence of antibiotics in viral transport media (VTM). To this end, we performed a series of experiments comparing the diagnostic yield using five consumer-grade swabs (including plastic and wood shafts and various head materials including cotton, synthetic, and foam) and one clinical-grade swab for inhibition to RNA. For three of these swabs, we evaluated performance to detect SARS-CoV-2 in twenty intensive care unit (ICU) hospital rooms of patients including COVID-19+ patients. All swabs were placed in 95% ethanol and further evaluated in terms of RNase activity. SARS-CoV-2 was measured both directly from the swab and from the swab eluent. RESULTS Compared to samples collected in VTM, 95% ethanol demonstrated significant inhibition properties against RNases. When extracting directly from the swab head as opposed to the eluent, RNA recovery was approximately 2-4× higher from all six swab types tested as compared to the clinical standard of testing the eluent from a CDC-approved synthetic (SYN) swab. The limit of detection (LoD) of SARS-CoV-2 from floor samples collected using the consumer-grade plastic (CGp) or research-grade plastic The Microsetta Initiative (TMI) swabs was similar or better than the SYN swab, further suggesting that swab type does not impact RNA recovery as measured by the abundance of SARS-CoV-2. The LoD for TMI was between 0 and 362.5 viral particles, while SYN and CGp were both between 725 and 1450 particles. Lastly microbiome analyses (16S rRNA gene sequencing) of paired samples (nasal and floor from same patient room) collected using different swab types in triplicate indicated that microbial communities were not impacted by swab type, but instead driven by the patient and sample type. CONCLUSIONS Compared to using a clinical-grade synthetic swab, detection of SARS-CoV-2 from environmental samples collected from ICU rooms of patients with COVID was similar using consumer-grade swabs, stored in 95% ethanol. The yield was best from the swab head rather than the eluent and the low level of RNase activity and lack of antibiotics in these samples makes it possible to perform concomitant microbiome analyses. Video abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremiah J Minich
- Marine Biology Research Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Farhana Ali
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Clarisse Marotz
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Pedro Belda-Ferre
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Leslie Chiang
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Justin P Shaffer
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Carolina S Carpenter
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Daniel McDonald
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jack Gilbert
- Marine Biology Research Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Sarah M Allard
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Eric E Allen
- Marine Biology Research Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Rob Knight
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Daniel A Sweeney
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Austin D Swafford
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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30
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Affiliation(s)
- Farhana Ali
- Department of Pediatrics University of California San Diego La Jolla, California and
| | - Daniel A Sweeney
- Department of Internal Medicine University of California, San Diego La Jolla, California
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31
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Robinson AV, Ali F, Dewar DJ, Peach AHS. Managing infected seroma post-lymphadenectomy; A retrospective cohort study and cost analysis in melanoma patients. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg 2021; 74:2251-2257. [PMID: 33582049 DOI: 10.1016/j.bjps.2020.12.080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/20/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Seromas are a common and unavoidable complication following lymphadenectomy, and often become clinically significant with superseded infection requiring re-admission for prompt intervention. However, there is no consensus as to whether a formal surgical incision and drainage (I&D), ultrasound (US)-guided aspiration or intravenous (IV) antibiotics alone is the most efficacious method of managing an infected seroma, the investigation of which formed the rationale for this study. SUBJECTS AND METHODS This retrospective cohort study included a consecutive series of patients readmitted for infected seroma following a lymphadenectomy for melanoma at Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust (LTHT) from 2006 to 2017. Details on management, length of hospital stay, length of follow-up and number of clinical appointments required were examined. FINDINGS Seventy-one cases of infected seroma were identified from the cohort of 1691 lymphadenectomies. Initially, 21 patients (29.5%) were managed by IV antibiotics alone (failure rate of 52.4%); 18 (25.4%) with US-guided aspiration (failure rate 27.8%) and 32 (45.1%) with surgical I&D, which was 100% effective. Ultimately, 62.5% of the cohort required surgical management. Patients who underwent surgical I&D were discharged significantly faster following the procedure (3 versus 5 days for US-guided aspiration, p = 0.002) and spent fewer days in hospital overall (p = 0.022). The overall average cost was comparable across the three treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS Surgical management seemed preferential to conservative approaches in terms of efficacy and was not significantly more expensive overall; but carries anaesthetic risk. There may be a clinically significant difference in outcome depending on management; however, more evidence is required to investigate this.
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Affiliation(s)
- A V Robinson
- School of Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom.
| | - F Ali
- School of Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - D J Dewar
- Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - A H S Peach
- Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds, United Kingdom
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32
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Minich J, Ali F, Marotz C, Belda-Ferre P, Chiang L, Shaffer JP, Carpenter CS, McDonald D, Gilbert J, Allard SM, Allen EE, Knight R, Sweeney DA, Swafford AD. Feasibility of using alternative swabs and storage solutions for paired SARS-CoV-2 detection and microbiome analysis in the hospital environment. RESEARCH SQUARE 2020:rs.3.rs-56028. [PMID: 36575761 PMCID: PMC9793843 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-56028/v2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Background Determining the role of fomites in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is essential in the hospital setting and will likely be important outside of medical facilities as governments around the world make plans to ease COVID-19 public health restrictions and attempt to safely reopen economies. Expanding COVID-19 testing to include environmental surfaces would ideally be performed with inexpensive swabs that could be transported safely without concern of being a source of new infections. However, CDC-approved clinical-grade sampling supplies and techniques using a synthetic swab are expensive, potentially expose laboratory workers to viable virus and prohibit analysis of the microbiome due to the presence of antibiotics in viral transport media (VTM). To this end, we performed a series of experiments comparing the diagnostic yield using five consumer-grade swabs (including plastic and wood shafts and various head materials including cotton, synthetic, and foam) and one clinical grade swab for inhibition to RNA. For three of these swabs, we evaluated performance to detect SARS-CoV-2 in twenty intensive care unit (ICU) hospital rooms of patients including COVID-19+ patients. All swabs were placed in 95% ethanol and further evaluated in terms of RNase activity. SARS-CoV-2 was measured both directly from the swab and from the swab eluent. Results Compared to samples collected in VTM, 95% ethanol demonstrated significant inhibition properties against RNases. When extracting directly from the swab head as opposed to the eluent, RNA recovery was approximately 2-4x higher from all six swab types tested as compared to the clinical standard of testing the eluent from a CDC-approved synthetic (SYN) swab. The limit of detection (LoD) of SARSSARS-CoV-2 from floor samples collected using the consumer-grade plastic (CGp) or research-grade plastic The Microsetta Initiative (TMI) swabs was similar or better than the SYN swab, further suggesting that swab type does not impact RNA recovery as measured by the abundance of SARSSARS-CoV-2. The LoD for TMI was between 0-362.5 viral particles while SYN and CGp were both between 725-1450 particles. Lastly microbiome analyses (16S rRNA gene sequencing) of paired samples (nasal and floor from same patient-room) collected using different swab types in triplicate indicated that microbial communities were not impacted by swab type, but instead driven by the patient and sample type. Conclusions Compared to using a clinical-grade synthetic swab, detection of SARS-CoV-2 from environmental samples collected from ICU rooms of patients with COVID was similar using consumer grade swabs, stored in 95% ethanol. The yield was best from the swab head rather than the eluent and the low level of RNase activity and lack of antibiotics in these samples makes it possible to perform concomitant microbiome analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremiah Minich
- University of California San Diego Scripps Institution of Oceanography
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Eric E Allen
- University of California San Diego Scripps Institution of Oceanography
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33
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Minich J, Ali F, Marotz C, Belda-Ferre P, Chiang L, Shaffer JP, Carpenter CS, McDonald D, Gilbert J, Allard SM, Allen EE, Knight R, Sweeney DA, Swafford AD. Feasibility of using alternative swabs and storage solutions for paired SARS-CoV-2 detection and microbiome analysis in the hospital environment. Res Sq 2020:rs.3.rs-56028. [PMID: 32839765 PMCID: PMC7444291 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-56028/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Background Determining the role of fomites in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is essential in the hospital setting and will likely be important outside of medical facilities as governments around the world make plans to ease COVID-19 public health restrictions and attempt to safely reopen economies. Expanding COVID-19 testing to include environmental surfaces would ideally be performed with inexpensive swabs that could be transported safely without concern of being a source of new infections. However, CDC-approved clinical-grade sampling supplies and techniques using a synthetic swab are expensive, potentially expose laboratory workers to viable virus and prohibit analysis of the microbiome due to the presence of antibiotics in viral transport media (VTM). To this end, we performed a series of experiments comparing the diagnostic yield using five consumer-grade swabs (including plastic and wood shafts and various head materials including cotton, synthetic, and foam) and one clinical grade swab for inhibition to RNA. For three of these swabs, we evaluated performance to detect SARS-CoV-2 in twenty intensive care unit (ICU) hospital rooms of patients including COVID-19+ patients. All swabs were placed in 95% ethanol and further evaluated in terms of RNase activity. SARS-CoV-2 was measured both directly from the swab and from the swab eluent. Results Compared to samples collected in VTM, 95% ethanol demonstrated significant inhibition properties against RNases. When extracting directly from the swab head as opposed to the eluent, RNA recovery was approximately 2-4x higher from all six swab types tested as compared to the clinical standard of testing the eluent from a CDC-approved synthetic (SYN) swab. The limit of detection (LoD) of SARSSARS-CoV-2 from floor samples collected using the consumer-grade plastic (CGp) or research-grade plastic The Microsetta Initiative (TMI) swabs was similar or better than the SYN swab, further suggesting that swab type does not impact RNA recovery as measured by the abundance of SARSSARS-CoV-2. The LoD for TMI was between 0-362.5 viral particles while SYN and CGp were both between 725-1450 particles. Lastly microbiome analyses (16S rRNA gene sequencing) of paired samples (nasal and floor from same patient-room) collected using different swab types in triplicate indicated that microbial communities were not impacted by swab type, but instead driven by the patient and sample type. Conclusions Compared to using a clinical-grade synthetic swab, detection of SARS-CoV-2 from environmental samples collected from ICU rooms of patients with COVID was similar using consumer grade swabs, stored in 95% ethanol. The yield was best from the swab head rather than the eluent and the low level of RNase activity and lack of antibiotics in these samples makes it possible to perform concomitant microbiome analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremiah Minich
- University of California San Diego Scripps Institution of Oceanography
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Eric E Allen
- University of California San Diego Scripps Institution of Oceanography
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Ali F, Kibria Z, Rehman K, Arshad M, Mahnaz R, Arif N, Ul Haq Z, Ghulam R. Prevalence of parents refusal rate, its associated factors and the perceptions of refusal parents in routine immunization: New findings from Pakistan. Int J Infect Dis 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2020.09.1267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
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Ali F, Sweeney DA. Throat-Wash Testing and Coronavirus Disease 2019: Should We Put Our Money Where Our Mouth Is? Clin Infect Dis 2020; 71:1982-1983. [PMID: 32353114 PMCID: PMC7197595 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciaa511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Farhana Ali
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Daniel A Sweeney
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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Marotz C, Belda-Ferre P, Ali F, Das P, Huang S, Cantrell K, Jiang L, Martino C, Diner RE, Rahman G, McDonald D, Armstrong G, Kodera S, Donato S, Ecklu-Mensah G, Gottel N, Garcia MCS, Chiang LY, Salido RA, Shaffer JP, Bryant M, Sanders K, Humphrey G, Ackermann G, Haiminen N, Beck KL, Kim HC, Carrieri AP, Parida L, Vázquez-Baeza Y, Torriani FJ, Knight R, Gilbert JA, Sweeney DA, Allard SM. Microbial context predicts SARS-CoV-2 prevalence in patients and the hospital built environment. medRxiv 2020:2020.11.19.20234229. [PMID: 33236030 PMCID: PMC7685343 DOI: 10.1101/2020.11.19.20234229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Synergistic effects of bacteria on viral stability and transmission are widely documented but remain unclear in the context of SARS-CoV-2. We collected 972 samples from hospitalized ICU patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), their health care providers, and hospital surfaces before, during, and after admission. We screened for SARS-CoV-2 using RT-qPCR, characterized microbial communities using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, and contextualized the massive microbial diversity in this dataset in a meta-analysis of over 20,000 samples. Sixteen percent of surfaces from COVID-19 patient rooms were positive, with the highest prevalence in floor samples next to patient beds (39%) and directly outside their rooms (29%). Although bed rail samples increasingly resembled the patient microbiome throughout their stay, SARS-CoV-2 was less frequently detected there (11%). Despite surface contamination in almost all patient rooms, no health care workers providing COVID-19 patient care contracted the disease. SARS-CoV-2 positive samples had higher bacterial phylogenetic diversity across human and surface samples, and higher biomass in floor samples. 16S microbial community profiles allowed for high classifier accuracy for SARS-CoV-2 status in not only nares, but also forehead, stool and floor samples. Across these distinct microbial profiles, a single amplicon sequence variant from the genus Rothia was highly predictive of SARS-CoV-2 across sample types, and had higher prevalence in positive surface and human samples, even when comparing to samples from patients in another intensive care unit prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. These results suggest that bacterial communities contribute to viral prevalence both in the host and hospital environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clarisse Marotz
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Pedro Belda-Ferre
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Farhana Ali
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Promi Das
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Shi Huang
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Kalen Cantrell
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Lingjing Jiang
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Division of Biostatistics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Cameron Martino
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Program, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Rachel E Diner
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Gibraan Rahman
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Program, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Daniel McDonald
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - George Armstrong
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Program, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Sho Kodera
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Sonya Donato
- Microbiome Core, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Gertrude Ecklu-Mensah
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Neil Gottel
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Mariana C Salas Garcia
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Leslie Y Chiang
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Rodolfo A Salido
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Justin P Shaffer
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - MacKenzie Bryant
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Karenina Sanders
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Greg Humphrey
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Gail Ackermann
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Niina Haiminen
- IBM, T.J Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, New York, USA
| | - Kristen L Beck
- AI and Cognitive Software, IBM Research-Almaden, San Jose, California, USA
| | - Ho-Cheol Kim
- AI and Cognitive Software, IBM Research-Almaden, San Jose, California, USA
| | | | - Laxmi Parida
- AI and Cognitive Software, IBM Research-Almaden, San Jose, California, USA
| | - Yoshiki Vázquez-Baeza
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Francesca J Torriani
- Infection Prevention and Clinical Epidemiology Unit at UC San Diego Health, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, UC San Diego, San Diego CA, USA
| | - Rob Knight
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Jack A Gilbert
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Daniel A Sweeney
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Sarah M Allard
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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Minich JJ, Ali F, Marotz C, Belda-Ferre P, Chiang L, Shaffer JP, Carpenter CS, McDonald D, Gilbert JA, Allard SM, Allen EE, Knight R, Sweeney DA, Swafford AD. Feasibility of using alternative swabs and storage solutions for paired SARS-CoV-2 detection and microbiome analysis in the hospital environment. medRxiv 2020. [PMID: 32511552 DOI: 10.1101/2020.05.12.20073577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Background Determining the role of fomites in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is essential in the hospital setting and will likely be important outside of medical facilities as governments around the world make plans to ease COVID-19 public health restrictions and attempt to safely reopen economies. Expanding COVID-19 testing to include environmental surfaces would ideally be performed with inexpensive swabs that could be transported safely without concern of being a source of new infections. However, CDC-approved clinical-grade sampling supplies and techniques using a synthetic swab are expensive, potentially expose laboratory workers to viable virus and prohibit analysis of the microbiome due to the presence of antibiotics in viral transport media (VTM). To this end, we performed a series of experiments comparing the diagnostic yield using five consumer-grade swabs (including plastic and wood shafts and various head materials including cotton, synthetic, and foam) and one clinical grade swab for inhibition to RNA. For three of these swabs, we evaluated performance to detect SARS-CoV-2 in twenty intensive care unit (ICU) hospital rooms of patients with 16 COVID-19+. All swabs were placed in 95% ethanol and further evaluated in terms of RNase activity. SARS-CoV-2 was measured both directly from the swab and from the swab eluent. Results Compared to samples collected in VTM, 95% ethanol demonstrated significant inhibition properties against RNases. When extracting directly from the swab head as opposed to the eluent, RNA recovery was approximately 2-4x higher from all six swab types tested as compared to the clinical standard of testing the eluent from a CDC-approved synthetic swab. The limit of detection (LoD) of SARs-CoV-2 from floor samples collected using the CGp or TMI swabs was similar or better than the CDC standard, further suggesting that swab type does not impact RNA recovery as measured by SARs-CoV-2. The LoD for TMI was between 0-362.5 viral particles while SYN and CGp were both between 725-1450 particles. Lastly microbiome analyses (16S rRNA) of paired samples (e.g., environment to host) collected using different swab types in triplicate indicated that microbial communities were not impacted by swab type but instead driven by the patient and sample type (floor or nasal). Conclusions Compared to using a clinical-grade synthetic swab, detection of SARS-CoV-2 from environmental samples collected from ICU rooms of patients with COVID was similar using consumer grade swabs, stored in 95% ethanol. The yield was best from the swab head rather than the eluent and the low level of RNase activity in these samples makes it possible to perform concomitant microbiome analysis. Keywords: COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, RT-qPCR, swab, global health.
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Ali F, Wallin G, Fathalla B, Sandblom G. Peritoneal bridging versus fascial closure in laparoscopic intraperitoneal onlay ventral hernia mesh repair: a randomized clinical trial. BJS Open 2020; 4:587-592. [PMID: 32463163 PMCID: PMC7397363 DOI: 10.1002/bjs5.50305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Revised: 04/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many patients develop seroma after laparoscopic ventral hernia repair. It was hypothesized that leaving the hernial sac in situ may cause this complication. METHODS In this patient- and outcome assessor-blinded, parallel-design single-centre trial, patients undergoing laparoscopic intraperitoneal onlay mesh ventral hernia repair were randomized (1 : 1) to either conventional fascial closure or peritoneal bridging. The primary endpoint was the incidence of seroma 12 months after index surgery detected by CT, evaluated in an intention-to-treat analysis. RESULTS Between September 2017 and May 2018, 62 patients were assessed for eligibility, of whom 25 were randomized to conventional closure and 25 to peritoneal bridging. At 3 months, one patient was lost to follow-up in the conventional and peritoneal bridging groups respectively. No seroma was detected at 6 or 12 months in either group. The prevalence of clinical seroma was four of 25 (16 (95 per cent c.i. 2 to 30) per cent) versus none of 25 patients in the conventional fascial closure and peritoneal bridging groups respectively at 1 month after surgery (P = 0·110), and two of 24 (8 (0 to 19) per cent) versus none of 25 at 3 months (P = 0·235). There were no significant differences between the groups in other postoperative complications (one of 25 versus 0 of 25), rate of recurrent hernia within 1 year (none in either group) or postoperative pain. CONCLUSION Conventional fascial closure and peritoneal bridging did not differ with regard to seroma formation after laparoscopic ventral hernia repair. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03344575).
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Affiliation(s)
- F Ali
- Departments of Surgery, Örebro University Hospital, School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, Stockholm, Sweden.,Örebro University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - G Wallin
- Departments of Surgery, Örebro University Hospital, School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, Stockholm, Sweden.,Örebro University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - B Fathalla
- Emergency Department, Södersjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - G Sandblom
- Department of Clinical Science and Education Södersjukhuset, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Surgery, Södersjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden
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Ayaz M, Ali F, Saeed A, Abbas N, Khan M, Shabir G, Saleem A, Raza Kazmi SA, Khanzada. Synthesis and Serviceability of New Symmetric Bis-pyrazolone Metal Complex Acid Dyes. RUSS J GEN CHEM+ 2020. [DOI: 10.1134/s1070363219120272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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He W, Ali F, O'Shea K, Phillips K, Thomas S, Priestley M, Singleton A, McIntyre D, Chow C, Thiagalingam A. 752 Text Messages Targeting Smoking Cessation in Surgical Patients: Comparing Clinician and Consumer Review. Heart Lung Circ 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.hlc.2020.09.759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Shah SB, Hu H, Wang W, Liu Y, Ali F, Xu P, Tang H. Evaluation of plant growth-promoting activity of strain HBCD-sjtu. J BIOL REG HOMEOS AG 2019; 33:1187-1192. [PMID: 31321966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- S B Shah
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai People's Republic of China
| | - H Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai People's Republic of China
| | - W Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai People's Republic of China
| | - Y Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai People's Republic of China
| | - F Ali
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai People's Republic of China
| | - P Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai People's Republic of China
| | - H Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai People's Republic of China
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Ali F, Zaib A. Unsteady flow of an Eyring-Powell nanofluid near stagnation point past a convectively heated stretching sheet. Arab Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/25765299.2019.1603586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- F. Ali
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Federal Urdu University of Arts Sciences & Technology, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - A. Zaib
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Federal Urdu University of Arts Sciences & Technology, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Karachi, Pakistan
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He W, Thiagalingam A, Ali F, O'Shea K, Phillips K, McIntyre D, Singleton A, Priestley M, Thomas S, Chow C. Development of Mobile Phone Text Messages Targeting Smoking Cessation in Surgical Patients. Heart Lung Circ 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.hlc.2019.06.534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Stevens R, Chandrasenan J, Ali F, Haslam P, Nicolau N. The reproducibility of manual and fixed tensioning in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Muscles Ligaments Tendons J 2019. [DOI: 10.32098/mltj.02.2018.05] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- R. Stevens
- Northern General Hospital, Sheffield, UK
| | | | - F. Ali
- Chesterfield Royal Hospital, Cheserfield, UK
| | - P. Haslam
- Doncaster Royal Infirmary, Doncaster, UK
| | - N. Nicolau
- Sheffield Children's Hospital, Sheffield, UK
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Shah SB, Kaushik AC, Ali F, Huang L, Lu X, Sartaj L, Xu P, Tang H. Computational and in vitro analysis of an HBCD degrading gene DehHZ1 from strain HBCD-sjtu. J BIOL REG HOMEOS AG 2019; 33:157-162. [PMID: 30764604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- S B Shah
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai People's Republic of China
| | - A C Kaushik
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai People's Republic of China
| | - F Ali
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai People's Republic of China
| | - L Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai People's Republic of China
| | - X Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai People's Republic of China
| | - L Sartaj
- Department of Biochemistry, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Pakistan
| | - P Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai People's Republic of China
| | - H Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai People's Republic of China
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Abstract
The human microbiota (the microscopic organisms that inhabit us) and microbiome (their genes) hold considerable potential for improving pharmacological practice. Recent advances in multi-"omics" techniques have dramatically improved our understanding of the constituents of the microbiome and their functions. The implications of this research for human health, including microbiome links to obesity, drug metabolism, neurological diseases, cancer, and many other health conditions, have sparked considerable interest in exploiting the microbiome for targeted therapeutics. Links between microbial pathways and disease states further highlight a rich potential for companion diagnostics and precision medicine approaches. For example, the success of fecal microbiota transplantation to treat Clostridium difficile infection has already started to redefine standard of care with a microbiome-directed therapy. In this review we briefly discuss the nature of human microbial ecosystems and with pathologies and biological processes linked to the microbiome. We then review emerging computational metagenomic, metabolomic, and wet lab techniques researchers are using today to learn about the roles host-microbial interactions have with respect to pharmacological purposes and vice versa. Finally, we describe how drugs affect the microbiome, how the microbiome can impact drug response in different people, and the potential of the microbiome itself as a source of new therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aries Chavira
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Pedro Belda-Ferre
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Tomasz Kosciolek
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Małopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Farhana Ali
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Pieter C Dorrestein
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Collaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Rob Knight
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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Dixon S, Agha K, Ali F, El-Hindi L, Kelly B, Locock L, Otoo-Oyortey N, Penny S, Plugge E, Hinton L. Female genital mutilation in the UK- where are we, where do we go next? Involving communities in setting the research agenda. Res Involv Engagem 2018; 4:29. [PMID: 30237901 PMCID: PMC6139895 DOI: 10.1186/s40900-018-0103-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2017] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is all practices involving cutting, alteration or injury to the female genitalia for non-medical reasons. It is a form of violence against women and children, with no benefits and many harms. In 2014, the UK Government committed to working to eliminate FGM. Steps taken towards this aim included creation of educational and safeguarding resources for professionals, and legislative changes including a mandatory reporting duty for professionals in England and Wales (where if a girl under 18 discloses or is found on examination to have FGM then the professional is mandated to report this to the police), and an FGM Enhanced Dataset applicable to NHS organisations in England requiring the submission of personal data about women and girls who have had FGM to NHS Digital. To date, compliance with dataset returns from primary care services have been low. This report describes using patient and public involvement (PPI) to identify research and service priorities to support communities affected by FGM. METHODS We held a series of PPI events (4 focus groups, and a multi-agency seminar) in 2015-2016, following the introduction of these legislative changes, speaking to community members, and professionals involved in their care. We asked participants to consider what they identified as research, knowledge and service priorities to support communities affected by FGM. RESULTS The impact of these legislative and reporting requirements on the trust needed for community members to seek to consult health services was identified as important for further research. Priorities for service development were holistic services, that met a woman's needs throughout her lifecourse. Participants emphasised the importance of understanding how to listen, involve and utilise community voices in developing education for professionals, designing services, and developing policy. CONCLUSIONS There was a desire for change to develop from within affected communities; any learning and resources need to be co-created and constructed in such a way that they can be effectively shared between women, communities, and professionals. Questions remain about how to define community consultation, how to recognise when it was adequate, and how to hear beyond community activists to hear a wider range of voices.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. Dixon
- Nuffield department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - K. Agha
- Oxford Against Cutting, Oxford, UK
| | - F. Ali
- Midaye Somali Development Network, London, UK
| | | | - B. Kelly
- Nuffield Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - L. Locock
- Nuffield department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Health Services Research Unit, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | | | - S. Penny
- English Creative Writing Department, Brunel University, London, UK
| | - E. Plugge
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - L. Hinton
- Nuffield department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Ali F, Atanackovic J, Boyer C, Festarini A, Kildea J, Paterson LC, Rogge R, Stuart M, Richardson RB. Dosimetric and microdosimetric analyses for blood exposed to reactor-derived thermal neutrons. J Radiol Prot 2018; 38:1037-1052. [PMID: 29871999 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6498/aaca9f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Thermal neutrons are found in reactor, radiotherapy, aircraft, and space environments. The purpose of this study was to characterise the dosimetry and microdosimetry of thermal neutron exposures, using three simulation codes, as a precursor to quantitative radiobiological studies using blood samples. An irradiation line was designed employing a pyrolytic graphite crystal or-alternatively-a super mirror to expose blood samples to thermal neutrons from the National Research Universal reactor to determine radiobiological parameters. The crystal was used when assessing the relative biological effectiveness for dicentric chromosome aberrations, and other biomarkers, in lymphocytes over a low absorbed dose range of 1.2-14 mGy. Higher exposures using a super mirror will allow the additional quantification of mitochondrial responses. The physical size of the thermal neutron fields and their respective wavelength distribution was determined using the McStas Monte Carlo code. Spinning the blood samples produced a spatially uniform absorbed dose as determined from Monte Carlo N-Particle version 6 simulations. The major part (71%) of the total absorbed dose to blood was determined to be from the 14N(n,p)14C reaction and the remainder from the 1H(n,γ)2H reaction. Previous radiobiological experiments at Canadian Nuclear Laboratories involving thermal neutron irradiation of blood yielded a relative biological effectiveness of 26 ± 7. Using the Particle and Heavy Ion Transport Code System, a similar value of ∼19 for the quality factor of thermal neutrons initiating the 14N(n,p)14C reaction in soft tissue was determined by microdosimetric simulations. This calculated quality factor is of similar high value to the experimentally-derived relative biological effectiveness, and indicates the potential of thermal neutrons to induce deleterious health effects in superficial organs such as cataracts of the eye lens.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Ali
- Radiobiology and Health Branch, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River, ON, K0J 1J0, Canada
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Shebuski RJ, Berry DE, Bennett DB, Romoff T, Storer BL, Ali F, Samanen J. Demonstration of Ac-Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser-NH2 as an Antiaggregatory Agent in the Dog by Intracoronary Administration. Thromb Haemost 2018. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1646556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
SummaryThis study compared the anti-platelet effect of Ac-RGDS-NH2 which is a peptide fragment from fibrinogen to Ac-RGES-NH2 in which the aspartic acid (D) of Ac-RGDS-NH2 has been replaced by glutamic acid (E). When Ac-RGDS-NH2 was infused intracoronary at concentrations of 100–400 mM, acute platelet dependent thrombus formation in the dog coronary artery was inhibited. However, infusion of Ac-RGES-NH2 intracoronary at similar concentrations to Ac-RGDS-NH2 failed to inhibit platelet dependent thrombus formation in the dog. Ac-RGDS-NH2 and Ac-RGES-NH2 were also tested for their ability to inhibit collagen-induced platelet aggregation in vitro. Ac-RGDS-NH2 elicited concentration-dependent inhibition of collagen-induced aggregation with no effect of Ac-RGES-NHz otr collagen-induced platelet aggregation. Thus, Ac-RGDS-NH2 is an effective antiplatelet agent after intracoronary administration in the dog and also inhibits collagen-induced platelet aggregation in vitro. Ac-RGDS-NH2 is a specific inhibitor of platelet aggregation as replacement of the aspartic acid in Ac-RGDS-NH2 with glutamic acid results in complete loss of biological activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- R J Shebuski
- The Department of Pharmacology, Smith Kline & French Laboratories, King of Prussia, PA, USA
| | - D E Berry
- The Department of Biomolecular Discovery, Smith Kline & French Laboratories, King of Prussia, PA, USA
| | - D B Bennett
- The Department of Biomolecular Discovery, Smith Kline & French Laboratories, King of Prussia, PA, USA
| | - T Romoff
- The Department of Peptide Chemistry, Smith Kline & French Laboratories, King of Prussia, PA, USA
| | - B L Storer
- The Department of Pharmacology, Smith Kline & French Laboratories, King of Prussia, PA, USA
| | - F Ali
- The Department of Peptide Chemistry, Smith Kline & French Laboratories, King of Prussia, PA, USA
| | - J Samanen
- The Department of Peptide Chemistry, Smith Kline & French Laboratories, King of Prussia, PA, USA
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