Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on hemodialysis access thrombosis

BACKGROUND

Delay in care of suspected stenosis or thrombosis can increase the chance of losing a functioning hemodialysis access. Access to care and resources were restricted during the COVID-19 pandemic. To evaluate the impact of the pandemic on arteriovenous fistula (AVF) and arteriovenous graft (AVG) procedures we have assessed the number and success of thrombectomies done before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

We examined all AVF and AVG angiograms with and without interventions, including thrombectomies, performed at a single center during April 2017-March 2021 (pre-COVID-19 era) and April 2020-March 2021 (COVID-19 era).

RESULTS

The proportion of procedures that were thrombectomies was higher during the COVID-19 era compared to the pre-COVID-19 era (13.3% vs 8.7%, p = 0.009). The proportion of thrombectomy procedures was higher during COVID-19 for AVF (8.2% vs 3.0%, p < 0.001) but there was no difference for AVG (26.5% vs 27%, p = 0.99). There was a trend toward a higher likelihood of unsuccessful thrombectomy during COVID-19 (33.3% vs 20.4%, p = 0.08).

CONCLUSIONS

More dialysis access thromboses and unsuccessful thrombectomies were noted during the COVID-19 pandemic. This difference could be due to a delay in patients getting procedures to maintain their dialysis accesses.

Monitoring of Insecticides resistance against cotton Jassid (Amrasca biguttutla biguttutla) under laboratory conditions

Development of insecticides resistance mainly hinge with managements techniques for the control of Jassid, Amrasca biguttutla biguttutla. Five insecticides were applied against field collected and laboratory rared jassid populations during the years of 2017 to 2019 to profile their resistance level against field population of jassid through leaf dip method. Very low resistance level was found in jassid against confidor whereas high level of resistance was observed by pyriproxyfen against other test insecticides. Gradual resistance was observed against diafenthiuron. It is concluded that for the management of Jassid repetition of same insecticide should be avoided. The use of confidor may be reduced to overcome resistance against Jassid.

Prospect of microbial food borne diseases in Pakistan: a review

Nowadays food borne illness is most common in people due to their epidemic nature. These diseases affect the human digestive system through bacteria, viruses and parasites. The agents of illness are transmitted in our body through various types of food items, water and uncooked. Pathogens show drastic changes in immunosuppressant people. This review gives general insights to harmful microbial life. Pakistan is a developed country and because of its improper food management, a lot of gastrointestinal problems are noted in many patients. Bacteria are most common agents to spread diarrhoea, villi infection, constipation and dysenteric disease in human and induce the rejection of organ transplant. Enhancement of their lifestyle, properly cooked food should be used and to overcome the outbreak of the diseases.

Effects of work-family conflict and job insecurity on psychological distress

Background

Work-family conflict (WFC) and job insecurity are important determinants of workers' mental health.

Aims

To examine the relationship between WFC and psychological distress, and the co-occurring effects of WFC and job insecurity on distress in US working adults.

Methods

This study used cross-sectional data from the 2010 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) for adults aged 18-64 years. The 2010 NHIS included occupational data from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) sponsored Occupational Health Supplement. Logistic regression models were used to examine the independent and co-occurring effects of WFC and job insecurity on distress.

Results

The study group consisted of 12059 participants. In the model fully adjusted for relevant occupational, behavioural, sociodemographic and health covariates, WFC and job insecurity were independently significantly associated with increased odds of psychological distress. Relative to participants reporting WFC only, participants reporting no WFC and no job insecurity had lower odds of moderate and severe distress. Co-occurring WFC and job insecurity was associated with significantly higher odds of both moderate [odds ratio (OR) = 1.55; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.25-1.9] and severe (OR = 3.57; 95% CI 2.66-4.79) distress.

Conclusions

Rates of WFC and job insecurity were influenced by differing factors in working adults; however, both significantly increased risk of adverse mental health outcomes, particularly when experienced jointly. Future studies should explore the temporal association between co-occurring WFC and job insecurity and psychological distress.

Effects of human recombinant growth hormone on exercise capacity, cardiac structure, and cardiac function in patients with adult-onset growth hormone deficiency

Objective

Epidemiological studies suggest that adult-onset growth hormone deficiency (AGHD) might increase the risk of death from cardiovascular causes.

Methods

This was a 6-month double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised, cross-over trial followed by a 6-month open-label phase. Seventeen patients with AGHD received either recombinant human growth hormone (rGH) (0.4 mg injection daily) or placebo for 12 weeks, underwent washout for 2 weeks, and were then crossed over to the alternative treatment for a further 12 weeks. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, echocardiography, and cardiopulmonary exercise testing were performed at baseline, 12 weeks, 26 weeks, and the end of the open phase (12 months). The results were compared with those of 16 age- and sex-matched control subjects.

Results

At baseline, patients with AGHD had a significantly higher systolic blood pressure, ejection fraction, and left ventricular mass than the control group, even when corrected for body surface area. Treatment with rGH normalised the insulin-like growth factor 1 concentration without an effect on exercise capacity, cardiac structure, or cardiac function.

Conclusion

Administration of rGH therapy for 6 to 9 months failed to normalise the functional and structural cardiac differences observed in patients with AGHD when compared with a control group.

Molecular markers for cell types of the inner ear and candidate genes for hearing disorders

To identify genes expressed in the vertebrate inner ear, we have established an assay that allows rapid analysis of the differential expression pattern of mRNAs derived from an auditory epithelium-specific cDNA library. We performed subtractive hybridization to create an enriched probe, which then was used to screen the cDNA library. After digoxigenin-labeled antisense cRNAs had been transcribed from hybridization-positive clones, we conducted in situ hybridization on slides bearing cryosections of late embryonic chicken heads, bodies, and cochleae. One hundred and twenty of the 196 clones analyzed encode 12 proteins whose mRNAs are specifically or highly expressed in the chicken's inner ear; the remainder encode proteins that occur more widely. We identified proteins that have been described previously as expressed in the inner ear, such as beta-tectorin, calbindin, and type II collagen. A second group of proteins abundant in the inner ear includes five additional types of collagens. A third group, including Coch-5B2 and an ear-specific connexin, comprises proteins whose human equivalents are candidates to account for hearing disorders. This group also includes proteins expressed in two unique cell types of the inner ear, homogene cells and cells of the tegmentum vasculosum.