Global drug use has reached epidemic levels, with approximately 269 million drug users worldwide [1]. Problematic drug use may lead to serious physical, social, and mental health problems. An estimated 167,000 deaths attributed to drug-related disorders worldwide in 2017 [2]. The rising global drug use and its severe adverse consequences make the drug treatment/rehabilitation a top priority for policymakers. In modern China, illicit drug use has raised great concern from both the academia and the public. Nearly 2.15 million Chinese were registered as drug users in 2019 [28]. Drug-related crimes and deaths are also increasing [29]. The current drug treatment programs in China are mainly compulsory, addressing coercion and discipline. However, the effectiveness was found to be low [3]. Situated in the fields of social work, public health, and psychology, Chinese scholars and practitioners have conducted some empirical tests for these drug treatment/rehabilitation programs and already found several effective preventive factors in the programs. However, the existing research on the design and evaluation of Chinese drug treatment/rehabilitation programs rarely investigate the theoretical rationales behind these programs. This study would address three criminological theories that have been applied to explain drug treatment and rehabilitation in Western societies: Differential Association Theory, Social Bonding Theory, and Labeling Theory. Similar theoretical rationales could be learnt and adopted by Chinese programs.
Tinnitus-derived from the Latin “tinnire” meaning “to ring” is a perceived ringing, buzzing, or hissing in the ear(s) or around the head-which has multiple etiologies and is sometimes idiopathic. As of 2009 in the United States, approximately 50 million Americans were affected for six months or greater, while a United Kingdom study in 2000 reported a 10% prevalence in the adult population [1]. Tinnitus may vary widely with regard to pitch, loudness, description of sound, special localization, and temporal pattern [2]. Most often, tinnitus is associated with other aural symptoms, such as hearing loss and hyperacusis [3]. Tinnitus may result in sleep disturbances, work impairments, and distress. The severity varies within this cohort of chronic sufferers, with some unable to fulfill daily activities. Though tinnitus is more likely to affect adults and the incidence increases with age, children can experience tinnitus as well [4]. Males are more likely to suffer as are individuals who smoke [5].
The well recognized white adipose tissue is an endocrinal organ secreting various hormones and this article simply indicates to the physiologic concepts brown fat tissues (BAT) which are extremely active endocrine organs and play various metabolic active roles in intermediate metabolism. The physiologic function of Brown adipose tissues contributes to energy-producing parts of the cell. Its amount is rare up to approximately one hundred and thirty gram and implies important characteristics for mammals. An increase in energy expenditure could be an aim by activation of BAT, seems futurity to reduce body weight that needs a vast majority of fundamental research to facilitate its occurrence [1]. Brown fat tissue generates heat and has valuable importance for human metabolism [2,3]. Brown fat tissue is decreased in overweight and obese people and possibly activating brown fat tissue might help for reducing weight and weight-related metabolic disorders like insulin resistance.
Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is a very common medical problem encountered in the acute care setting, and is a major cause of admission to hospitals with about 300,000 patients admitted annually. Obscure GI bleeding, defined as persistent or recurrent bleeding following initial negative upper and lower endoscopy, represents approximately 5% of all GI hemorrhages. The small bowel is the most common source for obscure GI bleeding. Variable lesions of the small bowel can cause obscure GI bleeding, with tumors, Crohn’s disease and Meckel’s diverticulum being more common in young age group. Meckel’s diverticulum, the most common GI congenital malformation, is usually asymptomatic and incidentally found. It can present with GI bleeding, seen more in pediatric patients, and rarely in adult patients. Herein, we present a 45 years old female patient, presenting with massive obscure GI bleeding due to Meckel’s diveticulum.
The Meckel’s diverticulum (MD) is the most common anomaly of ductus omphaloentericus that surgeon encounters in clinical practice. The accurate incidence is unknown because most patients with the Meckel’s diverticulum are asymptomatic. Most studies report an incidence of about 2%. Approximately 4% of patients with the Meckel’s diverticulum become symptomatic.
A 10 years old boy, was sent from regional hospital. His symptoms started the day before he was hospitalized and represented as gastrointestinal bleeding, lower abdominal pain and four times vomiting, without fever. Ultrasound and X-ray of the abdomen were normal. Blood findings showed: RBC 3,19, hemoglobin 0,95, hematocrit 0,27. During a physical examination abdomen was palpatory soft, with no presence of the pain. Digital rectal examination showed blood. A scintigraphy pathologic scan showed a focal lesion of the right hemi abdomen consistent with the Meckel’s diverticulum.Patient was treated byLaparoscopic-Assisted Transumbilical Extracorporeal Resection of the Meckel’s Diverticulum.
Among all the countries, Yemen is free of corona virus, and no single case has been recorded till today. Yemen is characterized by its mother geographical location on the Red Sea and its population is approximately 30 million people and an area of 555,000 square kilometers.
Abdul Baset*, Abdul Waris, Muhammad Ali, Atta Ullah Khan and Asmat Ali
Published on: 27th May, 2020
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. To date, the virus has infected roughly 5,000,000 people and caused approximately 345,000 deaths worldwide, and these numbers are increasing rapidly. Because of the rapid spread and the rising disease burden, several antiviral drugs and immunomodulators are in clinical trials, but no drugs or vaccines have yet been approved against this deadly pandemic. At present, computed tomography scanning and reverse transcription (RT)-PCR are used to diagnose COVID-19, and nanotechnology is being used to develop drugs against COVID-19. Nanotechnology also plays a role in diagnosing COVID-19. In this article, we discuss the role of nanotechnology in diagnosing and potentially treating COVID-19.
Ubiquitination is a kind of posttranslational modification of proteins in eukaryotes, and it plays an important role in the growth and development of organisms. The ubiquitination of proteins is a cascade enzymatic reaction involving three enzymes. The homologous to E6-AP carboxy terminus ubiquitin-protein ligases (HECT E3s) family is an important ubiquitin-protein ligases family. The family all have a HECT domain of approximately 350 amino acids in the C-terminus. However, studies on plant HECT E3s, such as structural features, prediction of HECT domain function, and their regulatory mechanisms, are very limited. In this paper, Arabidopsis thaliana HECT family genes were analyzed, including gene structure and functional domains and its limited known functions in protein degradation, gene transcription regulation, epigenetically regulation or other functions, finally speculate their roles in plant morphologies, aging or responsive to environmental stress.
Aflatoxins, produced by Aspergillus spp., are strongly toxic and carcinogenic fungal secondary metabolites. Aflatoxin biosynthesis is a complex process and involves at least 30 genes clustered within an approximately 75 kB gene cluster. In this paper, we reviewed current status of the researches on the characterized structural genes involved in aflatoxin biosynthesis and their roles in aflatoxin-producing fungi, especially in A. flavus and A. parasiticus, which will improve our understanding of the mechanism of aflatoxin biosynthesis and regulation and provide reference for further study.
Cowpea plants naturally infected with cowpea mosaic comovirus (CPMV) showed different mosaic, mottle, dwarfing, and vain clearing symptoms. Diseased plants were ollected from certain locations of Alexandria and El-Beheira governorates during the growing seasons from 2011 to 2012. CPMV was detected in infected sap at 8 to 24 days after inoculation by DBIA, indirect ELISA and tissue blot immunoassay (TBIA). Chlorotic local lesions were observed on Chenopodium amaranticolor in infectivity test. By using indirect ELISA and DBIA, CPMV were detected in infected plant sap of serial dilutions up to 1: 400. The incidence of CPMV in 21 day old cowpea seedlings grown from infected seeds was determined by ELISA and positive detection of virus antigen reached 65%. Nitrocellulose membrane and canson paper could be used as solid carriers in TBIA and DBIA for detection of CPMV in infected plant tissues. Results revealed that both faces of nitrocellulose membrane and canson paper could be used as solid carriers in TBIA for detection of CPMV in infected plant tissues. According to reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay of CPMV infected plant; the amplified product was approximately 800bp of partial coat protein gene. The nucleotide sequences accession number were LN606585 and LN606586. The phylogenetic tree was generated using sequences of CPMV isolates with the other CPMV records from GenBank.
Introduction: Current pediatric residents spend less time in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and as a result, resident exposure to neonatal pathophysiology has decreased. Engaging learners efficiently while balancing clinical demands is challenging. Practices to enhance adult education include integration of problem centered learning into the demands of daily life in an environment in which learners feel safe asking questions and expressing themselves.
Methods: With this principal in mind, we developed a curriculum to enhance resident and medical student education during busy NICU rotations. The curriculum was case-based, available on-line and facilitated by neonatology faculty and fellows. A template designed to be concise and interactive was used to create and present the cases. After the case vignette, the template prompted medical students and residents to generate a differential diagnosis, order a diagnostic workup and narrow the diagnosis. Discussion of the diagnoses occurred at the conclusion of the cases; however, the template discouraged didactic lectures.
Results: In two years, cases were viewed 2,362 times. Facilitators and learners rated the quality and utility of the cases favorably overall. Cases took approximately 20 minutes to complete. Approximately 57% of survey respondents reviewed 1-2 cases per week and 9.6% reviewed 3-5 cases per week.
Discussion: A template with a concise and consistent format to construct and present cases allows for the creation of a curriculum that can be incorporated into a clinically demanding service and may enhance clinical teaching and learner engagement.
The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) jointly developed a series of hypertension guidelines in the years 2003, 207 and 2013. The most recent guidelines were issued by the two societies in August this year (2018) and were published in the European Heart Journal. The new guidelines are printed in more than 90 pages and cover almost all aspects of hypertension based on extensive review of literature giving highest priority to data from randomized controlled trials and well conducted meta-analysis. In important areas where there is inadequate or no evidence, guidelines authors resort to expert opinion. The text was developed over approximately 24 months and was reviewed by representatives of ESC and ESH national hypertension societies. Although it is less than five years since the last hypertension European guidelines in 2013, the recent 2018 guidelines show important differences in diagnosis and treatment strategies with the addition of new sections and recommendations on management of hypertensive emergencies, hypertension in women and pregnancy, different ethnic groups, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cancer therapies, peri-operative management, sexual dysfunction and perioperative management.
Mental illness is associated with a significant burden of morbidity and disability. Lifetime prevalence rates for any kind of psychological disorder are higher than previously thought, are increasing in recent cohorts and affect nearly half of the population. Overall rates of psychiatric disorder are almost identical for men and women but striking gender differences are found in the patterns of mental illness. Gender is a critical determinant of mental health and mental illness. Gender differences occur particularly in the rates of common mental disorders - depression, anxiety and somatic complaints. These disorders, in which women predominate, affect approximately 1 in 3 people in the community and constitute a serious public health problem [1].
Aim: To compare the expectations and the reality of oncology patients in terms of to the use of medical cannabis, including symptom control and related quality of life.
Research question: Is there a difference between oncology patients expectations and their reality concerning the use of medical cannabis and what do oncology patients experience regarding symptom control and quality of life?
Method: This research was done in a tertiary hospital in Israel at the oncology clinic A comparative study that used self- administered questionnaires for patients who received authorization to use medical cannabis. The first questionnaire was given to patients after receiving the authorization to use medical cannabis and asked about their expectations related to its use. Patients filled out the same questionnaire for the second time, approximately two months after. Comparison of the respondent’s answers, before and after using medical cannabis, showed reality of improving symptom control and Quality of Life.
Results: Seventy-four patients completed both questionnaires. Most patients reported advantage in symptom control when using medical cannabis, although their expectations were somewhat higher than the reality experienced. Advantage of using medical cannabis was also found concerning improvement of quality of life. Seventy-five of patients still used medical cannabis once completing the second questionnaire and most of them reported that they would recommend the use of medical cannabis.
Conclusion: It can be seen from this study that for many oncology patients the use of medical cannabis may be very helpful. However, the use of cannabis is not free of side effects, as can be seen from the patients’ reports. This has clear implications for oncology nursing practice and may lead to a better understanding of patients using medical cannabis in the future, in terms of its benefit and side effects.
The Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome is the most severe form of congenital malformation of the inner female reproductive tract. It is diagnosed as such when the uterus, the upper vagina and optionally the Fallopian tubes are absent. It accounts for approximately 1 in 5000 live-born females and has been classified in two subtypes: type 1 in the presence of isolated uterovaginal aplasia and type 2 when associated in various combinations with extragenital malformations of the kidneys, skeleton, heart and auditory system. Most cases of MRKH syndrome are sporadic, although a significant number of many familial cases have been reported to date. Despite numerous studies, the genetics of the syndrome remains largely unknown and appears to be heterogeneous: chromosomal abnormalities and some candidate gene variants appear to be associated with a few cases; others have been suggested but not yet confirmed. To date, mainly the GREB1L gene appears to be a serious candidate. Among the remaining hypotheses, the controversial contribution of partial duplications of the SHOX gene is still puzzling, as the deficiency of this gene is a major cause of skeletal adysplasia syndromes. We have attempted to resolve this controversy in a study of 60 MRKH cases. Our results tend to show that SHOX duplications can be the origin of a genetic mechanism responsible for MRKH syndrome.
Emilio Rey-Vela, Jesús Muñoz, Rodrigo Daza-Arnedo, Rodrigo Daza-Arnedo, Katherin Portela-Buelvas, Nehomar Pájaro-Galvis*, Víctor Leal-Martínez, Emilio Abuabara-Franco, José Cabrales-Juan, Leonardo Marín, Lucas Daza, Samuel Cuadro, Emir Ortiz, María Raad-Sarabia, Cesar Ferrer, Alejandra Prada, Greisy González, Elkin Mendoza, Klearly Tinoco, Jorge Camacho, Joel Ortega, Carlos Tobón, Juan Montes, Jorge Coronado, Luis Salgado-Montiel, José Correa, Fabio Salas, Amilkar Almanza-Hurtado and Miguel Aguilar-Schorborg
Introduction: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of the complications associated with severe COVID-19 infection, and it can present in up to 20% to 40% of the cases; of these, approximately 20% will require renal replacement therapy (RRT).
Objective: To establish clinical and laboratory characteristics in a group of patients from Colombia with COVID-19 infection and AKI that received intermittent and prolonged RRT with the GENIUS® 90 technology in between March and July 2020.
Design: Cross-sectional study.
Results: 78.9% of participants were men and 21.1% were women. The main comorbidities were the following: Hypertension (65.3%), diabetes mellitus (38.9%), obesity (26.3%), cancer (5.3%), Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (11.6%), cardiovascular disease (23.2%), active smoking (11.6%). 33.7% had chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the average serum creatinine on admission was 4.4 mg/dl.
The following inflammatory markers were elevated: C-reactive protein (CRP), d-dimer and ferritin (20.3 mg/dl, 931mcg/l and 1174 ng/ml, respectively). 63.5% of patients underwent sustained low-efficiency dialysis (SLED) (6 to 12 hours) and the rest of the patients (36.35%) underwent conventional hemodialysis (less than 4 hours). The mortality of the total patient sample was 36.9%, lower in patients with CKD than in patients with no previous renal disease history (18.7% and 40.1%, respectively).
Conclusion: Renal complications are frequent in patients with severe COVID-19. The development of AKI could be an isolated prognostic marker associated with an increase in mortality in patients with COVID-19, and one of the options is intermittent and prolonged RRT with the GENIUS® 90 system.
Fernanda Nogueira Holanda Ferreira Braga*, Marta Maria das Chagas Medeiros, Antônio Brazil Viana Jr., Levi Coelho Maia Barros, Marcelo Ximenes Pontes, Matheus Eugênio de Sousa Lima, Allyson Wosley de Sousa Lima and Paula Frassinetti Castelo Branco Camurça Fernandes
Background: Lupus Nephritis (LN) occurs in approximately half of all patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and it is the most common cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with SLE. Factors associated with poor renal outcome vary among studies, and researches coming from Brazil are scarce.
Objectives: To identify the prognostic factors associated to the development of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) in LN patients followed in a tertiary hospital.
Design and Settings: We conducted a retrospective cohort study set in a tertiary hospital in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. Methods: We compiled a total of 214 LN patients diagnosed between 1983 and 2015. Data was collected from medical records and further analyzed using logistic regression.
Results: LN prevalence was 53.9%. The cohort had a mean follow-up of 11.2 years (SD ± 7.2 years). At the end of follow-up, 93 of 197 patients (47.2%) had CKD, and 49 of 191 (25.6%) were on regular dialysis. The main factors associated for developing CKD after logistic regression analysis were the following predictors: hypertension (HR 2.80; 95% CI 1.30-6.01; p = 0.008), time between diagnosis of SLE and diagnosis of LN (HR 0.98; 95% CI 0.97-0.99; p = 0.009) and discontinuation of medications (HR 2.41; 95% CI 1.08-5.37; p = 0.03).
Conclusion: Hypertension, discontinuation of medications, and time between diagnosis of SLE and diagnosis of LN are independent variables associated with the development of CKD and ESDR in our study.
Objective: We set up a U.S. registry to examine prescription patterns and patient outcomes of repository corticotropin injection (Acthar® Gel) for childhood nephrotic syndrome.
Methods: 18 participating U.S. pediatric centers performed retrospective review and prospective observation of patients < 21 years old with nephrotic syndrome treated with Acthar Gel. We captured baseline characteristics, drug regimen and duration, and disease response following treatment.
Results: 46 patients, enrolled from 2015 to 2020 were included. 27 (58.7%) were male. 18 patients (39.1%) had a diagnosis of minimal change followed by focal segmental glomerulosclerosis in 16 patients (34.7%). Median age at start of treatment was 12.5 years (IQR 8.5-17.4) compared to 5.3 years at diagnosis (IQR 2.7-10.5 years). 52% were resistant to corticosteroids. The most common Acthar Gel regimen was 80IU twice a week with a median duration of 199 days (IQR 88-365). Among 37 patients with active disease, 18 (49%) were able to achieve partial or complete remission, though all patients that had a positive response were on other immunosuppressants concomitantly.
Conclusion: We report the findings of the largest registry cohort of pediatric patients in the U.S. treated with Acthar Gel for clinically challenging cases of nephrotic syndrome. Acthar Gel was successful in inducing remission in approximately half of the patients with active disease at time of treatment. No predictors of response with respect to demographic data, age at start of Acthar Gel therapy, etiology of nephrotic syndrome, presence or absence of comorbidities, or steroid responsiveness was noted.
The association between intracranial large vessel occlusion (LVO) and concurrent steno-occlusive lesion of an ipsilateral extracranial internal carotid artery (ICA) is considered a tandem occlusion (TO) [1]. In approximately half of TO, the first clinical manifestation are acute occlusions of the extracranial ICA associated with occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCA), with additional occlusion of the intracranial ICA in up to 25% of these cases.[2] This particular lesion subset is technically challenging for endovascular treatment (EVT) and is also characterized by lower success rates of intravenous thrombolysis [3], worse prognosis compared to intracranial occlusions alone, and higher rates of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage [4]. The optimal approach regarding EVT of TO remains controversial, and reports in this regard are scarce. There are two proposed strategies according to the selection of the first lesion to be treated. The proximal approach comprises stenting of the proximal cervical ICA followed by mechanical thrombectomy (MT) of the intracranial vessel, whereas the distal approach involves MT followed by stenting of the cervical ICA [3–14].
Besides, there other clinically relevant unresolved aspects regarding the treatment of these patients, such as concomitant use of intravenous thrombolysis, the need for stenting compared to angioplasty alone, as well as the most adequate antiplatelet strategy after treatment. Accordingly, we aimed to report the procedural and clinical outcomes of a real-world experience in a comprehensive stroke center regarding EVT of anterior circulation acute ischemic stroke (AIS) associated with a TO.
Foreign body ingestion in children is a serious problem encountered among children. Approximately 80% of cases of foreign body ingestions occur in children between the ages of six months and three years [1]. Button battery ingestion occurs at an estimate rate of ten in one million people per year, a small group of which are retained in the esophagus and later become complicated [2]. Button battery ingestion can lead to esophageal perforation and death within hours if not appropriately diagnosed [3].
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Abu Bashar
Submission of paper was smooth, the review process was fast. I had excellent communication and on time response from the editor.
Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria
Ayokunle Dada
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Elisabeth H Wiig
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Anas Wardeh
Journal of Pulmonary and Respiratory Research is good journal for respiratory research purposes. It takes 2-3 weeks maximum for review of the manuscript to get published and any corrections to be made in the manuscript. It needs good articles and studies to get publish in the respiratory medicine. I am really glad that this journal editors helped me to get my case report published.
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Assistant Professor, UCLAS Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
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