Articles

The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak has led to some lockdowns and changed human mobility and lifestyle in this country. Mashhad, one of the most polluted cities in Iran has experienced critical air pollution conditions in recent years. In the present study, the potential relationships between air quality conditions (such as popular index and criteria air pollutant concentration) and COVID-19 cases and deaths were investigated in Mashhad, Iran. To do that, the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) based hybrid deep learning architecture was implemented on AQI, meteorological data (such as temperature, sea level pressure, dew points, and wind speed), traffic index and impact number of death, and active cases COVID-19 from March 2019 to March 2022 in Mashhad. The results reveal the LSTM model could predict the AQI accurately. The lower error between the real and predicted AQI, including MSE, MSLE, and MAE is 0.0153, 0.0058, and 0.1043, respectively. Also, the cosine similarity between predicted AQI and real amounts of it is 1. Moreover, in the first peak of the pandemic (Aug 2021), we have the minimum amount of AQI. Meanwhile, by increasing the number of active cases and death and by starting lockdown, because the traffic is decreased, the air quality is good and the amount of AQI related to PM2.5 is 54.68. Furthermore, the decrease the active cases and death in pandemic causes a significant increase in AQI, which is 123.52 in Nov 2021, due to a decline in lockdowns, resumption of human activities, and probable temperature inversions. 

Steady-state VEPs, have been used to estimate visual acuity since the 1970s and allow responses to a range of stimulus sizes to be collected rapidly- with particular utility in infants. However, the assessment of children with cortical visual impairment is a bigger challenge that lead to the development of the Step VEP. Its initial evaluation revealed that accuracy and precision were poorer for pediatric patients than for optically degraded normal adults and that it was not necessarily successful in every child. Statistical models generated the equations: VAO = 0.56 VAStep (r2 = 0.75, F = 60.93, p = 0.000) and VAPL = 0.45 VAStep (r2 = 0.82, F = 156.85, p = 0.000), supported by a recent a systematic review of VA comparisons showing that recognition VA (optotypes) agrees more closely than discrimination VA (PL) with VEP VA. In combination, Step VEPS and subjective tests allowed complete assessment in 96% of patients, with incomplete Step VEPS much more likely to be partially successful than not, and more likely to be partially successful than incomplete subjective tests. This supports the rationale that Step VEPs maintain attention by limiting the time spent stimulating away from an individual’s threshold of spatial resolution. For the small number of patients in whom VA cannot be estimated, alternative stimuli and methods of presentation are proposed. 

The overall incidence of meningitis in infants 0-90 days is low; however, it remains a serious cause of morbidity and mortality among affected patients. It is standard of care to perform lumbar punctures as part of the work-up of fever in the first four weeks of life and sick-looking babies up to the age of 90 days. This particular procedure is often refused by parents, and physicians are left to predict the possibility of meningitis based on blood culture results.The aim of this study is to determine whether it would be safe to rule out meningitis based on a negative blood culture in this age group.

Introduction: The world is currently facing the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic with evolving 2nd wave. The COVID-19 patients present most commonly with Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) in an emergency room with acute onset fever, cough, and breathlessness. However, not all SARI cases as per definition are due to COVID-19 infection, which is well proven in this case series of 113 cases of SARI. This is just the opposite of the other SARI series done in the pre-COVID-19 era. Also, no previous SARI case series data has shown significant association with Diabetes Mellitus, including new-onset diabetes thus figuring out the major Pathophysiological association of COVID-19 with glucose metabolism and has a bearing on the pathogenesis, treatment, and outcome of COVID-19 infection and perpetuity of pandemic of this magnitude. Here we raise concern for the first time about the growing association of an infectious pandemic with the lifestyle disorders which are non-communicable diseases but carry with them the potential of fertile soil for rapidly spreading epidemics.Aim and objective: To find out the etiology, clinical profile, treatment outcome, and mortality rate in different sub-groups of SARI cases in a tertiary care hospital and the incidence of new-onset Diabetes Mellitus in them and to investigate theoretically the hypothesis that maintaining normal glucose metabolism could prevent progression of a mild Flu-like illness (FLI) to a severe form of Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) and consequent complications such as Cytokine Storm Syndrome and Multi-Organ failure.Design: Retrospective, single-center case series of 113 SARI patients at a tertiary care hospital in Agra India between 1 March- 30 October 2020.Main outcome: The demographics, clinical, pathological, imaging, and treatment outcome data were collected. The SARI cases analyzed were defined as “Severe acute respiratory infections (SARIs) an acute respiratory illness of recent onset (within seven days) manifested by fever (≥38°C), cough and shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing requiring hospitalization and were sub-classified according to the primary etiology producing SARI in them. The findings were compiled and compared. Conclusion: Of the 113 patients of SARI – 32.7 %were associated with Diabetes, with 9.74% new-onset Diabetes and 26 % previously known Diabetes. This was mainly due to SARS-CoV-2 (24 Diabetics out of 52 COVID-19 cases- 46.1 %).The Average hospitalization stay of SARI cases was 10 days with a maximum in SARS-CoV-2 and a minimum stay of 5.22 days in Bacterial Pneumonia and 5.66 days in Koch’s Lungs.The death rate was maximum (4 out of 26) 15.3%. Hospitalized TB/Koch’s Lung patients who presented as SARI and 3.8% in Bacterial Pneumonia, 2.43% in SARS-CoV-2, and <1% in Sepsis.Those SARI cases who were euglycemic at the time of initial presentation recovered early and carried a good prognosis with less mortality as compared to those who were hyperglycemic on presentation. Also, those FLI cases who maintained euglycemia or did not have any other risk factor which predisposes them to stress (Diabetes, Prolonged fasting, Obesity, major organ disorder, Psychological disorder, and Cancer) did not progress to SARI as the endogenous steroid secretion and sympathetic activation did not occur, the intracellular pH levels remained in the alkaline range.10.18% of cases developed new-onset diabetes (a total of 11 cases) out of which 10 were in COVID-19. Thus 19.2% incidence of new-onset diabetes in SARS-CoV-2 and a prevalence of 26.9% in SARS-CoV-2, making total diabetes 46.1% in SARS-CoV-2, and out of all SARI cases, 26 % of patients developed pulmonary fibrosis with consequent long-term complications. In COVID-19 patients, it was seen only in diabetics SARS CoV-2 male patients, thus no death in non-diabetic females in COVID-19 in this case series.

We investigated the effect of exercise therapy by simultaneously using motor imagery of thumb or all finger extension on the affected side and thumb or all finger extension exercise on the unaffected side by using the F-wave, which is used to measure the excitability of anterior horn cells to devise an appropriate exercise therapy using motor imagery for patients with increased muscle tone of the thumb muscles on the affected side. Tasks 1, 2, 3, and 4 involved motor imagery of thumb extension on the affected side, motor imagery of finger extension on the affected side, motor imagery of thumb extension on the affected side based on thumb extension on the unaffected side, and finger extension on the affected side based on finger extension on the unaffected side, respectively; conducted in three trials, with one week or more between each trial. Each task was performed for one minute, with a five-minute interval between tasks. The F-waves from the thenar muscles were recorded with median nerve stimulation on the affected side before and during the tasks. The relative values of the F-wave data of the task and the F-wave data before (resting state) and during the tasks were calculated. In results, the relative data of the F/M amplitude ratio in task 4 was lower than that in the other tasks in three trials. In conclusion, motor imagery of finger extension on the affected side with finger extension movement on the unaffected side was effective for improving the muscle tone of the thenar muscles on the affected side.

The transfusion is a normal life-saving procedure conducted commonly by the nurses at the prescription of the attending physician or the emergency physicians. It is generally a safe procedure if guidelines for processing and administering are carefully followed. Blood transfusion is an independent risk factor for morbidity and mortality and major complications arising from transfusion are generally rare. We present a case of a mild case of iatrogenic air embolism exacerbated by pressure infusion for a patient who had undergone an exploratory laparotomy for an iatrogenic fistula repair under epidural anesthesia.

Today HPLC is widely applied for separations and purifications in a variety of areas including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, environmental, polymer and food industries. It is accomplished by injection of a small amount of liquid sample into a moving stream of liquid (called the mobile phase) that passes through a column packed with particles of the stationary phase. The separation of a mixture into its components depends on different degrees of retention of each component in the column. HPLC is just one type of liquid chromatography, meaning the mobile phase is a liquid. Reversed-phase HPLC is the most common type of HPLC. The reversed-phase means the mobile phase is relatively polar, and the stationary phase is relatively non-polar. HPLC instrumentation includes a Solvent reservoir, pump, injector, column, detector, and integrator or acquisition and display system. The heart of the system is the column where separation occurs. The information that can be obtained using HPLC includes identification, quantification, and resolution of a compound. The major applications are in the area of Pharmaceuticals, food, research, manufacturing, forensics, and bio-monitoring of pollutants.

Irbesartan (IRB) is one of the drugs used for the treatment of hypertension. The present work develops and validates two methods for the evaluation of irbesartan in bulk and tablets. Sulfonephthalein acid dyes, bromophenol blue (BPB), and bromocresol purple (BCP) were used to produce stable yellow ion-association complexes with the basic drug IRB in dry chloroform. The colored products are quantified spectrophotometrically at their corresponding λmax. The relation between the absorbed signal and the drug concentration was linear up to 45.0 μg mL-1 (n = 6, r ≥ 0.9998). LOD reaches 40 ng mL-1. The composition of the ion associates was found 1:1 by Job’s and mole ratio methods. Application of the suggested methods to dosage forms is presented with percentage recoveries ranging from 99.33% to 101.67%. The results of the analysis were validated statistically and compared with the official method. No interference was observed from common pharmaceutical adjuvants.

Different types of photocatalysts in single and binary systems in different molar ratios were synthesized by the co-precipitation method. Crystal structure, surface area, morphology, bandgap energy, functional groups, and optical properties of the as-synthesized photocatalysts were characterized by using XRD, BET, SEM-EDX, UV/Vis, FTIR, and PL instruments, respectively. Photocatalytic activities of the single and binary composite were evaluated by using an aqueous solution of model pollutant MeO. Photocatalytic activities of binary CdS/CeO2 (1:1) nanocomposite were found to be higher than those of single counterparts. The degradation efficiencies of the binary system were found to be 53.73%. The reusability of the binary photocatalyst was tested and only about 33% decrement was observed after four successive runs. The degradation of MeO dye follows the pseudo-first-order kinetics for the entire as-synthesized nanocomposite. The results also suggest that in the CdS/CeO2 (1:1) composite the photoinduced electrons and holes can be effectively separated.

Plant-parasitic nematodes are ubiquitous in nature and cause large losses in agriculture. The current concerns regarding the use of chemical pesticides have increased the interest in new control alternatives. One of these is the one based on Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). These Gram-positive bacteria have the ability to synthesize pesticide proteins during sporulation. Some of these proteins have nematicidal properties. Studies have shown that preparations of certain strains of Bt can prevent or slow down the infestation of phytonematodes. The expression of some Bt nematicidal genes in transgenic plants has also demonstrated their effectiveness. Bt is nowadays an effective ecological alternative for controlling plant-parasitic nematodes.