Biomechanical strength of triceps tendon repairs: systematic review and meta-regression analysis of human cadaveric studies

PURPOSE

It is unclear which triceps tendon repair constructs and techniques produce the strongest biomechanical performance while minimizing the risk of gap formation and repair failure. We aimed to determine associations of construct and technique variables with the biomechanical strength of triceps tendon repairs. PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus, and ClinicalTrials.gov were systematically searched for peer-reviewed studies on biomechanical strength of triceps tendon repairs in human cadavers. 6 articles met the search criteria. Meta-regression was performed on the pooled dataset (123 specimens). Outcomes of interest included gap formation, failure mode, and ultimate failure load. Covariates were fixation type; number of implants; and number of sutures. Stratification by covariates was performed. We found no association between fixation type and ultimate failure load; however, suture anchor fixation was associated with less gap formation compared with transosseous direct repair (β =  - 1.1; 95% confidence interval [CI]:- 2.2, - 0.04). A greater number of implants was associated with smaller gap formation (β = - 0.77; 95% CI: - 1.3, - 0.28) while a greater number of sutures was associated with higher ultimate failure load ( β= 3; 95% CI: 21, 125). In human cadaveric models, the number of sutures used in triceps tendon repairs may be more important than the fixation type or number of implants for overall strength. If using a transosseous direct repair approach to repair triceps tendon tears, surgeons may choose to use more sutures in their repair in order to balance the risk of larger gap formation when compared to indirect repair techniques.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III.

Jejunal Diverticulosis: An Atypical Lead Point for Small Bowel Volvulus

The occurrence of small intestinal diverticula is relatively infrequent compared to its counterpart in the large bowel. Duodenal diverticula exhibit a significantly higher prevalence within the small intestine compared to jejunoileal diverticula, with a ratio of five to one. The occurrence of jejunoileal diverticula exhibits considerable variability and has been documented to range from 0.5% to 2.3% in radiographic series, while autopsy studies have reported rates as high as 7%. We present the clinical details of a 65-year-old male patient who sought medical attention due to a constellation of symptoms, including abdominal pain, vomiting, and obstipation. After adequate resuscitation with IV fluids and preoperative preparation, the patient was transported to the operating room for an emergency exploratory laparotomy. Multiple jejunal diverticuli were identified in the proximal jejunum at the antimesenteric border, less than three feet from the duodenojejunal (DJ) junction. The terminal ileum was found to be 360° rotated counterclockwise around the small bowel mesentery, causing the small intestine to appear congested; however, after clockwise de-rotation, the small bowel regained its normal color. Adhesiolysis and small bowel decompression were performed, and the patient had an uneventful recovery.

Wunderlich Syndrome: A Seldom Presentation of a Relatively Ubiquitous Tumor

Wunderlich syndrome (WS) is characterized by spontaneous renal or perinephric hemorrhage in the absence of known trauma. WS is much rarer than haemorrhage caused by iatrogenic or traumatic conditions. The classic WS presentation of Lenk's triad of acute onset flank pain, flank mass, and hypovolemic shock is seen in less than a quarter of patients. The majority of patients present with only isolated flank pain and are frequently imaged in the emergency department with an unenhanced computed tomography (CT). The underlying aetiology varies, with the majority of cases attributed to neoplasms, vascular disease, cystic renal disease, and anticoagulation. We hereby present a case of an 80-year-old female who presented with severe discomfort in her left flank for three days in the absence of trauma. The patient was brought in a state of hypovolemic shock. After a thorough evaluation, a diagnosis of WS secondary to angiomyolipoma was made, for which selective angioembolization of the left renal artery was performed. However, due to further deterioration, a left nephrectomy had to be performed. The patient had an uneventful recovery and showed no deterioration on follow-up. The treatment modalities are vivid depending on the hemodynamic status of the patient, ranging from conservative management to operative intervention, and should be tailored to the vital state on admission.

Epidemiology and clinical features of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Abstract Current cross-sectional study was carried out between September 2019 to January 2020 at the Department of Pathology, Mardan Medical Complex (MMC), Mardan, and District Headquarter Hospital North Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan. The objectives of the current study were to determine the prevalence of leishmaniasis and its associated risk factors in selected districts of KP province, Pakistan. Altogether, three hundred and seventy-four (n=374) leishmaniosis patients were included in the current study. Skin specimen from the ulcer border were collected. The slides were stained by Giemsa stain and examined for the presence of amastigote. The prevalence of leishmania infected patients in different region of KP were as follows: North Waziristan region 53.7 (n=201) District Mardan 34.7% (n=130); District Nowshera 6.7% (n=25), District Swabi 1.1% (n=4) and other Districts i.e. Dir, Malakand, Buner and Bajawarr were 3.7% (n=14). The frequency of leishmaniasis were more in male and majority of the infected patients were in the age group of <10 years. Among n=374 patients 95.7% (n= 358) had cutaneous leishmaniasis while 3% (n= 11) had mucocutaneous type of infection and 1.3% (n= 5) patients had both cutaneous and mucocutaneous infection. Upon treatment by Sodium stibogluconate (SSG) 97% (n=362) showed clinical signs of complete or partial recovery of their skin lesions. Conclusively, highest incidence of leishmania infection occurred during short study period and majority of the cases showed positive response to treatment.

Foliar application of triacontanol ameliorates heat stress through regulation of the antioxidant defense system and improves yield of eggplant

Abstract Transplanting time and genotype contribute to improving crop yield and quality of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.). A field experiment was conducted to investigate the impact of foliar applied of triacontanol (TRIA) and eggplant genotypes 25919, Nirala, 28389 and Pak-10927,transplanted on 1 March,15 March, and 1 April on exposure to high air temperature conditions. The experiment was performed according to Randomized Complete Block Design and the data was analyzed by using Tuckey,s test . The TRIA was applied at 10µM at flowering stage; distilled water was used as the control. Rate of photosynthesis and transpiration, stomatal conductance, water use efficiency, and effects on antioxidative enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase and peroxidase) were evaluated. The 10µM TRIA increased photosynthesis rate and water use efficiency and yield was improved in all genotypes transplanted at the different dates. Foliar application of 10µM TRIA increased antioxidative enzyme activities (SOD, POD & CAT) and improved physiological as well as biochemical attributes of eggplant genotypes exposed to high heat conditions. Highest activity of dismutase enzyme 5.41mg/1g FW was recorded in Nirala genotype in second transplantation. Whereas, lowest was noted in PAK-10927 (2.30mg/g FW). Maximum fruit yield was found in accession 25919 (1.725kg per plant) at 1st transplantation with Triacontanol, whereas accession PAK-10927 gave the lowest yield (0.285 kg per plant) at control treatment on 3rd transplantation. Genotype, transplanting date and application of TRIA improved growth, yield and quality attributes under of heat stress in eggplant.

The Role of 5-Fluorouracil in Preventing Recurrence After Enucleation of Odontogenic Keratocyst: A Case Report

The odontogenic keratocyst (OKC) is known for its high recurrence rate and disputed treatment modalities. In this report, we review the literature elucidating the efficacy of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) topical application for recurrent OKC, and discuss the management of an OKC with 5-FU after enucleation and a 12-month follow-up. A 38-year-old female patient with an aggressive OKC in the right mandible underwent surgical curettage followed by topical application of 5-FU. Regular follow-up examinations for 12 months (radiological evaluation at three, six, and 12-month intervals) showed no signs of recurrence, with complete resolution of the cystic lesion and gradual bone regeneration. New bone formation was identified in the radiographic follow-up.  This case demonstrates the potential efficacy of topical 5-FU as a promising treatment modality for OKC, warranting further research and validation. A novel and successful therapy for OKC is the topical application of 5-FU. After enucleation, topical application of 5-FU efficiently treats OKC, leading to normal bone healing and regeneration without any adverse local or systemic effects.

Halogens engineering-based design of agonists for boosting expression of frataxin protein in Friedreich's ataxia

OBJECTIVE

Decreased expression of the mitochondrial protein frataxin is the cause of the neurodegenerative disorder Friedreich's ataxia. In patients with cardiac disorders, the death rate of this disease is very high, up to 66%. In order to combat Friedreich ataxia, which is a potentially toxic disorder, de novo drug discovery and design have been created utilizing the approach of compound engineering with halogens. This study aimed to investigate the potential for effective treatment of Friedreich ataxia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The screening of twenty different agonist compounds was carried out in order to find the most promising agonist compound that may be used for molecular docking prediction against the Frataxin Protein. The compound with the lowest binding energies is then optimized by halogens. The final candidate's drug-like properties are identified through Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion, and Toxicity (ADMET) profiling. Lipinski's rule of five was checked. Molecular dynamic stimulations were evaluated.

RESULTS

The most potent agonist compound was identified out of twenty different compounds utilizing a docking approach against the Frataxin Protein. The compound with the lowest binding energies was next subjected to optimization by halogens. The optimized agonist 9-[1-[(1S, 5R)-8, 8-dimethyl-8-azoniabicyclo[3.2.1]octan-3-yl]triazol-4-yl]fluoren-9-ol  has higher binding energy of -10.4Kcal/mol with molecular weight of 705.63 g/mol. Drug-like properties are identified through ADMET profiling, having water solubility of about -7.59, skin permeation -7.08 cm/s, bioavailability score 0.17, and high GI absorption. The candidate fulfills the Lipinski rule of five and portrays efficient molecular dynamic stimulations.

CONCLUSIONS

The selected agonist is one of the most potent compounds in increasing Frataxin protein expression. Furthermore, optimization with halogens can be a productive approach to improve the candidate's drug efficacy. The development of effective medications for the treatment of Friedreich ataxia would be aided by the results of these computational investigations.

Platelet-Rich Fibrin-Enhanced Bone Healing Co-grafted With Either Hydroxyapatite and Beta Tricalcium Phosphate or Demineralized Freeze-Dried Bone in Small Maxillofacial Osseous Defects: A Clinical Comparison

INTRODUCTION

This study was conducted to clinically compare a commercially available combination of 70:30 nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite (HA) and beta tricalcium phosphate (βTCP) along with platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) with demineralized freeze-dried bone (DFDB) grafts along with PRF in small maxillofacial osseous defects.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Thirty patients with one osseous defect were randomly distributed into two groups of 15 each: Group A and Group B. Group A patients received HA+βTCP+PRF while Group B received DFDB + PRF. Postoperative pain, swelling, wound dehiscence, and the presence or absence of infection were evaluated at various intervals up to seven postop days and compared between the two groups and within either group. A technetium 99m methylene diphosphonate (MDP 99mTc) scan was also done for a representative patient of either group at the end of three months to evaluate the fate of the graft.

RESULTS

We found no significant difference between the two groups for any of our parameters. Significant improvements were noted for pain and swelling within either group at various intervals. The MDP 99mTc scan showed increased tracer uptake for the representing patient of either group.

CONCLUSIONS

HA+βTCP is more inexpensive than DFDB and more readily available and has no host incompatibility or infection potential, resulting in similar clinical postoperative states as DFDB when either is used with PRF.

Angiofibroma of the mandible: Rare sight for juvenile tumor

Angiofibroma also called juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma are tumors of adolescence and the commonest site is the nasopharynx. Extra nasopharyngeal sites include upper respiratory and digestive tracts, oral cavity, tonsils, larynx, trachea, and esophagus. Intraosseous angiofibroma is the rarest of a rare entity.

Revolutionizing treatment for toxic shock syndrome with engineered super chromones to combat antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

OBJECTIVE

Staphylococcus aureus-induced toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a rare, but potentially fatal disease with limited treatment options. The emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains has led to a pressing need for the development of effective therapies. This study aimed to identify and optimize potential drug candidates against toxic shock syndrome by targeting the pathogenic toxin protein using chromones as lead compounds.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, 20 chromones were screened for their ability to bind to the target protein. The top compounds were further optimized through the addition of cycloheptane and amide groups, and the resulting compounds were evaluated for their drug-like properties using chemical absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) profiling.

RESULTS

Among the compounds screened, 7-Glucosyloxy-5-hydroxy-2-[2-(4-hydroxyphenyl) ethyl] chromone exhibited the highest binding affinity with a molecular weight of 341.40 g/mol and a binding energy of -10.0 kcal/mol. The optimized compound exhibited favorable drug-like properties, including high water solubility, synthetic accessibility, skin permeation, bioavailability, and gastrointestinal absorption.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that chromones can be engineered to develop effective drugs against TSS caused by S. aureus. The optimized compound has the potential to be a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of TSS, providing new hope for patients suffering from this life-threatening disease of toxic shock syndrome.

Role of Intra-articular Piroxicam in the Temporomandibular Joint After Arthrocentesis for Anterior Disc Displacement Without Reduction

STUDY DESIGN

This is comparative experimental research to evaluate the role of piroxicam in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) after arthrocentesis.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the role of intra-articular piroxicam in the temporomandibular joint after arthrocentesis for anterior disc displacement without reduction.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Twenty-two individuals (twenty-two TMJs) were evaluated clinically and radiographically for the study, and then they were randomly assigned to one of two groups. As for group I, they were given arthrocentesis using Ringer's solution (100 ml). Group II received an intra-articular injection of 20 mg/mL of piroxicam (in 1 mL of Ringer's solution) after arthrocentesis (100 mL). The same individuals were assessed both before and after surgery to determine the degree to which their symptoms had improved. Patients were seen in the clinic once a week for the first month after surgery, then once a month for the next three months.

RESULT

 Group II patients presented with better results when compared with Group I.

CONCLUSION

It can be concluded that installing a 1 ml intra-articular injection of piroxicam at a concentration of 20 mg/ml after arthrocentesis improves the relief of symptoms, both qualitatively and quantitatively. Relief of TMJ symptoms reduced the anxiety in the patients as evaluated by the BAIS (Beck's Anxiety Inventory Scale) score.

Burden and distribution of dengue infection in Pakistan (2000-19): a review

The goal of this study is to review the overall prevalence, burden, and distribution of the dengue disease in Pakistan from 2000 to 2019. Literature was searched using different search engines like Google scholar, PubMed, etc. providing the keywords "Dengue disease/infection, Dengue virus, DENV, DF/DHF/ DSS Pakistan". All the published research papers/reports on the dengue virus over the period 2000 to 2019 were studied and selected data were summarized using MS Excel for windows such as total cases, age wise, gender, DENV serotype distribution, total DHF, and DSS patients. The literature providing insufficient data was excluded. The total number of cases reported during 2000-19 were 201,269. The maximum number of cases during the mentioned literature survey period was reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) (23.3%) followed by Punjab (3.8%) and Sindh (1.9%). The majority of dengue-infected cases were reported as Dengue fever (74.4%) followed by DHF (24.1%) and DSS (1.5%). Overall the deaths during the mentioned literature survey were 1082, of which the maximum mortalities were reported from KP (N=248) followed by Punjab (N=220). DENV remains a major public health problem in Pakistan and seems to remain endemic for a long time. The total prevalence of dengue infection is increased accordingly with time from 2000 to 2019. Moreover, all the four serotypes exist in Pakistan with increased mortalities.

Ameloblastic fibroma: A case report

Ameloblastic fibroma is a rare mixed odontogenic benign tumor that can occur in either mandible or maxilla but mostly it is found in posterior region of mandible. It can present either peripherally or centrally with a majority of the cases predominantly occurring in first two decades of life and mostly affects male patients. It is characterized by epithelial islands and cords submerged in ectomesenchyme that bear resemblance to the dental papilla and enamel organ but without actual hard tissue formation. Ameloblastic fibroma is a rare odontogenic tumor consisting of neoplastic epithelial and mesenchymal tissues. Recent reports have suggested that this lesion has the potential for high recurrence (18%) and greater chances of recurrent Ameloblastic fibroma transforming into Ameloblastic fibrosarcoma (45%). A 34-year-old male patient presented with pain and swelling in right mandibular posterior region. Intraorally expansion of buccal cortical plate with tenderness over swelling was present. Extraoral examination revealed facial asymmetry on right side. In view of imaging and clinical findings, provisional diagnosis of Odontogenic Keratocyst or Recurrent Ameloblastoma was considered. After obtaining informed consent and general systemic evaluation, the lesion was enucleated under general anesthesia and biopsied which confirmed the diagnosis of Ameloblastic fibroma. Ameloblastic fibroma is a mixed odontogenic tumor composed of odontogenic ectomesenchyme resembling dental papilla with epithelial strands and nests similar to the dental lamina and enamel organ, but with no dental hard tissue formation. Odontogenic tumors, Ameloblasts, Ameloblastoma, Jaw neoplasm.

Reported Barriers and Enablers to Undertaking Childhood Vaccinations by Bangladeshi Parents in East London

Introduction

The Bangladeshi community living in the East London borough of Tower Hamlets is one of the UK's most socioeconomically deprived communities. Despite being a highly disadvantaged ethnic group with suboptimal health, the data suggests the uptake of several childhood vaccinations including the MMR vaccine is notably higher amongst this group, relative to other ethnic groups in Tower Hamlets.

Methods

This study employs a qualitative research design. One-to-one, semi-structured interviews will be conducted with Bangladeshi parents, alongside relevant healthcare and public health professionals involved in vaccination delivery in Tower Hamlets to understand the barriers and enablers to childhood vaccinations. Interviews will be conducted in English by the researcher or in Bengali/Sylheti using an interpreter. Interviews will be audio-recorded, transcribed, translated and analysed using a thematic analysis. The socioecological model will be utilised as a theoretical framework to guide the data collection and analysis.

Results and discussion

The preliminary results indicate parental trust in the safety of vaccinations, perceived health importance of childhood vaccinations, ease in accessibility and positive attitudes towards vaccinations within the community are notable enablers. Regarding barriers, parents have expressed reluctance on religious grounds towards childhood vaccinations which contain animal derivatives. The data also suggests differences exist between immigrant and non-immigrant parents in the decision-making process to undertake the vaccinations, with non-immigrant parents demonstrating a higher level of agency in their decision-making.

Conclusions

The study provides valuable insight into the barriers and enablers for childhood vaccinations amongst the Bangladeshi community in Tower Hamlets. This data may inform tailored initiatives to improve childhood vaccination uptake amongst other underserved communities with suboptimal uptake.

Drought stress enhances the efficiency of floral dip method of Agrobacterium-mediated transformation in Arabidopsis thaliana

The Agrobacterium-mediated floral dip protocol is the most extensively used transformation method for a model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Several useful methods for Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformations of Arabidopsis are existing, but they are time consuming and with low transformation efficiency. Here, we developed a transgenic Arabidopsis lines TET12p::TET12-RFP in a short period of time and enhanced transformation efficiency by using a modified transformation method by applying drought stress after floral dip. In this protocol, Agrobacterium cells carrying TET12p::TET12-RFP recombinant vectors were resuspended in a solution of 5% sucrose, 0.05% (v/v) silwet L-77 to transform female gametes of developing Arabidopsis inflorescences. Treated Arabidopsis were then applied with different levels of drought stresses to stimulate plants for the utilization of maximum plant energy in seed maturation process. The applied stresses achieved the fast maturation of already treated inflorescences while stopped the growing of newly arising untreated inflorescence, thus decreased the chances of wrong collection of untransformed seeds. Consequently, the collected seeds were mostly transgenic with a transformation frequency of at least 10%, thus the screening for positive transformants selection was more advantageous on a selective medium as compared to a classical floral dip method. Within 2-3 months, two hundred of individual transgenic plants were produced from just 10 infiltrated plants. This study concludes that application of drought stresses in a specific stage of plant is a beneficial strategy for achieving the transgenic Arabidopsis in a short period of time with high transformation efficiency.

Simulations of DNA denaturation dynamics under constrained conditions

We study the dynamics of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) denaturation using Brownian dynamics simulations. We use a coarse-grained single nucleotide model for dsDNA which considers the helix structure. We compare the melting dynamics for free DNA of length 300 base pairs with that of a DNA of the same length but fixed from one end-mimicking DNA tethered to a substrate. We find that free DNA melts at faster rate because the entropic gain associated with denaturation is larger. Additionally, we insert the DNA in nanochannels of different widths to study the influence of the confinement on the melting dynamics. Our results suggest that there is no significant difference in the critical temperature or rate of melting when the channel width⩾Rg/2, whereR_gis the radius of gyration of DNA. Instead, at channel width ofR_g/4 we only see partial denaturation at the free DNA melting temperature. Surprisingly, this trend is reversed at higher temperature, and we find that at 110 °C tight confinement results in faster melting. This is due to the fact that confinement promotes segregation of the single-stranded segment, thereby acting as an effective entropic force aiding denaturation.

Building evidence for improving vaccine adoption and uptake of childhood vaccinations in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review

Vaccine coverage for children is an important indicator of the performance of national health and immunization systems. Most of the existing literature has targeted mothers’ low educational level, living in underserved districts and/or remote rural areas and economic poverty that are correlated with low immunization coverage but the supply- and demand-side constraints to immunization in low- and middle- income countries (LMICs) are not well understood. The reliability of claimed administrative immunization coverage in these contexts is questionable. To address these barriers within the present Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), the difficulties related to inadequate vaccination uptake must be addressed in more depth. Building on already produced literature, this study aims to determine the extent of immunization coverage among children in LMICs, as well as to fill in the gaps in awareness about system-level obstacles that currently hinder the effective delivery and uptake of immunization services through EPI. By two reviewers, a literature search using PubMed and Google Scholar along with targeted grey literature was conducted on the 2nd of June 2021 by following PRISMA guidelines. The search techniques for electronic databases used both Medical Subject Headings (Mesh) and free-text words were tailored to each database's specific needs using a controlled vocabulary that was limited to the English language from 2000 and 2020. Of the 689 records, eleven articles were included in this review meeting the inclusion criteria. In total, five articles related to vaccination coverage, four studies on components of the routine immunization system, one article on the implementation of new and under-utilized vaccines and one were on vaccines financing. We evaluated the quality of the included studies and extracted into tables created by one investigator and double-checked by another. Review findings suggest that specific strategies to reduce inequality may be required. Vaccine procurement and pricing strategies, as well as vaccine customization to meet the needs of LMICs, are all critical components in strengthening immunization systems. Our findings could be used to establish practical strategies for countries and development partners to address coverage gaps and improve vaccination system effectiveness.

Trails to decrease Campylobacter jejuni infection in diseased broilers

Campylobacteriosis is one of the most dangerous avian infections, which should be accurately diagnosed to be differentiated from other enteric pathogens. Furthermore, infected broilers serve as a major reservoir for domestic farm animals and humans. The goal of this investigation was to investigate the presence of Campylobacter jejuni isolated from samples of apparently healthy and diseased broilers collected from different farms at different localities in Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate. Moreover, to investigate the effect of antibiotic and mixture of organic acid supplementation to the broiler chicks on their protective effect against artificial infection with Campylobacter jejuni, immunity, and serum biochemistry. One hundred samples were collected from broiler chickens suffering from diarrhea and mortality. The incidence of Campylobacter jejuni was 72% and the recorded isolates were subjected to biochemical tests, which proved the results. Susceptibility of Campylobacter jejuni isolates to 8 antimicrobial agents showed that Campylobacter jejuni isolates were multidrug-resistant (MDR) to all of the antibiotics except fosfomycin only were sensitive by (85.71 %). Campylobacter jejuni isolates were distinguished from other Campylobacter spp. using the uniplex PCR-targeting mapA gene that gave specific amplicon at 589 bp. Campylobacter jejuni isolates were also evaluated for the presence of virulence genes (cdtA and cdtB) by using PCR assay, which gave specific amplicon at 165 and 620 base pairs, respectively. A total of 120 broiler chicks (day-old) free from Campylobacter jejuni were divided into 4 equal groups, 30 chicks each; group 1 was kept as control. Chicks of groups 2, 3, and 4 were infected orally with 1 ml of Campylobacter jejuni containing 1x108 viable organism/ml in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) at 14th days of old. Group 2 was kept as an infected control group; group 3 received a mixture of organic acids from 1st day of age in water (2ml/liter), and group 4 received antibiotic (fosfomycin) in water (0.5gm/liter) for 5 successive days beginning from 48 hrs post-infection. Our results showed that the birds that received a mixture of organic acids (G3) and antibiotic (G4) showed more favorable clinical signs, mortality rate, post mortem lesions, and recovery rate. A decrease in the mean values of serum ALT and AST, uric acid, and lipid profiles and an increase in mean values of antioxidant enzymes (SOD and CAT) were recorded that may provide evidence for the hepato and renoprotective effects of organic acids. It is possible to draw a conclusion that organic acid can be used as an antibiotic alternative due to its antibacterial effect and positive impact on the liver, kidney functions and antioxidant enzymes.

Comparison across 12 countries on knowledge, attitude, and behavior scores about medication errors in Intensive Care Units: an international study

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to explore the degree of agreement of intensive care unit nurses working on a set of medication error preventive strategies and to examine possible predictors of nurses' knowledge, attitude and behavior.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Observational, international, and cross-sectional study. Iran, Malta, Spain, Pakistan, Nepal, Qatar, Ecuador, Australia, Finland, Italy, Egypt, and Jordan were the countries included in this survey. To collect data, the Knowledge, Attitude and Behavior in Medication Errors questionnaire was used. A descriptive statistical analysis was performed for the socio-demographic characteristics of the sample and three multiple logistic regressions were performed.

RESULTS

The international sample consists of 1383 nurses, of whom 478 (34.6%) were men and 900 (65.1%) were women and their mean age was 35.61 years with a range of 19-61. Descriptive statistics conducted on the international sample show a medium to high degree of agreement among participants concerning some preventive strategies of medication error. In addition, the results of the present study show a strong relationship between positive nurses' attitudes and correct behaviors and/or adequate knowledge, as well as between adequate knowledge and correct behaviors (p< 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Further studies are needed to explore the issue of medication error concerning nurses' cultural backgrounds, as well as to assess similarities and disparities among international nurses.

Efficiency of exogenous zinc sulfate application reduced fruit drop and improved antioxidant activity of 'Kinnow' mandarin fruit

‘

Kinnow' mandarin (Citrus nobilis L.× Citrus deliciosa T.) is an important marketable fruit of the world. It is mainstay of citrus industry in Pakistan, having great export potential. But out of total production of the country only 10% of the produce meets the international quality standard for export. Pre-harvest fruit drop and poor fruit quality could be associated with various issues including the plant nutrition. Most of the farmers do not pay attention to the supply of micro nutrients which are already deficient in the soil. Furthermore, their mobility within plants is also a question. Zinc (Zn) is amongst those micronutrients which affect the quality and postharvest life of the fruit and its deficiency in Pakistani soils is already reported by many researchers. Therefore, this study was carried out to evaluate the influence of pre-harvest applications of zinc sulfate (ZnSO4; 0, 0.4%, 0.6% or 0.8%) on pre-harvest fruit drop, yield and fruit quality of 'Kinnow' mandarin at harvest. The treatments were applied during the month of October i.e. 4 months prior to harvest. The applied Zn sprays had significant effect on yield and quality of the "Kinnow" fruit. Amongst different foliar applications of ZnSO4applied four months before harvest, 0.6% ZnSO4 significantly reduced pre-harvest fruit drop (10.08%) as compared to untreated control trees (46.45%). Similarly, the maximum number of fruits harvested per tree (627), fruit weight (192.9 g), juice percentage (42.2%), total soluble solids (9.5 °Brix), ascorbic acid content (35.5 mg 100 g-1) and sugar contents (17.4) were also found significantly higher with 0.6% ZnSO4 treatment as compared to rest of treatments and control. Foliar application of 0.6% ZnSO4 also significantly improved total antioxidants (TAO) and total phenolic contents (TPC) in fruit. In conclusion, foliar spray of ZnSO4 (0.6%) four months prior to harvest reduced pre-harvest fruit drop, increase yield with improved quality of 'Kinnow' mandarin fruit.

POS0489 DOES TIME TO REMISSION DIFFER DEPENDING ON ROUTE OF ADMINISTRATION OF METHOTREXATE IN AN EARLY ARTHRITIS TREAT TO TARGET (T2T) COHORT?

Background:

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a multisystem inflammatory disorder that affects the joints and other body tissues. Approximately 1% of the worldwide population is living with RA 1. Methotrexate is the first line DMARD used for treatment of RA 2.

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to analyse MTX use in achieving remission in early arthritis patients and to compare the route of administration to see whether it affects the time interval to remission.

Methods:

An observational, prospective study was performed on patients’ data available from our Early Arthritis Cohort. Newly diagnosed patients with RA meeting the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria were enrolled in T2T programme led by Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) with consultant supervision. To assess their response to treatment, we used the Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI). SPSS was used to analyse the data.

Results:

A total of 353 have completed the programme and of these, 341were commenced on MTX. 208 patients (61%) were female. The MTX starting dose was 15mg for 88.4% (305/341) of patients. The median time to first increment in MTX dose was 7 weeks and the figure 1 was identical for the second increment. Of the 238 patients who started oral MTX, 18.48% (44) discontinued. 21.4% (22) of the 103 who started on SC-MTX discontinued (The p-value for discontinuation was 0.538). P-value for likelihood of achieving remission based on oral versus SC MTX was 0.248 and the p-value for time to achieve remission was 0.671 for oral versus SC MTX groups, see figure 1 attached.

Conclusion:

Patients in this cohort are being started promptly on an appropriate dose of MTX and are escalated in a timely manner in-line with guidelines. Analysis showed no statistically significant difference in terms of time to remission, likelihood of achieving remission or discontinuation of MTX between oral and SC-MTX groups.

References:

[1]Carmona L, Villaverde V, Hernández-García C, Ballina J, Gabriel R, Laffon A, et al. The prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis in the general population of Spain. Rheumatology. 2002;41(1):88-95.

[2]Rachapalli SM, Williams R, Walsh DA, Young A, Kiely PDW, Choy EH, et al. First-line DMARD choice in early rheumatoid arthritis—do prognostic factors play a role? Rheumatology. 2010;49(7):1267-71.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

AB0130 QUESTIONING THE USEFULNESS OF CDAI AS A MEASURE OF DISEASE ACTIVITY IN A TREAT TO TARGET PROGRAMME

Background:

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune condition which if not treated can lead to joint destruction and long term disability. In RA, the concept of T2T is recommended as the appropriate method to manage early arthritis 1. It has shown promising results to achieve clinical remission (CR) or low disease activity (LDA) 2.

Objectives:

The objective of this study was to investigate the potential to achieve remission or LDA according to the Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI) for RA, during treatment with Disease-Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs (DMARDs) and Biologics, and the factors that affect the remission/LDA outcome.

Methods:

We performed an observational prospective study on patients’ data available from our Early Arthritis Cohort. All patients with newly diagnosed RA who met the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria were enrolled. Patients are managed by an Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) with consultant supervision. To assess their response to treatment, we used the Clinical Disease Activity Index3. Analysis was performed using SPSS.

Results:

Out of a total of 459 patients, 353 completed the programme. 217 patients (61.5%) were female and (136) 38.5 % were male. Mean age was 53.98 (SD 14.66). 195 patients were on monotherapy, 40 on combination DMARDs and 115 were on Biologics/Janus Kinase Inhibitors (JAK-Inh). Remission-rates in the monotherapy and combination DMARDs groups were approximately 60%, whilst the remission rate in the Biologics/JAK-Inh group was 41.7%. Amongst female patients 15.9% had erosions on X-ray at the time of diagnosis whilst the equivalent figure for male patients was 29.6%.

Conclusion:

An association between male gender and the likelihood of erosions on X-Ray was observed. In addition an association between final medication and outcome was observed. An increased likelihood of non-remission was noted in patients that required escalation to Biologics/JAKs. A possible explanation for the lower levels of remission seen throughout the groups is the difficulty in achieving remission under the CDAI score as compared to DAS-28.

References:

[1]Smolen JS, Breedveld FC, Burmester GR, Bykerk V, Dougados M, Emery P, et al. Treating rheumatoid arthritis to target: 2014 update of the recommendations of an international task force. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. 2016;75(1):3.

[2]Scott IC, Ibrahim F, Panayi G, Cope AP, Garrood T, Vincent A, Scott DL, Kirkham B; TITRATE Programme Investigators. The frequency of remission and low disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, and their ability to identify people with low disability and normal quality of life. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2019 Aug;49(1):20-26. doi: 10.1016/j.semarthrit.2018.12.006. Epub 2018 Dec 28. PMID: 30685064.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

Bilateral sagittal split osteotomy a versatile approach for correction of facial deformity: A review literature

Poor facial cosmesis resultant from dysgnathias usually accounts for a range of these individuals' psychological and social problems. Disturbances of both esthetics and function are caused by jaw deformity and associated structures' deformity such as malocclusion. The correction of these deformities is one of the most challenging and intriguing aspects of maxillofacial surgery. Despite having become routine only relatively recently, rigid internal fixation has advanced rapidly, its results are consistent and predictable and thus, its knowledge applies in orthognathic surgery besides other areas of maxillofacial surgery. The bilateral sagittal split osteotomy (BSSO) is a common orthognathic procedure performed on the mandible. First described by Trauner and Obwegeser in 1957, modified by Dal Pont and refined by Epker, several modifications of the BSSO have been introduced aiming to enhance surgical convenience, minimize morbidity, and maximize stability. The aim of this article is to review the literature of this technique from the historical perspective and to present a standard operation technique.

Characterization and virulence factors distribution of blaCTX-M and mcr-1carrying Escherichia coli isolates from bovine mastitis

AIM

To investigate the occurrence of ESBL and colistin-resistant E. coli and its genotypic characterization and identification of virulence determinants in cases of bovine mastitis in three provinces of China.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Five hundred and thirty-five milk samples presenting mastitis symptoms were screened for the presence of ESBL, colistin-resistant and different virulence genes. Susceptibility testing was identified by the micro-dilution method. Escherichia coli isolates were used to detect ESBL genes (bla_CTX-M , bla_SHV and bla_TEM ) and colistin-resistant genes mcr-(1-9). Multiplex PCR approach was used for the detection of major bla_CTX-M groups, different phylogroups and virulence genes. The clonal relationship was then evaluated with MLST, MLSA and PFGE.

RESULTS

Multi-drug resistance (MDR) was found in more than 85% of ESBL and colistin-resistant E. coli isolates. Genotypic characterization showed a dominance of the bla_CTX-M-1 group, and the most prevalent alleles observed were bla_CTX-M-28 (38·37%), bla_CTX-M-14 (17·44%), bla_CTX-M-66 (13·95%) and bla_CTX-M-55 (10·46%). The targeted virulence genes were detected in 97·89% of isolates. Sequence types ST58 and ST410 were the most predominant (2/20 = 20%). The majority of the E. coli isolates carrying ESBL and mcr-1 were clonally unrelated.

CONCLUSION

High level of association was observed between ESBL-producing and COL-resistance in E. coli of bovine mastitis.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report which shows the genetic diversity of ESBL and mcr-1, and various virulent features of E. coli strains isolated from bovine clinical mastitis in three different provinces of China. The major carriers of the bla_CTX-M-1 and bla_CTX-M-9 were bla_CTX-M-28 and bla_CTX-M-14 alleles respectively. The association of ESBL-producing E. coli with mcr-1 is of particular concern.

Primary upper extremity deep vein thrombosis (effort thrombosis)

Primary spontaneous upper extremity deep vein thrombosis is characterised by thrombosis within deep veins draining the upper extremity due to anatomical abnormalities of the thoracic outlet causing axillosubclavian compression and subsequent thrombosis. It is an uncommon condition that typically presents with unilateral arm swelling in a young male following vigorous upper extremity activity. The diagnosis of this condition is usually made by Doppler ultrasound, but other investigations are mandatory to exclude the secondary causes of upper extremity DVT. Different treatment options are available including anticoagulation, thrombolysis, and surgery. We report the case of a young healthy male with athletic physique who presented with pain and swelling of his dominant arm after weightlifting in the gym.

The first two months epidimiological study of COVID-19, related public health preparedness, and response to the ongoing epidemic in Pakistan

As an underdeveloped country, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic has posed a major risk to the health and economy of Pakistan. The SIR (susceptible-infected-recovered) model of epidemiologic analysis predicts that there should have been more cases since late March 2020 in Pakistan. We therefore sought to investigate COVID-19's prevalence and epidemiologic trends in Pakistan. Research for COVID-19 is still in its early stages, so data were collected from official websites and research journals, then analyzed for the disease's prevalence, epidemiology, mortality and recoveries. The results indicated that a rapid increase had indeed occurred in the number of COVID-19 infections in Pakistan, with the first case reported on 25 February, 2020. From 25 February 25 to April, 2020, COVID-19 infected 11,155 people in Pakistan, with 237 deaths (2.12%) and 2527 recoveries (19.96%). We found a statistically significant positive correlation between the prevalence of COVID-19 and the mortality ratio (r = 0.983, r 2 = 0.966; p ≤ 0.05). We concluded that proper management must be undertaken to improve the quarantine system, and the World Health Organization guidelines must be closely followed to cope with COVID-19. There is no vaccine for COVID-19, so antiviral drugs (interferon alfa, ribavirin) may be useful to prevent COVID-19; however, severe control measures implemented in China have significantly mitigated the spread of COVID-19. Suspected and confirmed cases must be treated in separate rooms. Staying home and social distancing are the safe way to proceed.

Perioperative intravenous contrast administration and the incidence of acute kidney injury after major gastrointestinal surgery: prospective, multicentre cohort study

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to determine the impact of preoperative exposure to intravenous contrast for CT and the risk of developing postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients undergoing major gastrointestinal surgery.

METHODS

This prospective, multicentre cohort study included adults undergoing gastrointestinal resection, stoma reversal or liver resection. Both elective and emergency procedures were included. Preoperative exposure to intravenous contrast was defined as exposure to contrast administered for the purposes of CT up to 7 days before surgery. The primary endpoint was the rate of AKI within 7 days. Propensity score-matched models were adjusted for patient, disease and operative variables. In a sensitivity analysis, a propensity score-matched model explored the association between preoperative exposure to contrast and AKI in the first 48 h after surgery.

RESULTS

A total of 5378 patients were included across 173 centres. Overall, 1249 patients (23·2 per cent) received intravenous contrast. The overall rate of AKI within 7 days of surgery was 13·4 per cent (718 of 5378). In the propensity score-matched model, preoperative exposure to contrast was not associated with AKI within 7 days (odds ratio (OR) 0·95, 95 per cent c.i. 0·73 to 1·21; P = 0·669). The sensitivity analysis showed no association between preoperative contrast administration and AKI within 48 h after operation (OR 1·09, 0·84 to 1·41; P = 0·498).

CONCLUSION

There was no association between preoperative intravenous contrast administered for CT up to 7 days before surgery and postoperative AKI. Risk of contrast-induced nephropathy should not be used as a reason to avoid contrast-enhanced CT.

FRI0029 EFFECTIVENESS OF A NURSE LED TREAT TO TARGET (T2T) MODEL IN ACHIEVING REMISSION FOR EARLY RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS PATIENTS IN A REAL-WORLD SETTING

Background:

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic, inflammatory and systemic autoimmune disease, affecting multiple joints particularly small joints in hands and feet.1For the past two decades, there has been significant change in approach for the diagnosis and treatment of RA. Now early diagnosis and aggressive management of RA is considered key role for preventing permanent damage to joints.2Treat to Target (T2T) strategy has been proven to be very effective in achieving pre-decided outcome either clinical remission (CR) or low disease activity(LDA).3

Objectives:

To assess the outcome of nurse led T2T strategy in Early RA patients within first 2 years of treatment.

Methods:

This was Observational Prospective Study, based on data collected in our ANP led Early Inflammatory Arthritis clinic. All patients diagnosed with inflammatory arthritis were managed following a T2T protocol. Every patient had predefined target set according to co-morbidities, preexisting osteoarthritis and duration of disease. Patients were followed up at varying intervals depending on clinical need until the steroid free target was achieved or for up to 2 years. Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI) tool was used to assess disease activity.

Data collected included age, gender, diagnosis, Rheumatoid factor and/or Anti CCP positivity, erosions on x ray at the time of diagnosis and Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ-DI). For this analysis, only patients meeting the 2010 ACR/EULAR criteria4for the diagnosis of RA were included.

The primary analysis in this study was the proportion of patients who achieved CR or LDA using different DMARDs used alone or in combination and the clinical determinants of this outcome.

Results:

Out of 417 patients with Early Inflammatory Arthritis, 300 met criteria for RA. 27 were lost to follow up (3 deaths) and 44 remained on the T2T pathway. For the 229 patients completing the pathway, mean age was 43.25 years (SD 9.405), Female gender 146 (63.75%), Anti CCP positive in 160 (69.86%), Rheumatoid Factor (RF) positive in 154 (67.24%), Both RF and Anti CCP positive 141 (61.57%), CDAI at baseline was 22.65 (SD 22.19) and Mean HAQ-DI at presentation 1.19 (SD 0.629). There were 18.34% (42) of patients who had erosive changes on x-ray at presentation.). Outcome of T2T strategy showed that 151 (65.93%) achieved clinical remission and 78(34.06%) achieved low disease activity

Conclusion:

Remission in patients who were less than 40 years of age was 100% as opposed to 49% above the age of 40 years. This difference was found to be statistically significant with a p value of <0.05 (Table 1).

Table 1.

Treat to target outcomes with analysed variables.

Group CharactersRemissionn (%)Low disease activity n (%)TotalP valueFemale92 (63.01)54 (36.99)1460.215Male59 (71.08)24 (28.92)83RF +103 (66.88)51 (33.12)1540.666RF -48 (64)27 (36)75CCP +105 (65.63)55 (34.37)1600.760CCP -44 (67.79)21 (32.31)65< 40 years76 (100)0 (0)760.000>40 years75 (49.02)78 (50.98)153

Further to this, Methotrexate monotherapy was the dominant DMARD used to achieve remission and/or low disease activity in more than 50 % of the RA patients (Figure 1).

References:

[1]Lee DM, Weinblatt ME. Rheumatoid arthritis. Lancet. 2001 Sep 15;358(9285):903-11.

[2]Heidari B. Rheumatoid Arthritis: Early diagnosis and treatment outcomes. Caspian J Intern Med. 2011;2(1):161–170.

[3]Brinkmann GH, Norvang V, Norli ES, Grovle L, Haugen AJ, Lexberg AS, et al. Treat to target strategy in early rheumatoid arthritis versus routine care - A comparative clinical practice study. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2019;48(5):808-14.

[4]Kay J, Upchurch KS. ACR/EULAR 2010 rheumatoid arthritis classification criteria. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2012;51 Suppl 6:vi5-9.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

2 mm Conventional Miniplates with Three-Dimensional Strut Plate in Mandibular Fractures

AIM

The aim of this study was to compare 2 mm conventional miniplates with three-dimensional (3D) strut plates in the treatment of mandibular fractures treated in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of a college in India, during 2012-2015.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

All 20 patients with mandible fracture requiring open reduction and internal fixation of the fracture were reported and reviewed in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of the same dental college in India, during 2012-2015. We classified the data according to the gender, age, etiology, fracture site, and method of treatment of the fractures. Fixation done in 10 patients with 2 mm conventional miniplates kept in Group I, while 10 patients with 3D strut miniplate system considered in Group II.

RESULTS

Assessment of patient was done under the following parameters with follow-up at regular intervals at 2nd day postoperatively and at 1st, 3rd, and 6th weeks postoperatively: pain, swelling, infection, interincisal mouth opening in millimeters, paresthesia/anesthesia, mobility between fracture fragments, overall occlusion, need for any supplemental fixation, fate of implant, and complications.

CONCLUSIONS

3D titanium miniplates showed similar results when compared to standard titanium miniplates with advantages such as reduction in operative time, ease of placement, and cost-effective over the conventional plate system.

Packing of semiflexible polymers into viral capsid in crowded environments

We use coarse-grained Langevin dynamics simulations to study packing of semiflexible polymers into a spherical capsid, with and without a tail, inside a crowded cell. We use neutral and charged, but highly screened, polymers and compare packing rates of the two. Such packing conditions are relevant, for example, to λ DNA packing inside Escherichia coli bacterial cells, where the crowd particles are proteins, bacterial DNA, and salts. For a neutral polymer packing into a capsid with a tail, attractive interactions with the crowd particles make packing slightly harder at higher crowd densities, but repulsive interactions make it easier. Our results indicate that packing into a tailless capsid is less efficient at low crowd densities than into one with a long tail. However, this trend becomes opposite at higher densities. In addition, packing into a capsid with a long tail shows a highly variable waiting time before packing initiates, a feature absent for a tailless capsid. Electrical interactions at physiological conditions do not have much effect. Some bacterial cells, such as Pseudomonas chlororaphis, form a nucleuslike structure encapsulating the phage 201ϕ2-1 DNA. We also study here the packing dynamics with the nucleus present. We find packing is faster compared to the case of no-nucleus packing. We also observe knot formations but these knots untangle quickly while the polymer translocates. This knot formation is independent of polymer charge and presence of crowd particles.

The antisense 5' end of the V2 gene confers enhanced resistance against the monopartite begomovirus cotton leaf curl Kokhran virus-Burewala strain

Whitefly-transmitted viruses of the genus Begomovirus (the family Geminiviridae) have become a limiting factor for agricultural productivity in many warmer parts of the world. The economies of Pakistan and India have, since the early 1990s, suffered losses due to cotton leaf curl disease (CLCuD). The disease is caused by begomoviruses, the most important of which at this time is cotton leaf curl Kokhran virus strain Burewala (CLCuKoV-Bu), and a disease-specific betasatellite, cotton leaf curl Multan betasatellite (CLCuMuB). Efforts to minimize losses due to CLCuD rely mainly on the use of insecticides to kill the whitefly vector; no resistant cotton varieties are currently commercially available. The study described here has investigated RNA interference technology for its potential to yield resistance against CLCuKoV-Bu and three other begomoviruses; CLCuKoV, tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV) and Pedilanthus leaf curl virus (PeLCV). Three fragments of the virion-sense V2 gene of CLCuKoV-Bu were transformed into Nicotiana benthamiana in antisense orientation and transgenic lines expressing virus-specific short RNAs were assessed for their ability to yield resistance. Only CLCuKoV-Bu with the V2 sequence closest to the promoter was resistant. Inoculation of CLCuKoV-Bu with CLCuMuB into transgenic plants did not significantly affect the outcome, although viral DNA was detected in number of plants, suggesting that the betasatellite may impair RNAi resistance. Overall the results indicate that targeting the 5' end of V2 gene using antisense-RNA has the potential to deliver resistance against begomoviruses and that RNAi-based resistance imparts some degree of resistance to heterologous viruses. Keywords: geminivirus; begomovirus; RNAi; resistance; CLCuKoV-Burewala; CLCuMuB.

Clinical Relevance of Pretransplant Testing for Anti-Human Leukocyte Antigen Antibodies in Iraqi Renal Transplant Patients

OBJECTIVES

The use of highly sensitive Luminex technology to assess the immunologic risk of renal transplant candidates have greatly added to the ability of stratifying patients and have paved the way to avoid hyperacute antibody-mediated rejection. Our aim was to understand how much the testing for pretransplant anti-HLA antibodies affects the decision for transplant and survival at 1 year posttransplant.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

From January 2014 to June 2017, 336 transplant candidates were tested by complement-dependent cytotoxicity and by the Luminex platform for anti-HLA antibodies in our nephrology and renal transplant center (The Medical City, Baghdad, Iraq). All clinical and laboratory data were noted. Our program is a living-donor, blood group-compatible donor program. All transplant patients (sensitized or not) were followed for 1 year, and the Kaplan-Meier method was used to determine survival rate.

RESULTS

Mean age of the study group was 34.07 ± 12.4 years. Of 336 transplant patients who were tested, there were 63 (18.75%) sensitized patients and 159 (47.35%) nonsensitized patients. Blood transfusion was the main cause of sensitization. Class I anti-HLA antibodies were detected in 54 of 63 sensitized patients (85.7%), and class II anti-HLA antibodies were detected in 39 of 63 sensitized patients (61.9%). Donor-specific antibodies were detected in 33/63 (52.3%). Thirteen sensitized patients (15.3%) underwent transplant. No incidences of hyperacute rejection were recorded. The 1-year survival of the nonsensitized patient group was 90%, whereas survival was 61.5% for the sensitized patient group.

CONCLUSIONS

Pretransplant testing for anti-HLA antibodies is undoubtedly useful for assessment of patient risk, to facilitate decisions regarding patient and donor selection, and to plan treatment strategies. The 1-year survival for sensitized patient was lower than for nonsensitized patients. More knowledge, experience, technology advancements, and support are needed to improve the Iraqi practice of transplanting sensitized patients.

Bt Proteins Have No Detrimental Effects on Larvae of the Green Lacewing, Chrysopa pallens (Rambur) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae)

Biosafety of a genetically modified crop is required to be assessed prior to its commercialization. For this, a suitable artificial diet was developed and used to establish a dietary exposure test for assessing the toxicity of midgut-active Bt insecticidal proteins on Chrysopa pallens (Rambur). Subsequently, this dietary exposure test was used to evaluate the toxicity of the proteins Cry1Ab, Cry1Ac, Cry1Ah, Cry1Ca, Cry1F, Cry2Aa, Cry2Ab, and Vip3Aa on C. pallens larvae. Temporal stability, bioactivity, and the intake of the insecticidal proteins were confirmed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and a sensitive-insect bioassay. The life history characteristics, such as survival, pupation, adult emergence, 7-day larval weight, larval developmental time, and emerged male and female fresh weights remained unaffected, when C. pallens were fed the pure artificial diet (negative control) and the artificial diets containing 200 μg/g of each purified protein: Cry1Ab, Cry1Ac, Cry1Ah, Cry1Ca, Cry1F, Cry2Aa, Cry2Ab, or Vip3Aa. On the contrary, all of the life history characteristics of C. pallens larvae were adversely affected when fed artificial diet containing boric acid (positive control). The results demonstrate that diets containing the tested concentrations of Cry1Ab, Cry1Ac, Cry1Ah, Cry1Ca, Cry1F, Cry2Aa, Cry2Ab, and Vip3Aa have null effects on C. pallens larvae. The outcome indicates that genetically modified crops expressing the tested Bt proteins are safe for the lacewing, C. pallens.

The Modified Iliopubic Tract Repair-A Pain-Free Alternative

Background  The open preperitoneal repair offers the benefits of placing the mesh in the preferred position while avoiding the disadvantages of laparoscopic repair.

Methods  A total of 60 patients with bilateral inguinal hernias were randomized to undergo either the standard Lichtenstein meshplasty or the modified iliopubic tract repair in a teaching hospital. Outcomes measured were immediate postoperative pain, return to activity, and delayed neurological complications.

Results  Patients who underwent the iliopubic tract repair walked out of bed faster than the Lichtenstein group (6.3 hours vs 7.4 hours, p  < 0.0001) and experienced significant lower pain as charted by visual analogue scale scores (3.28 vs 2.71 on day 1, 2.16 vs 1.71 on day 2, 1.92 vs 1.08 on day 3; p  < 0.05). Delayed complications like chronic inguinal pain and numbness were not seen in the iliopubic tract group. However, this difference was not statistically significant ( p  > 0.05).

Conclusion  The iliopubic tract repair offers an excellent alternative to the Lichtenstein meshplasty, and is associated with lower postoperative pain, earlier return to work, and lower delayed neurological complications.

First-in-human study of PET and optical dual-modality image-guided surgery in glioblastoma using 68Ga-IRDye800CW-BBN

Purpose: Despite the use of fluorescence-guided surgery (FGS), maximum safe resection of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) remains a major challenge. It has restricted surgeons between preoperative diagnosis and intraoperative treatment. Currently, an integrated approach combining preoperative assessment with intraoperative guidance would be a significant step in this direction.

Experimental design: We developed a novel ⁶⁸Ga-IRDye800CW-BBN PET/near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) dual-modality imaging probe targeting gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR) in GBM. The preclinical in vivo tumor imaging and FGS were first evaluated using an orthotopic U87MG glioma xenograft model. Subsequently, the first-in-human prospective cohort study (NCT 02910804) of GBM patients were conducted with preoperative PET assessment and intraoperative FGS.

Results: The orthotopic tumors in mice could be precisely resected using the near-infrared intraoperative system. Translational cohort research in 14 GBM patients demonstrated an excellent correlation between preoperative positive PET uptake and intraoperative NIRF signal. The tumor fluorescence signals were significantly higher than those from adjacent brain tissue in vivo and ex vivo (p < 0.0001). Compared with pathology, the sensitivity and specificity of fluorescence using 42 loci of fluorescence-guided sampling were 93.9% (95% CI 79.8%-99.3%) and 100% (95% CI 66.4%-100%), respectively. The tracer was safe and the extent of resection was satisfactory without newly developed neurologic deficits. Progression-free survival (PFS) at 6 months was 80% and two newly diagnosed patients achieved long PFS.

Conclusions: This initial study has demonstrated that the novel dual-modality imaging technique is feasible for integrated pre- and intraoperative targeted imaging via the same molecular receptor and improved intraoperative GBM visualization and maximum safe resection.

Genetic differentiation of regional populations of the widespread Asiatic toad (Bufo gargarizans), as revealed by development of novel microsatellite markers

Dispersal is a key component of a species’ life history, by influencing population persistence, genetic structure, adaptation and maintenance of genetic diversity. The Asiatic toad (Bufo gargarizans) is a widespread species in east Asia. However, we still have no knowledge of what kind of geographical scale equates to genetic differentiation within B. gargarizans. In this study, the population genetics of B. gargarizans was studied at five localities, with the Yangtze River running through the sampling area, in order to detect the level of genetic differentiation and the natural barriers to the species’ dispersal on a small geographic scale, by means of the development and use of novel microsatellite loci. These markers revealed a relatively high level of genetic diversity. Distinct genetic structure among populations in B. gargarizans was observed, as described by genetic distance, AMOVA, PCA and Geneland results. A weak but significant positive correlation between genetic distance and geographical distance. The combination of these findings suggests that the Yangtze River and geographic distance may act as effective barriers for B. gargarizans. These results serve as benchmark data for understanding the impacts of dispersal barriers and continued landscape research on B. gargarizans.

Evaluation of foot and mouth vaccination for yak (Bos grunniens) in Pakistan

In northern Pakistan, many farming communities rely on domestic yak (Bos grunniens) as a principle source of income. A 2006 participatory disease surveillance report from this region indicated that foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is the most prevalent annual disease of yak. Our objectives of this study were to determine exposure levels of yak to FMD virus; implement a vaccination program based on current, regional FMD virus serotypes and subtypes; and quantify immune responses following vaccination. Blood samples were used to determine pre-vaccination exposure of animals to FMD virus by antibody presence to non-structural proteins of FMD virus using a 3-ABC trapping indirect ELISA. Vaccine used consisted of FMD serotypes 'O' (PanAsia-2), 'A' (Iran-05), and 'Asia-1' (Shamir), but changed later during the study to match newly circulating viruses in the country ('O'-PanAsia-2; 'A'-Turk-06 and Asia-1-Sindh-08). Three hundred sixty-three blood samples were tested from selected villages to determine pre-vaccination FMD virus exposure in yak with an average of 37.7%. Immune responses from initial vaccination and booster dose 30 days later showed clear protective levels (as mean percent inhibition) of antibodies against structural proteins of serotypes 'O,' 'A,' and 'Asia-1.' These responses remained above threshold positive level even at day 210 following initial vaccination. Results of sero-surveillance and anecdotal information of repeated FMD outbreaks demonstrate the persistence of FMD virus of yak in northern Pakistan. Laboratory results and field observations clearly indicated that yak can be protected against FMD with a good quality vaccine with FMD serotype(s) matching current, regionally circulating FMD virus.

Removal of Infected Maxillary Third Molar from the Infra-temporal Fossa by Caldwell Luc Procedure - Rare Case Report with Literature Review

Dentigerous or follicular cysts of odontogenic origin are innocuous benign cysts that are often linked with the crowns of permanent teeth. A dentigerous cyst circumventing permanent teeth fails to erupt and is often displaced into ectopic positions in the upper and lower jaw in the maxillofacial region. In the maxilla or upper jaw region, the impacted teeth are often displaced and/or shift into the maxillary sinus and apart from the nasal septum, mandibular condyle, coronoid process and the palate, to harbour such ectopic eruptions of teeth. We report a rare case of an impacted left third molar of maxilla, associated with dentigerous cyst. The impacted tooth was embedded in the anterosuperior part of the infratemporal space. The cyst along with the tooth was removed using a modified Caldwell Luc incision.

Dengue virus exposure among blood donors in Ghana

Dengue is an urban arbovirus whose aetiologic agent is the flavivirus with four distinct antigen serotypes (DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3 and DENV-4) that is transmitted to humans through the bite of the mosquito Aedes aegypti. Ghana is endemic for Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and probably dengue viruses. Due to limited data on dengue virus exposure among Ghanaians, we surveyed 188 healthy adult blood donors for the presence of IgG and IgM antibodies to the four serotypes of dengue. Five milliliters of peripheral blood from the blood donors were collected in plain tubes. Serum was then obtained and ELISA tests were employed to detect both dengue virus total antibodies and IgM. The samples were further tested for dengue virus RNA using RT-PCR. Dengue virus IgG was positive for 43.6% of all the 188 blood donor samples tested but all donors were negative for anti-dengue IgM antibody and dengue virus RNA. The rate of dengue virus total antibody exposure did not differ statistically between urban and rural districts. This study shows for the first time that some regions of Ghana are hyperendemic for dengue virus infection but suggests blood for transfusion is invariably dengue virus free. This report has provided a baseline data that will inform wider discussions about the impact of this dengue fever and also guide policy makers to develop effective and affordable early warning and outbreak response systems for Ghana.Journal of Medical and Biomedical Sciences (2016) 5(2), 30-35

Design of Bioprosthetic Aortic Valves using biaxial test data

Bioprosthetic Aortic Valves (BAVs) do not have the serious limitations of mechanical aortic valves in terms of thrombosis. However, the lifetime of BAVs is too short, often requiring repeated surgeries. The lifetime of BAVs might be improved by using computer simulations of the structural behavior of the leaflets. The goal of this study was to develop a numerical model applicable to the optimization of durability of BAVs. The constitutive equations were derived using biaxial tensile tests. Using a Fung model, stress and strain data were computed from biaxial test data. SolidWorks was used to develop the geometry of the leaflets, and ABAQUS finite element software package was used for finite element calculations. Results showed the model is consistent with experimental observations. Reaction forces computed by the model corresponded with experimental measurements when the biaxial test was simulated. As well, the location of maximum stresses corresponded to the locations of frequent tearing of BAV leaflets. Results suggest that BAV design can be optimized with respect to durability.