Search results for: viral respiratory diseases

Authors: Memoona Ramzan, Bushra Tabassum, Anwar Khan, Muhammad Tariq, Mudassar Fareed Awan, Idrees Ahmad Nasir, Zahida Qamar, Naila Shahid, Tayyab Husnain

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Biological control is a novel approach being used in crop protection nowadays. Bacteria like Bacillus and Pseudomonas are reported for this purpose and few of their products are commercially available too. Rhizosphere and phyllosphere of healthy cotton plants were used as a source to isolate bacteria capable of exhibiting properties worthy for selection as biocontrol agent. For this purpose all isolated strains were screened for the activities like phosphate solubilization, Indole acetic acid (IAA) production and biocontrol against fungi. Two strains S1HL3 and S1HL4 showed phosphate solubilization and IAA production simultaneously while two other JS2HR4 and JS3HR2 were good inhibitors of fungal pathogens. Through biochemical and molecular characterization these bacteria were identified as P. aeruginosa, Burkholderia and Bacillus respectively. In green house trials of these isolates against Cotton leaf curl virus (CLCuV), seven treatments including individual bacterial isolate and consortia were included. Treated plants were healthy as compared to control plants in which upto 74% CLCuV symptomatic plants exist. Maximum inhibition of CLCuV was observed in T7 treated plants where viral load was only 0.4% as compared to control where viral load was upto 74%. This treatment consortium included Bacillus and Pseudomonas isolates; S1HL3, S1HL4, JS2HR4 and JS3HR2. Principal Component Biplot depicted highly significant correlation between percentage viral load and the disease incidence.

Keywords: cotton leaf curl virus, biological control, bacillus, pseudomonas

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Authors: Aman Ullah Khan, Muhammad Younus, Aqil Ijaz, Muti-Ur-Rehman Khan, Sayyed Aun Muhammad, Asif Idrees, Sanan Raza, Amar Nasir

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Dengue fever and malaria are important vector-borne diseases of public health significance affecting millions of people around the globe. Dengue fever is caused by Dengue virus while malaria is caused by plasmodium protozoan. Generally, the consequences of Malaria are less severe compared to dengue fever. This study was designed to differentiate dengue fever and malaria on the basis of clinical and laboratory findings and to compare the changes in both diseases having different causative agents transmitted by the common vector. A total of 200 patients of dengue viral infection (120 males, 80 females) were included in this prospective descriptive study. The blood samples of the individuals were first screened for malaria by blood smear examination and then the negative samples were tested by anti-dengue IgM strip. The strip positive cases were further screened by IgM capture ELISA and their complete blood count including hemoglobin estimation (Hb), total and differential leukocyte counts (TLC and DLC), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and platelet counts were performed. On the basis of the severity of signs and symptoms, dengue virus infected patients were subdivided into dengue fever (DF) and dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) comprising 70 and 100 confirmed patients, respectively. On the other hand, 30 patients were found infected with Malaria while overall 120 patients showed thrombocytopenia. The patients of DHF were found to have more leucopenia, raised hemoglobin level and thrombocytopenia < 50,000/µl compared to the patients belonging to DF and malaria. On the basis of the outcomes of the study, it was concluded that patients affected by DF were at a lower risk of undergoing haematological disturbance than suffering from DHF. While, the patients infected by Malaria were found to have no significant change in their blood components.

Keywords: dengue fever, blood, serum, malaria, ELISA

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Authors: Mohamed Abdel-Hamid, Olfat Gamil Shaker, Doha El-Sayed Ellakwa, Eman Fathy Abdel-Maksoud

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Introduction: Despite advances in the knowledge of the molecular virology of hepatitis C virus (HCV), the mechanisms of hepatocellular injury in HCV infection are not completely understood. Hepatitis C viral infection (HCV) influences the susceptibility to apoptosis. This could lead to insufficient antiviral immune response and persistent viral infection. Aim of this study: was to examine whether BCL-2 gene polymorphism at codon 43 (+127G/A or Ala43Thr) has an impact on development of hepatocellular carcinoma caused by chronic hepatitis C Egyptian patients. Subjects and Methods: The study included three groups; group 1: composing of 30 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), group 2 composing of 30 patients with HCV, group 3 composing of 30 healthy subjects matching the same age and socioeconomic status were taken as a control group. Gene polymorphism of BCL2 (Ala43Thr) were evaluated by PCR-RFLP technique and measured for all patients and controls. Results: The summed 43Thr genotype was more frequent and statistically significant in HCC patients as compared to control group. This genotype of BCL2 gene may inhibit the programmed cell death which leads to disturbance in tissue and cells homeostasis and reduction in immune regulation. This result leads to viral replication and HCV persistence. Moreover, virus produces variety of mechanisms to block genes participated in apoptosis. This mechanism proves that HCV patients who have 43Thr genotype are more susceptible to HCC. Conclusion: The data suggest for the first time that the BCL2 polymorphism is associated with the susceptibility to HCC in Egyptian populations and might be used as molecular markers for evaluating HCC risk. This study clearly demonstrated that Chronic HCV exhibit a deregulation of apoptosis with the disease progression. This provides an insight into the pathogenesis of chronic HCV infection, and may contribute to the therapy.

Keywords: BCL2 gene, Hepatitis C Virus, Hepatocellular carcinoma, sensitivity, specificity, apoptosis

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Authors: Ferdi Afian, Inne Yuliawati

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Background: The change in causes of death from infectious diseases to non-communicable diseases also occurs in the aviation community in Indonesia. Non-communicable diseases are influenced by several internal risk factors, such as age, lifestyle changes and the presence of other diseases. These risk factors will increase the incidence of heart diseases resulting in the incapacity of Indonesian aviators which will disrupt flight safety. Method: The study was conducted by collecting secondary data. The retrieval of primary data was obtained from medical records at the Indonesian Aviation Health Center in 2016-2017. The subjects in this study were all cases of incapacity in Indonesian aviators medical conditions. Results: In this study, there were 15 cases of aviators in Indonesia who experienced incapacity of medical conditions related to heart and lung diseases in 2016-2017. Based on the secondary data contained in the flight medical records at the Aviation Health Center Aviation, it was found that several factors related to aviators incapacity causing its inability to carried out flight duties. Conclusion: Incapacity of Indonesian aviators medical conditions are most affected by the high value of Body Mass Index (86%) and less affected by high of Uric Acid in the blood (26%) and Hyperglycemia (26%).

Keywords: incapacity, aviators, flight, Indonesia

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Authors: Malik Muhammad Arslan, Muneeb Ullah, Dai Shihan, Daniyal Haider, Xiaodong Yang

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Chest X-rays are instrumental in the detection and monitoring of a wide array of diseases, including viral infections such as COVID-19, tuberculosis, pneumonia, lung cancer, and various cardiac and pulmonary conditions. To enhance the accuracy of diagnosis, artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, particularly deep learning models like Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), are employed. However, these deep learning models demand a substantial and varied dataset to attain optimal precision. Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) can be employed to create new data, thereby supplementing the existing dataset and enhancing the accuracy of deep learning models. Nevertheless, GANs have their limitations, such as issues related to stability, convergence, and the ability to distinguish between authentic and fabricated data. In order to overcome these challenges and advance the detection and classification of CXR normal and abnormal images, this study introduces a distinctive technique known as DCWGAN (Diverse Conditional Wasserstein GAN) for generating synthetic chest X-ray (CXR) images. The study evaluates the effectiveness of this Idiosyncratic DCWGAN technique using the ResNet50 model and compares its results with those obtained using the traditional GAN approach. The findings reveal that the ResNet50 model trained on the DCWGAN-generated dataset outperformed the model trained on the classic GAN-generated dataset. Specifically, the ResNet50 model utilizing DCWGAN synthetic images achieved impressive performance metrics with an accuracy of 0.961, precision of 0.955, recall of 0.970, and F1-Measure of 0.963. These results indicate the promising potential for the early detection of diseases in CXR images using this Inimitable approach.

Keywords: CNN, classification, deep learning, GAN, Resnet50

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Authors: Maha Salah, Hanaa Hashem, Mahmoud M. Alsagheir, Mohammed Salah

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Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) represents a complex clinical syndrome and carries a high risk for mortality. The severity of the clinical course, the uncertainty of the outcome, and the reliance on the full spectrum of critical care resources for treatment mean that the entire health care team is challenged. Researchers and clinicians have investigated the nature of the pathological process and explored treatment options with the goal of improving outcome. Through this application of research to practice, we know that some previous strategies have been ineffective, and innovations in mechanical ventilation, sedation, nutrition, and pharmacological intervention remain important research initiatives. Developed Clinical pathway is multidisciplinary plans of best clinical practice for this specified groups of patients that aid in the coordination and delivery of high quality care. They are a documented sequence of clinical interventions that help a patient to move, progressively through a clinical experience to a desired outcome. Although there is a lot of heterogeneity in patients with ARDS, this suggested developed clinical pathway with alternatives was built depended on a lot of researches and evidence based medicine and nursing practices which may be helping these patients to improve outcomes, quality of life and decrease mortality.

Keywords: acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), clinical pathway, clinical syndrome

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Authors: Jonathan A. Mikhail, Arsenio Paez

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It is not uncommon for a viral infection to cause hearing loss. Many viral infections are associated with sudden-onset, often unilateral, idiopathic sensorineural hearing loss. We conducted an exploratory study with thirty patients with pre-existing hearing loss between 50 and 64 to evaluate if COVID-19 was associated with exacerbated hearing loss. We hypothesized that hearing loss would be exacerbated by COVID-19 infection in patients with pre-existing hearing loss. A statistically significant paired T-test between pure tone averages (PTAs) at the patient’s original diagnosis and a current, updated audiometric assessment indicated a regression in hearing (p-value < .001) sensitivity following the contraction of COVID-19. Speech reception thresholds (SRTs) and word recognition scores (WRSs) were also considered, as well as the participants' gender. SRTs between each ear exhibited a statistically significant change (p-value of .002 and p-value < .001). WRSs did not show statistically significant differences (p-value of .290 and p-value of .098). A non-statistically significant Two-Way ANOVA was performed to evaluate gender’s potential role in exacerbated hearing loss and proved to be statistically insignificant (p-value of .214). This study discusses practical implications for clinical and educational pursuits in understanding COVID-19's effect on the auditory system and the need to evaluate the deadly virus further.

Keywords: audiology, COVID-19, sensorineural hearing loss, otology, auditory research

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Authors: Jaiden X. Schraut

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Medical Imaging Segmentation of Chest X-rays is used for the purpose of identification and differentiation of lung cancer, pneumonia, COVID-19, and similar respiratory diseases. Widespread application of computer-supported perception methods into the diagnostic pipeline has been demonstrated to increase prognostic accuracy and aid doctors in efficiently treating patients. Modern models attempt the task of segmentation and classification separately and improve diagnostic efficiency; however, to further enhance this process, this paper proposes a multi-output network that follows a U-Net architecture for image segmentation output and features an additional CNN module for auxiliary classification output. The proposed model achieves a final Jaccard Index of .9634 for image segmentation and a final accuracy of .9600 for classification on the COVID-19 radiography database.

Keywords: chest X-ray, deep learning, image segmentation, image classification

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Authors: Sertac Arslan, Guven Guney, Ayse Ipek Akyuz Unsal, Emre Demir, Buket Demirci

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Purpose: There is little histologic data concerning effects of nasal decongestants on the respiratory tract. We aimed to put forth the effects of nasal decongestants on the trachea and lower airways of rats. Materials and Methods: Four to six months old 60 male rats were randomly categorized into 6 groups. Experimental drugs were applied to the same nostril of rats twice daily for 8 weeks (Xylometazolin, Benzalkolyum, EDTA, Sorbitol and combined drug solutions). We applied normal saline solution (NaCl %0.9) for the control group. In the end, trachea and both lungs were dissected and kept in formaldehyde for histopathologic evaluation. Results: Inflammation and bronchial edema were most common findings. While all rats in sorbitol group had increased numbers of type 2 pneumocytes; 80% of BAC group had increased numbers of type 2 pneumocytes. Spillover of tracheal epithelium was seen mostly in sorbitol, EDTA and combined drug groups (60%, 87.5%, 50% respectively). Bronchial smooth muscle hypertrophy was seen mostly in BAC and EDTA group (70%, 62.5% respectively). The number of goblet cells showed the significant difference between control-combined drug (p=0.025) and control-BAC (p=0.001) groups. Conclusions: Nasal decongestants can cause permanent changes at lower respiratory tract in addition to changes in upper respiratory tract.

Keywords: decongestive agents, xylometazoline, lung, trachea

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Authors: Heng W. Chang, Mao F. Sun

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Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria (CIU) and hypertension are rarely discussed together in modern and traditional Chinese medicine, and often belong to different medical departments. However, in traditional Chinese medicinal theory, the two diseases have some similar characters. For example, they are both relevant to 'wind'. This study conducted a literature review using the China National Knowledge Infrastructure to identify herbs yielding the same effect for the two diseases. The finding showed that the common herbs used most frequently is Rehmanniae. The conclusion is that the same TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) mechanism of the two diseases may be 'blood heat'. It requires further study to prove it in the future.

Keywords: urticaria, herbs, hypertension, Rehmanniae

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Authors: Shelin Jin, Jin Huang, Shiqin Cao, Qiuzhen Jia, Bo Zhang, Zhenyu Sun

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Stripe rust and leaf rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f.sp. tritici and Puccinia recondita f.sp. tritici are two of the most damaging diseases of wheat in China. In recent years, leaf rust has migrated to some wheat growing areas previously suitable for stripe rust, resulting in a mixture of the two diseases occurring in the same area and at the same time, and seriously damage wheat production in China, Gansu Province. The most effective method of prevention those two diseases are through the use of resistant cultivars. However, many studies have only carried out of resistance of wheat varieties for a single disease; resistance to both diseases is unknown. In order to definite the resistance composition of wheat varieties to these two diseases, 715 wheat varieties/lines from 8 breeding units in Gansu province were collected to test for the resistance to stripe rust and leaf rust at seedling stage in greenhouse and at adult plant stage in field in 2016-2018, respectively. Spore suspensions with the fresh mixture races of CYR32, CYR33, and CYR34 of Puccinia striiformis f.sp. tritici and mixture races of THTP, THTT, TKTT, and THTS of Puccinia recondita f.sp. tritici were used for inoculation separately. The result shows that only 4.74% of the varieties/lines show comprehensive resistance to strip rust and leaf rust at all growth stages, and there are 34 wheat varieties/lines including Tianxuan 67, 2006-1-4-1-4-2-7-2-3-10, 03-139-1-2-2-1-2-1, Qingnong 21, Lenghan 5, 04-203-1-1-1 and so on. In seedling stage, the frequencies of resistant varieties/lines to wheat strip rust and leaf rust were 56.64% and 30.23%. While the materials were susceptible to these diseases were 43.36% and 69.77%. 71 varieties/lines were resistant to those two diseases, accounted for 9.93%. 10 varieties/lines, accounted for 1.4%, were highly resistant (including immune/near immune) to those two diseases. In adult-plant stage, the frequencies of resistant varieties/lines to wheat strip rust and leaf rust were 76.53% and 36.11%. While the materials were susceptible to these diseases were 23.47% and 63.89%. 137 varieties/lines were resistant to those two diseases, accounted for 19.16%. 59 varieties/lines, accounted for 8.25%, were highly resistant (including immune/near immune) to those two diseases. Overall, the 715 varieties /lines had high resistance to wheat strip rust, but poor resistance to leaf rust. This study found out some resistant materials which had better comprehensive resistance to leaf rust and strip rust, also pointed out the resistance characteristics of 715 varieties/lines to those two diseases at the seedling stage and adult-plant stage, which will be of great guiding significance in wheat resistance breeding and comprehensive control those two diseases in China, Gansu Province in the future.

Keywords: Puccinia striiformis f.sp. tritici, Puccinia recondita f.sp. tritici, resistance of variety, wheat

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Authors: Eda Jazexhiu-Postoli, Gladiola Hoxha, Ada Simeoni, Sonila Biba

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Background Neonatal hypotonia represents a commonly encountered issue in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and newborn nursery. The differential diagnosis is broad, encompassing chromosome abnormalities, primary muscular dystrophies, neuropathies and inborn errors of metabolism. Aim of study Our study describes some of the main clinical features of hypotonia in newborns and presents clinical cases of neonatal hypotonia we treated in our Neonatal unit in the last 3 years. Case reports Four neonates born in our hospital presented with hypotonia after birth, one preterm newborn 35-36 weeks of gestational age and three other term newborns (38-39 weeks of gestational age). Prenatal data revealed a decrease in fetal movements in both cases. Intrapartum meconium-stained amniotic fluid was found in 75% of our hypotonic newborns. Clinical features included inability to establish effective respiratory movements and need for resuscitation in the delivery room, respiratory distress syndrome, feeding difficulties and need for oro-gastric tube feeding, dysmorphic features, hoarse voice and moderate to severe muscular hypotonia. The genetic workup revealed the diagnosis of Autosomal Recessive Congenital Myasthenic Syndrome 1-B, Sotos Syndrome, Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 1 and Transient Hypotonia of the Newborn. Two out of four hypotonic neonates were transferred to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and died at the age of three to five months old. Conclusion Hypotonia is a concerning finding in neonatal care and it is suggested by decreased intrauterine fetal movements, failure to establish first breaths, respiratory distress and feeding difficulties in the neonate. Prognosis is determined by its etiology and time of diagnosis and intervention.

Keywords: hypotonic neonate, respiratory distress, feeding difficulties, fetal movements

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Authors: A. H. Taghdisi, M. Mirmohammadi, S. Kamali

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Evening primrose (Oenothera biennis L.) is a biennial and herbaceous and one of the most important species of medicinal plants in the world. due to the production of unsaturated fatty acids such as linoleic acid, alpha-linolenic acid, etc. in its seeds and roots, and compounds such as kaempferol in its leaves, Evening primrose has important medicinal efficiency such as reducing premenstrual problems, acceleration of wound healing, inhibiting platelet aggregation, sedation of cardiovascular diseases, and treatment of viral infections. The sap of the plant is used to treat warts, and the plant itself is used as a charm against mental and spiritual diseases and poisonous animals. Its leaves have significant antibacterial activity against yellow staphylococci. It is also used in the treatment of poisoning, especially the toxication caused by the consumption of alcoholic beverages, in the treatment of arteriosclerosis and diseases caused by liver cell insufficiency. Low germination and production speed are the problems of evening primrose growth and propagation. In the present study, extracts were obtained from four components (flowers, stems, seeds, leaves) of the evening primrose plant using the Soxhlet apparatus. To measure the antibacterial properties against MDR bacteria, microbial methods, including dilution, cultivation on a plate containing nutrient agar culture medium, and disc diffusion in agar, were performed using Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bacteria on all four extracts. The maximum antibacterial activity related to the dilution method was obtained in all extracts. In the plate culture method, antibacterial activity was obtained for all extracts in the nutrient agar medium. The maximum diameter of the non-growth halo was obtained in the disc diffusion method in agar in the leaf extract. The statistical analysis of the microbial part was done by one-way ANOVA test (SPSS). By comparing the amount of omega-3 in extracts of Iranian and foreign oils available in the market and the extracts extracted from evening primrose plant samples with gas chromatography, it is shown that the stem extract had the most omega-3 (oleic acid) and compared to the extract of the mentioned oils, it had the highest amount of omega-3 overall. Also, the amount of omega-3 in the extract of Iranian oils was much higher than in the extract of foreign oils. It should be noted that the extract of foreign oils had a more complete composition of omega-3 than the extract of Iranian oils.

Keywords: antibacterial activity, MDR bacteria, evening primrose, omega-3

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Authors: Marta Skwarecka, Patrycja Bloch, Rafal Walkusz, Oliwia Urbanowicz, Grzegorz Zielinski, Sabina Zoledowska, Dawid Nidzworski

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Upper respiratory tract infections are one of the most common reasons for visiting a general doctor. Streptococci are the most common bacterial etiological factors in these infections. There are many different types of Streptococci and infections vary in severity from mild throat infections to pneumonia. For example, S. pyogenes mainly contributes to acute pharyngitis, palatine tonsils and scarlet fever, whereas S. Streptococcus pneumoniae is responsible for several invasive diseases like sepsis, meningitis or pneumonia with high mortality and dangerous complications. There are only a few diagnostic tests designed for detection Streptococci from the infected throat of patients. However, they are mostly based on lateral flow techniques, and they are not used as a standard due to their low sensitivity. The diagnostic standard is to culture patients throat swab on semi selective media in order to multiply pure etiological agent of infection and subsequently to perform antibiogram, which takes several days from the patients visit in the clinic. Therefore, the aim of our studies is to develop and implement to the market a Point of Care device for the rapid identification of Streptococcus pyogenes and Streptococcus pneumoniae with simultaneous identification of antibiotic resistance genes. In the course of our research, we successfully selected genes for to-species identification of Streptococci and genes encoding antibiotic resistance proteins. We have developed a reaction to amplify these genes, which allows detecting the presence of S. pyogenes or S. pneumoniae followed by testing their resistance to erythromycin, chloramphenicol and tetracycline. What is more, the detection of β-lactamase-encoding genes that could protect Streptococci against antibiotics from the ampicillin group, which are widely used in the treatment of this type of infection is also developed. The test is carried out directly from the patients' swab, and the results are available after 20 to 30 minutes after sample subjection, which could be performed during the medical visit.

Keywords: antibiotic resistance, Streptococci, respiratory infections, diagnostic test

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Authors: Frank Boris Feutmba Keutchou, Saurelle Fabienne Bieghan Same, Verelle Elsa Fogang Pokam, Charles Ursula Metapi Meikeu, Angel Marilyne Messop Nzomo, Ousman Tamgue

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Infectious diseases are one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. These diseases are caused by micro-pathogenic organisms, such as bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi. Heritable changes in gene expression that do not involve changes to the underlying DNA sequence are referred to as epigenetics. Emerging evidence suggests that epigenetic mechanisms are important in the emergence and progression of infectious diseases. Pathogens can manipulate host epigenetic machinery to promote their own replication and evade immune responses. The Human Genome Project has provided new opportunities for developing better tools for the diagnosis and identification of target genes. Several epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNA expression, have been shown to influence infectious disease outcomes. Understanding the epigenetic mechanisms underlying infectious diseases may result in the progression of new therapeutic approaches focusing on host-pathogen interactions. The goal of this study is to show how different infectious agents interact with host cells after infection.

Keywords: epigenetic, infectious disease, micro-pathogenic organism, phenotype

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Authors: Atitallah Sofien, Bouyahia Olfa, Romdhani Meriam, Missaoui Nada, Ben Rabeh Rania, Yahyaoui Salem, Mazigh Sonia, Boukthir Samir

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Introduction: Traditional medicine refers to a diverse range of therapeutic practices and knowledge systems that have been employed by different cultures over an extended period to uphold and rejuvenate health. These practices can involve herbal remedies, acupuncture, massage, and alternative healing methods that deviate from conventional medical approaches. In Tunisia, we often use unidentified utensils to scratch the oral cavity internally in infants in order to widen the oral cavity for better breathing and swallowing. However, these practices can be risky and may jeopardize the patients' prognosis or even their lives. Aim: This is the case of a nine-month-old infant, admitted to the pediatric department and subsequently to the intensive care unit due to a peritonsillar abscess following the utilization of an unidentifiable tool to scrape the interior of the oral cavity. Case Report: This is a 9-month-old infant with no particular medical history, admitted for high respiratory distress and a fever persisting for 4 days. On clinical examination, he had a respiratory rate of 70 cycles per minute with an oxygen saturation of 97% and subcostal retractions, along with a heart rate of 175 beats per minute. His white blood cell count was 40,960/mm³, and his C-reactive protein was 250 mg/L. Given the severity of the clinical presentation, the infant was transferred to the intensive care unit, intubated, and mechanically ventilated. A cervical-thoracic CT scan was performed, revealing a ruptured 18 mm left peritonsillar abscess in the oropharynx associated with cellulitis of the retropharyngeal space. The oto-rhino-laryngoscopic examination revealed an asymmetry involving the left lateral wall of the oropharynx with the presence of a fistula behind the posterior pillar. Dissection of the collection cavity was performed, allowing the drainage of 2 ml of pus. The culture was negative. The patient received cefotaxime in combination with metronidazole and gentamicin for a duration of 10 days, followed by a switch to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid for 7 days. The patient was extubated after 4 days of treatment, and the clinical and radiological progress was favorable. Conclusions: Traditional medicine remains risky due to the lack of scientific evidence and the potential for injuries and transmission of infectious diseases, especially in children, who constitute a vulnerable population. Therefore, parents should consult healthcare professionals and rely on evidence-based care.

Keywords: children, peritonsillar abscess, traditional medicine, respiratory distress

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Authors: Anna Rhodora A. Solar, Jan Emil N. Langomez

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Social Media plays a crucial role in influencing Philippine public opinion with regard to a variety of socio-political issues. This became evident in the massacre of 44 members of the Special Action Force (SAF 44) tasked by the Philippine government to capture one of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation’s most wanted terrorists. The incident was said to be perpetrated by members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters. Part of the online discourse within Philippine cyberspace sparked intense debates on Filipino Muslim identity, with several Facebook viral posts linking Islam as a factor to the tragic event. Facebook is considered to be the most popular social media platform in the Philippines. As such, this begs the question of the extent to which social media, specifically Facebook, shape the perceptions of Filipinos on Filipino Muslims. This study utilizes Habermas’ theory of communicative action as it offers an explanation on how public sphere such as social media could be a network for communicating information and points of view through free and open dialogue among equal citizens to come to an understanding or common perception. However, the paper argues that communicative action which is aimed at reaching understanding free from force, and strategic action which is aimed at convincing someone through argumentation may not necessarily be mutually exclusive since reaching an understanding can also be considered as a result of convincing someone through argumentation. Moreover, actors may clash one another in their ideas before reaching common understanding, hence the presence of force. Utilizing content analysis on the Facebook posts with Islamic component that went viral after the massacre of the SAF 44, this paper argues that framing the image of Filipino Muslims through Facebook reflects both communicative and strategic actions. Moreover, comment threads on viral posts manifest force albeit implicit.

Keywords: communication, Muslim, Philippines, social media

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Authors: Khaled Alabduljabbar

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Background: Benign, isolated, recurrent sixth nerve palsy is very rare in children. Here we report a case of recurrent abducens nerve palsy with no obvious etiology. It is a diagnosis of exclusion. A recurrent benign form of 6th nerve palsy, a rarer still palsy, has been described in the literature, and it is of most likely secondary to inflammatory causes, e.g, following viral and bacterial infections. Purpose: To present a case of 14 months old girl with recurrent attacks of isolated left sixth cranial nerve palsy following upper respiratory tract infection. Observation: The patient presented to opthalmology clinic with sudden onset of inward deviation (esotropia) of the left eye with a compensatory left face turn one week following signs of upper respiratory tract infection. Ophthalmological examination revealed large angle esotropia of the left eye in primary position, with complete limitation of abduction of the left eye, no palpebral fissure changes, and abnormal position of the head (left face turn). Visual acuity was normal, and no significant refractive error on cycloplegic refraction for her age. Fundus examination was normal with no evidence of papilledema. There was no relative afferent pupillary defect (RAPD) and no anisocoria. Past medical history and family history were unremarkable, with no history of convulsion attacks or head trauma. Additional workout include CBC. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate, Urgent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and angiography of the brain were performed and demonstrated the absence of intracranial and orbital lesions. Referral to pediatric neurologist was also done and concluded no significant finding. The patient showed improvement of the left sixth cranial nerve palsy and left face turn over a period of two months. Seven months since the first attack, she experienced a recurrent attack of left eye esotropia with left face turn concurrent with URTI. The rest of eye examination was again unremarkable. CT scan and MRI scan of brain and orbit were performed and showed only signs of sinusitis with no intracranial pathology. The palsy resolved spontaneously within two months. A third episode of left 6th nerve palsy occurred 6 months later, whichrecovered over one month. Examination and neuroimagingwere unremarkable. A diagnosis of benign recurrent left 6th cranial nerve palsy was made. Conclusion: Benign sixth cranial nerve palsy is always a diagnosis of exclusion given the more serious and life-threatening alternative causes. It seems to have a good prognosis with only supportive measures. The likelihood of benign 6th cranial nerve palsy to resolve completely and spontaneously is high. Observation for at least 6 months without intervention is advisable.

Keywords: 6th nerve pasy, abducens nerve pasy, recurrent nerve palsy, cranial nerve palsy

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Authors: Recep Keşli, Hayriye Tokay, Cengiz Demir, İsmail Ceyhan

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Objective: In many countries, tuberculosis (TB) is still one of the most important diseases. Tuberculosis is among top 10 causes of death worldwide. The early diagnosis of active tuberculosis still depends on the presence of acid resistant bacilli (ARB) in stained smears. In this study, we aimed to investigate the diagnostic performances of Erlich Ziehl Neelsen (EZN), Kinyoun and two different fluorescent stains. Methods: The specimens were obtained from the patients who applied to Chest Diseases Departments of Ankara Atatürk Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery Training and Research Hospital, and Afyon Kocatepe University, ANS Research and Practice Hospital. The study was carried out in the Medical Microbiology Laboratory, School of Medicine, Afyon Kocatepe University. All the non-sterile specimens were homogenized and decontaminated according to the EUCAST instructions. Samples were inoculated onto the Löwenstein-Jensen agars (bio-Merieux Marcy l'Etoile, France) and then incubated at 37˚C, for 40 days. Four smears were prepared from each specimen. Slides were stained with commercial EZN (BD, Sparks, USA), Kinyoun (SALUBRIS Istanbul, Turkey), Auramine (SALUBRIS Istanbul, Turkey) and Rhodamine (SALUBRIS Istanbul, Turkey) kit. While EZN and Kinyoun stainings were examined by light microscope, Auramine and Rhodamine slides were examined by fluorescence microscopy. Results: A total of 158 respiratory system samples (sputum, broncho alveolar lavage fluid…etc) were enrolled into the study. A hundred and two of the samples that processed were found as culture positive. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive, and negative predictive values were detected as 100%, 67.5%, 73.5%, and 100% for EZN, 100%, 70.9%, 77.4%, and 100% for Kinyoun, 100%,77.8%, 84.3%, 100% for Auramine, and 100%, 80% , 86.3%, and 100% for Rhodamine respectively. Conclusions: According to our study auramine and rhodamine staining methods showed the best diagnostic performance among the four investigated staining methods. In conclusion, the fluorochrome staining method may be accepted as the most reliable, rapid and useful method for diagnosis of the mycobacterial infections truly.

Keywords: acid resistant bacilli (ARB), auramine, Ehrlich-Ziehl-Neelsen (EZN), Kinyoun, Rhodamine

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Authors: Wahyu Purnama Putra, Artono Isharanto

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Thoracic trauma is trauma that hits the thoracic wall or intrathoracic organs, either due to blunt trauma or sharp trauma. Thoracic trauma often causes impaired ventilation-perfusion due to damage to the lung parenchyma. This results in impaired tissue oxygenation, which is one of the causes of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). These changes are caused by the release of pro-inflammatory mediators, plasmatic proteins, and proteases into the alveolar space associated with ongoing edema, as well as oxidative products that ultimately result in severe inhibition of the surfactant system. This study aims to predict the incidence of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) through human neutrophil elastase levels. This study examines the relationship between plasma elastase levels as a predictor of the incidence of ARDS in thoracic trauma patients in Malang. This study is an observational cohort study. Data analysis uses the Pearson correlation test and ROC curve (receiver operating characteristic curve). It can be concluded that there is a significant (p= 0.000, r= -0.988) relationship between elastase levels and BGA-3. If the value of elastase levels is limited to 23.79 ± 3.95, the patient will experience mild ARDS. While if the value of elastase levels is limited to 57.68 ± 18.55, in the future, the patient will experience moderate ARDS. Meanwhile, if the elastase level is between 107.85 ± 5.04, the patient will likely experience severe ARDS. Neutrophil elastase levels correlate with the degree of severity of ARDS incidence.

Keywords: ARDS, human neutrophil elastase, severity, thoracic trauma

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Authors: Mengnan Sun

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It is unclear about the association between air pollution and Tourette Syndrome (TS), although people have suspected that air pollution might trigger TS. TS is a type of neural system disease usually found among children. The number of TS patients has significantly increased in recent decades, suggesting an importance and urgency to examine the possible triggers or conditions that are associated with TS. In this study, the correlation between air pollution and three allergic diseases---asthma, allergic conjunctivitis (AC), and allergic rhinitis (AR)---is examined. Then, a correlation between these allergic diseases and TS is proved. In this way, this study establishes a positive correlation between air pollution and TS. Measures the public can take to help TS patients are also analyzed at the end of this article. The article hopes to raise people’s awareness to reduce air pollution for the good of TS patients or people with other disorders that are associated with air pollution.

Keywords: air pollution, allergic diseases, climate change, Tourette Syndrome

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Authors: S. Zouainia, R. Djebar, H. Berrebah, A. Sayeb

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This work focused on the study of physiological and biochemical changes observed in tadpoles exposed to fungicide Rana saharica Artea 330ec recently introduced in Algeria. For this, we tested the effect of xenobiotics on growth and development of tadpoles; among the studied parameters: total protein, glutathione and respiratory activity. The study of physiological parameters showed that the tadpoles change perfectly in the absence of toxic and in favorable conditions (pH, temperature). Our results showed an increased rate of protein and GSH in the presence of the fungicide Artea 330ec. The latter causes uninhibited very highly significant respiratory activity of tadpoles treated. The presence of xenobiotics in the breeding tadpoles water causes disturbances in behavior and food metabolism.

Keywords: amphibians, fungicides, pesticides, pollution

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Authors: Authors: A. Lakhal, M. Bahalou, A. Khattabi

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Introduction: Tuberculosis is one of the world's deadliest infectious diseases. In Morocco, a total of 30,636 cases of Tuberculosis, all forms combined, were reported in 2015, representing an incidence of 89 cases per 100,000 population. The number of deaths from tuberculosis (TB) was 656 cases. In the prefecture of Meknes, its incidence remains high compared to the national level. The objective of this work is to describe the epidemiological profile of tuberculosis in the prefecture of Meknes. Methods: It is a descriptive analysis of TB cases reported between 2016 and 2020 at the regional diagnostic center of tuberculosis and respiratory diseases. We performed analysis by using Microsoft Excel and EpiInfo 7. Results: Epidemiological data from 2016 to 2020 report a total of 4100 new cases of all forms of tuberculosis, with an average of 820 new cases per year. The median age is 32 years. There is a clear male predominance, on average 58% of cases are male and 42% female. The incidence rate of bacteriologically confirmed tuberculosis per 100,000 inhabitants has increased from 35 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in 2016 to 39.4 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in 2020. The confirmation rate for pulmonary tuberculosis decreased from 84% in 2016 to 75% in 2020. Pulmonary involvement predominates by an average of 46%, followed by lymph node involvement 29%and pleural involvement by an average of 10%. Digestive, osteoarticular, genitourinary, and meningeal involvement occurs in 8% of cases. Primary tuberculosis infection occurs in an average of 0.5% of cases. The proportion of HIV-TB co-infections was 2.8 in 2020. Conclusion: The incidence of tuberculosis in Meknes remains high compared to the national level. Thus, it is imperative to reinforce the earlier detection; improve the contact tracing, detection methods of cases for their confirmation and treatment, and to reduce the proportion of the lost to follow up as well.

Keywords: tuberculosis, epidemiological profile, meknes, morocco

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Authors: Dwi Endarti, Susi a Kristina, Rizki Noorizzati, Akbar E Nugraha, Fera Maharani, Kika a Putri, Asninda H Azizah, Sausanzahra Angganisaputri, Yunisa Yustikarini

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Cost utility analysis is the most recommended pharmacoeconomic method since it allows widely comparison of cost-effectiveness results from different interventions. The method uses outcome of quality-adjusted life year (QALY) or disability-adjusted life year (DALY). Measurement of QALY requires the data of utility dan life years gained. Utility is measured with the instrument for quality of life measurement such as EQ-5D. Recently, the EQ-5D is available in two versions which are EQ-5D-3L and EQ-5D-5L. This study aimed to compare the EQ-5D-3L and EQ-5D-5L to examine the most suitable version for Indonesian population. This study was an observational study employing cross sectional approach. Data of quality of life measured with EQ-5D-3L and EQ-5D-5L were collected from several groups of population which were respondent with chronic diseases, respondent with acute diseases, and respondent from general population (without illness) in Yogyakarta Municipality, Indonesia. Convenience samples of hypertension patients (83), diabetes mellitus patients (80), and osteoarthritis patients (47), acute respiratory tract infection (81), cephalgia (43), dyspepsia (42), and respondent from general population (293) were recruited in this study. Responses on the 3L and 5L versions of EQ-5D were compared by examining the psychometric properties including agreement, internal consistency, ceiling effect, and convergent validity. Based on psychometric properties tests of EQ-5D-3L dan EQ-5D-5L, EQ-5D-5L tended to have better psychometric properties compared to EQ-5D-3L. Future studies for health related quality of life (HRQOL) measurements for pharmacoeconomic studies in Indonesia should apply EQ-5D-5L.

Keywords: EQ-5D, Health Related Quality of Life, Indonesian Population, Psychometric Properties

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Authors: Krishna Pal Singh, Shailendra Kumar Gupta, Olaf Wolkenhauer

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Background: Our study aimed to identify common genes and potential targets across the four diseases, which include rheumatoid arthritis, melanoma metastasis, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease. We used a network and systems biology approach to identify the hub gene, which can act as a potential target for all four disease conditions. The regulatory network was extracted from the PPI using the MCODE module present in Cytoscape. Our objective was to investigate the significance of hub genes in these diseases using gene ontology and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis. Methods: Our methodology involved collecting disease gene-related information from DisGeNET databases and performing protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and core genes screening. We then conducted gene ontology and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis. Results: We found that IL6 plays a critical role in all disease conditions and in different pathways that can be associated with the development of all four diseases. Conclusions: The theoretical importance of our research is that we employed various systems and structural biology techniques to identify a crucial protein that could serve as a promising target for treating multiple diseases. Our data collection and analysis procedures involved rigorous scrutiny, ensuring high-quality results. Our conclusion is that IL6 plays a significant role in all four diseases, and it can act as a potential target for treating them. Our findings may have important implications for the development of novel therapeutic interventions for these diseases.

Keywords: melanoma metastasis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel diseases, integrated bioinformatics analysis

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Authors: Faith-Michael E. Uzoka, Boluwaji A. Akinnuwesi, Taiwo Amoo, Flora Aladi, Stephen Fashoto, Moses Olaniyan, Joseph Osuji

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The overarching aim of this study is to develop a soft-computing system for the differential diagnosis of tropical diseases. These conditions are of concern to health bodies, physicians, and the community at large because of their mortality rates, and difficulties in early diagnosis due to the fact that they present with symptoms that overlap, and thus become ‘confusable’. We report on the first phase of our study, which focuses on the development of a fuzzy cognitive map model for early differential diagnosis of tropical diseases. We used malaria as a case disease to show the effectiveness of the FCM technology as an aid to the medical practitioner in the diagnosis of tropical diseases. Our model takes cognizance of manifested symptoms and other non-clinical factors that could contribute to symptoms manifestations. Our model showed 85% accuracy in diagnosis, as against the physicians’ initial hypothesis, which stood at 55% accuracy. It is expected that the next stage of our study will provide a multi-disease, multi-symptom model that also improves efficiency by utilizing a decision support filter that works on an algorithm, which mimics the physician’s diagnosis process.

Keywords: medical diagnosis, tropical diseases, fuzzy cognitive map, decision support filters, malaria differential diagnosis

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Authors: Chawarat Rotejanaprasert, Andrew Lawson

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Early detection of unusual health events depends on the ability to detect rapidly any substantial changes in disease, thus facilitating timely public health interventions. To assist public health practitioners to make decisions, statistical methods are adopted to assess unusual events in real time. We introduce a surveillance Kullback-Leibler (SKL) measure for timely detection of disease outbreaks for small area health data. The detection methods are compared with the surveillance conditional predictive ordinate (SCPO) within the framework of Bayesian hierarchical Poisson modeling and applied to a case study of a group of respiratory system diseases observed weekly in South Carolina counties. Properties of the proposed surveillance techniques including timeliness and detection precision are investigated using a simulation study.

Keywords: Bayesian, spatial, temporal, surveillance, prospective

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Authors: Komal Khan, Hafsa Zaneb, Saima Masood, Muhammad Younus, Sanan Raza

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Cigarette smoke induces many physiological and pathological changes in respiratory tract like goblet cell hyperplasia and regional distention of airspaces. It is also associated with elevation of inflammatory profiles in different airway compartments. As probiotics are generally known to promote mucosal tolerance, it was postulated that prophylactic use of probiotics can be helpful in reduction of respiratory damage induced by cigarette smoke exposure. Twenty-four adult mice were randomly divided into three groups (cigarette-smoke (CS) group, cigarette-smoke+ Lactobacillus (CS+ P) group, control (Cn) group), each having 8 mice. They were exposed to cigarette smoke for 28 days (6 cigarettes/ day for 6 days/week). Wright-Giemsa staining of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was performed in three mice per group. Tissue samples of trachea and lungs of 7 mice from each group were processed by paraffin embedding technique for haematoxylin & eosin (H & E) and alcian blue- periodic acid-Schiff (AB-PAS) staining. Then trachea (goblet cell number, ratio and loss of cilia) and lungs (airspace distention) were studied. The results showed that the number of goblet cells was increased in CS group as a result of defensive mechanism of the respiratory system against irritating substances. This study also revealed that the cells of CS group having acidic glycoprotein were found to be higher in quantity as compared to those containing neutral glycoprotein. However, CS + P group showed a decrease in goblet cell index due to enhanced immunity by prophylactically used probiotics. Moreover, H & E stained tracheas showed significant loss of cilia in CS group due to propelling of mucous but little loss in CS + P group because of having good protective tracheal epithelium. In lungs, protection of airspaces was also much more evident in CS+ P group as compared to CS group having distended airspaces, especially at 150um distance from terminal bronchiole. In addition, a comprehensive analysis of inflammatory cells population of BALF showed neutrophilia and eosinophilia was significantly reduced in CS+ P group. This study proved that probiotics are found to be useful for reduction of changes in micro-architecture of the respiratory system. Thus, dietary supplementation of probiotic as prophylactic measure can be useful in achieving immunomodulatory effects.

Keywords: cigarette smoke, probiotics, goblet cells, airspace enlargement, BALF

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Authors: Reenu Yadav, Vidhi Guha, Udit N. Soni, Jay Ram Patel

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Chewing gums are mobile novel drug delivery systems, with a potential for administering drugs either for local action or for systemic absorption via the buccal route. An antimicrobial chewing gum delivery system of the methanolic extracts of Beatea monosperma (barks and twigs), Cordia obliqua (leaves and seeds) and Cuminun cyminum (seeds) against periodontal diseases caused by some oral pathogens, was designed and characterized on various parameters.The results of the study support the traditional application of the plants and suggest, plant extracts possess compounds with antimicrobial properties that can be used as potential antimicrobial agents and gums can be a good carrier of herbal extracts. Developed formulation will cure/protect from various periodontal diseases. Further development and evaluations chewing gums including the isolated compounds on the commercial scale and their clinical and toxicological studies are the future challenges.

Keywords: periodontal diseases, herbal chewing gum, herbal extracts, novel drug delivery systems

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Authors: Sung-Jun Yoo, Kazuhide Ito

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In this study, a comprehensive computer simulated person (CSP) that integrates computational human model (virtual manikin) and respiratory tract model (virtual airway), was applied for estimation of indoor environmental quality. Moreover, an inclusive prediction method was established by integrating computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis with advanced CSP which is combined with physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model, unsteady thermoregulation model for analysis targeting micro-climate around human body and respiratory area with high accuracy. This comprehensive method can estimate not only the contaminant inhalation but also constant interaction in the contaminant transfer between indoor spaces, i.e., a target area for indoor air quality (IAQ) assessment, and respiratory zone for health risk assessment. This study focused on the usage of the CSP as an air/thermal quality sensor in indoors, which means the application of comprehensive model for assessment of IAQ and thermal environmental quality. Demonstrative analysis was performed in order to examine the applicability of the comprehensive model to the heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) control scheme. CSP was located at the center of the simple model room which has dimension of 3m×3m×3m. Formaldehyde which is generated from floor material was assumed as a target contaminant, and flow field, sensible/latent heat and contaminant transfer analysis in indoor space were conducted by using CFD simulation coupled with CSP. In this analysis, thermal comfort was evaluated by thermoregulatory analysis, and respiratory exposure risks represented by adsorption flux/concentration at airway wall surface were estimated by PBPK-CFD hybrid analysis. These Analysis results concerning IAQ and thermal comfort will be fed back to the HVAC control and could be used to find a suitable ventilation rate and energy requirement for air conditioning system.

Keywords: CFD simulation, computer simulated person, HVAC control, indoor environmental quality

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