Comparison of the effects of injectable platelet-rich fibrin and autologous fibrin glue applications on palatal wound healing: a randomized controlled clinical trial

Clinical Oral Investigations - The aim of this study was to compare the effects of AFG and i-PRF on palatal wound healing and postoperative discomfort. Thirty-six patients in need of FGG were...     

Convalescent plasma therapy in patients with COVID-19

IntroductionPassive antibody therapy has been used to immunize vulnerable people against infectious agents. In this study, we aim to investigate the efficacy of convalescent plasma (CP) in the treatment of severe and critically ill patients diagnosed with COVID-19.MethodThe data of severe or critically ill COVID-19 patients who received anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody-containing CP along with the antiviral treatment (n = 888) and an age-gender, comorbidity, and other COVID-19 treatments matched severe or critically ill COVID-19 patients at 1:1 ratio (n = 888) were analyzed retrospectively.ResultsDuration in the intensive care unit (ICU), the rate of mechanical ventilation (MV) support and vasopressor support were lower in CP group compared with the control group (p = 0.001, p = 0.02, p = 0.001, respectively). The case fatality rate (CFR) was 24.7 % in the CP group, and it was 27.7 % in the control group. Administration of CP 20 days after the COVID-19 diagnosis or COVID-19 related symptoms were associated with a higher rate of MV support compared with the first 3 interval groups (≤5 days, 6?10 days, 11?15 days) (p=0.001).ConclusionCP therapy seems to be effective for a better course of COVID-19 in severe and critically ill patients.     

A comparison of 8 and 16 frames gated SPECT imaging for determination of left ventricular volumes and ejection fraction: effects of gender and myocardial counts

The International Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging - In myocardial gated SPECT imaging each cardiac cycle is divided into 8 or 16 temporal frames and the cause of the difference between 8 and 16...     

Imaging data in COVID-19 patients: focused on echocardiographic findings

To assess imaging data in COVID-19 patients and its association with clinical course and survival and 86 consecutive patients (52 males, 34 females, mean age?=?58.8 year) with documented COVID-19 infection were included. Seventy-eight patients (91%) were in severe stage of the disease. All patients underwent transthoracic echocardiography. Mean LVEF was 48.1% and mean estimated systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP) was 27.9 mmHg. LV diastolic dysfunction was mildly abnormal in 49 patients (57.6%) and moderately abnormal in 7 cases (8.2%). Pericardial effusion was present in 5/86 (minimal in size in 3 cases and mild- moderate in 2). In 32/86 cases (37.2%), the severity of infection progressed from “severe” to “critical”. Eleven patients (12.8%) died. sPAP and computed tomography score were associated with disease progression (P value?=?0.002, 0.002 respectively). Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) was significantly higher in patients with no disease progression compared with those who deteriorated (P value?=?0.005). Pericardial effusion (minimal, mild or moderate) was detected more often in progressive disease (P?=?0.03). sPAP was significantly lower among survivors (P value?=?0.007). Echocardiographic findings (including systolic PAP, TAPSE and pericardial effusion), total CT score may have prognostic and therapeutic implication in COVID-19 patients.

     

Acceptance of a COVID-19 Vaccine and Its Related Determinants among the General Adult Population in Kuwait

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to determine the acceptance of a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine among the general adult population in Kuwait and assess its determinants.Subjects and MethodsA web-based cross-sectional study was conducted by enrolling adults living in Kuwait (n = 2,368; aged ≥21 years). Acceptance of a COVID-19 vaccine was inferred if participants indicated that they “definitely or probably will accept vaccination against COVID-19 once a vaccine is available.” Associations were explored by applying a modified Poisson regression to estimate and infer adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI).ResultsIn total, 53.1% (1,257/2,368) of the participants were willing to accept a COVID-19 vaccine once available. Male subjects were more willing to accept a COVID-19 vaccine than females (58.3 vs. 50.9%, p < 0.001). Subjects who viewed vaccines in general to have health-related risks were less willing to accept vaccination (aPR = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.35–0.44). Moreover, participants who previously received an influenza vaccine were more likely to accept a COVID-19 vaccine (aPR = 1.44, 95% CI: 1.31–1.58). Willingness to get vaccinated against COVID-19 increased as the self-perceived chances of contracting the infection increased (p < 0.001).ConclusionOverall, 53.1% of the study participants demonstrated willingness to get vaccinated against COVID-19. We found several factors influencing the level of acceptance. Since vaccination appears to be an essential preventive measure that can halt the COVID-19 pandemic, factors relating to low vaccine acceptance need to be urgently addressed by public health strategies.     

Instant and quantitative epoxidation of styrene under ambient conditions over a nickel(ii)dibenzotetramethyltetraaza[14]annulene complex immobilized on amino-functionalized SBA-15

Nickel(ii)dibenzotetramethyltetraaza[14]annulene complex (Nitmtaa) was synthetized and immobilized on post amino-functionalized SBA-15 (N-SBA-15) to obtain a stable and reusable nanocatalyst named as Nitmtaa@N-SBA-15. Here (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) was first grafted on the surface SBA-15, then Nitmtaa was added and coordinated on the silica surface via APTES amine groups. The structure and morphology, and thermal stability of the prepared nanocatalyst was investigated using SEM, HR-TEM, BET, FT-IR, powder XRD, and TGA. HR-TEM and XRD results revealed a high dispersion of Nitmtaa on the SBA-15 surface. The catalytic activity of this nanocatalyst was evaluated in the epoxidation of styrene, under ambient conditions, using meta-chloroperoxybenzoic acid (m-CPBA) as the oxygen donor. This nanocatalyst showed an immediate and quantitative epoxidation of styrene with high turn-over-frequency ∼31.58 s⁻¹. Moreover, the superior catalytic activity and high stability of Nitmtaa@N-SBA-15 could be maintained after four successive cycles. A possible reaction mechanism is also proposed.

Immediate and quantitative epoxidation of styrene under ambient conditions catalyzed by new nanocatalyst obtained by immobilizing nickel(ii)dibenzotetramethyltetraaza[14]annulene in amino-functionalized SBA-15.     

Identification of potential inhibitors of Zika virus NS5 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase through virtual screening and molecular dynamic simulations

Zika virus (ZIKV) is one of the mosquito borne flavivirus with several outbreaks in past few years in tropical and subtropical regions. The non-structural proteins of flaviviruses are suitable active targets for inhibitory drugs due to their role in pathogenicity. In ZIKV, the non-structural protein 5 (NS5) RNA-Dependent RNA polymerase replicates its genome. Here we have performed virtual screening to identify suitable ligands that can potentially halt the ZIKV NS5 RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). During this process, we searched and screened a library of ligands against ZIKV NS5 RdRp. The selected ligands with significant binding energy and ligand-receptor interactions were further processed. Among the selected docked conformations, top five was further optimized at atomic level using molecular dynamic simulations followed by binding free energy calculations. The interactions of ligands with the target structure of ZIKV RdRp revealed that they form strong bonds within the active sites of the receptor molecule. The efficacy of these drugs against ZIKV can be further analyzed through in-vitro and in-vivo studies.