145 research outputs found
Incidence of COVID-19 among returning travelers in quarantine facilities: A longitudinal study and lessons learned
This article is made available for unrestricted research re-use and secondary analysis in any form or be any means with acknowledgement of the original source. These permissions are granted for the duration of the World Health Organization (WHO) declaration of COVID-19 as a global pandemic.Introduction: The emergence of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) had resulted in an unpresented global pandemic. In the initial events, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia implemented mandatory quarantine of returning travelers in order to contain COVID-19 cases.
Materials and methods: This is a longitudinal study of the arriving travelers to Quarantine facilities and the prevalence of positive SARS-CoV-2 as detected by RT-PCR.
Results: During the study period, there was a total of 1928 returning travelers with 1273 (66%) males. The age range was 28 days–69 years. Of all the travelers, 23 (1.2%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Of the first swab, 14/1928 (0.7%) tested positive. The positivity rate was 0.63% and 0.92% among males and females, respectively (P = 0.57). The second swab was positive in 9 (0.5%) of the other 1914 who were initially negative with a positivity rate of 0.39% and 0.62% among males and females, respectively (P = 0.49). There was no statistical difference in the positivity rates between first and second swab (P = 0.4). Of all travelers, 40 (n = 26, 1.3%) were admitted from the quarantine facility to the hospital due to COVID-19 related positive results or development of symptoms such as fever, cough, and respiratory symptoms; and 14 (0.7%) were admitted due to non-COVID-19 related illness.
Conclusion: This study showed the efforts put for facility quarantine and that such activity yielded a lower incidence of positive cases. There was a need to have a backup healthcare facility to accommodate those developing a medical need for evaluation and admission for non-COVID-19 related illnesses
Metabolomic profile, anti-trypanosomal potential and molecular docking studies of <i>Thunbergia grandifolia</i>
Trypanosomiasis is a protozoan disease transmitted via Trypanosoma brucei. This study aimed to examine the metabolic profile and anti-trypanosomal effect of methanol extract of Thunbergia grandifolia leaves. The liquid chromatography-high resolution electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (LC-HRESIMS) revealed the identification of fifteen compounds of iridoid, flavonoid, lignan, phenolic acid, and alkaloid classes. The extract displayed a promising inhibitory activity against T. brucei TC 221 with MIC value of 1.90 μg/mL within 72 h. A subsequent in silico analysis of the dereplicated compounds (i.e. inverse docking, molecular dynamic simulation, and absolute binding free energy) suggested both rhodesain and farnesyl diphosphate synthase as probable targets for two compounds among those dereplicated ones in the plant extract (i.e. diphyllin and avacennone B). The absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) profiling of diphyllin and avacennone were calculated accordingly, where both compounds showed acceptable drug-like properties. This study highlighted the antiparasitic potential of T. grandifolia leaves
Leptonic Decays of Heavy Quarks on the Lattice
The status of lattice calculations of heavy-light decay constants and of the
parameter is reviewed. After describing the lattice approach to heavy
quark systems, the main results are discussed, with special emphasis on the
systematic errors in present lattice calculations. A detailed analysis of the
continuum limit for decay constants is performed. The implications of lattice
results on studies of CP violation in the Standard Model are discussed.Comment: Invited review to be published in Int. J. Mod. Phys. A, 63 pages,
LaTeX, ijmpa1.sty (included), 8 postscript figure
Resonant final-state interactions in D^0 -> \bar{K}^{0} {\eta}, \bar{K}^{0} \eta' Decay
We have investimated the effect of the isospin 1/2, J^P = 0^+ resonant state
K^*_0(1950) on the decays D^0 ->\bar{K}^{0}\eta and D^0 ->\bar{K}^0 \eta' as a
function of the branching ratio sum r =Br(K^*_0(1950)->\bar{K}^0\eta)+
Br(K^*_0(1950)->\bar{K}^0 \eta' and coupling constants g_{K^*_0\bar{K}^0\eta},
g_{K^*_0\bar{K}^0\eta'}. We have used a factorized input for D^0 -> K^*_0(1950)
weak transition through a \pi K loop. We estimated both on- and off-shell
contributions from the loop. Our calculation shows that the off-shell effects
are significant. For a fit to the decay amplitude A(D^0 ->
\bar{K}^0 \eta') was possible, but the amplitude A(D^0 ->\bar{K}^0 \eta)
remained at its factorized value. For small values of r, , we were
able to fit A(D^0 -> \bar{K}^0 \eta), and despite the fact that A(D^0 ->
\bar{K}^0 \eta') could be raised by almost 100 % over its factorized value, it
still falls short of its experimental value. A simultaneous fit to both
amplitudes A(D^0 -> \bar{K}^0 \eta') and A(D^0 -> \bar{K}^0 \eta) was not
possible. We have also determined the strong phase of the resonant amplitudes
for both decays.
PACS numbers:13.25.Ft, 13.25.-k, 14.40.LbComment: 16 pages, 6 figures, 3 table
Ward Identities, B-> \rho Form Factors and |V_ub|
The exclusive FCNC beauty semileptonic decay B-> \rho is studied using Ward
identities in a general vector meson dominance framework, predicting vector
meson couplings involved. The long distance contributions are discussed which
results to obtain form factors and |V_ub|. A detailed comparison is given with
other approaches.Comment: 30 pages+four postscript figures, an Appendix adde
Genetic analysis : therapeutic drug monitoring of metformin and glimepiride on diabetic patients’ plasma including genetic polymorphism
Diabetes is a widespread disease that needs to be controlled. Therapeutic monitoring of drugs is very helpful in maintaining desirable doses. To study a correlation between the blood level of metformin (to a lesser extent, glimepiride) and genotyping (mainly the SULT1A1 genotype). Determine drug levels using a validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) tool. A validated LC-MS/MS method was developed to determine metformin and glimepiride levels in human plasma. DNA extraction was performed using Jena Bioscience’s Blood DNA preparation, in which a column kit was used to extract DNA for genetic polymorphism. The investigation was carried out using both medications in type 2 diabetes patients alongside the genetic polymorphism. One hundred and six patients were assessed. The prevalence of homozygosity for SULT1A1 and wild-type CYP2D6 * 4 were 72.6% and 73.6%, respectively. After adjustment for daily intake of metformin, three patients out of five with the highest levels of metformin had no homozygosity (SULT1A1 genotype). Statistically, variables that demonstrated an insignificant correlation with the level of metformin were body mass index (rs (87) = 0.32, P = 0.011) and age (rs (87) =0.26, P = 0.017). The homozygous (SULT1A1 genotype) correlation was moderate (rs (87) =0.21, P = 0.052). According to the findings, patients with the wt/wt CYP2D6 genotype had considerably greater levels of endoxifen than those with the v/v CYP2D6 genotype. The study’s results reported a probable correlation between the blood level of metformin (to a lesser extent, glimepiride) and genotyping (mainly the SULT1A1 genotype). Genotype-guided drug therapy may provide a novel contribution to maximize drug efficacy and/or minimize toxicity
The effect of electroporation pulses on functioning of the heart
Electrochemotherapy is an effective antitumor treatment currently applied to cutaneous and subcutaneous tumors. Electrochemotherapy of tumors located close to the heart could lead to adverse effects, especially if electroporation pulses were delivered within the vulnerable period of the heart or if they coincided with arrhythmias of some types. We examined the influence of electroporation pulses on functioning of the heart of human patients by analyzing the electrocardiogram. We found no pathological morphological changes in the electrocardiogram; however, we demonstrated a transient RR interval decrease after application of electroporation pulses. Although no adverse effects due to electroporation have been reported so far, the probability for complications could increase in treatment of internal tumors, in tumor ablation by irreversible electroporation, and when using pulses of longer durations. We evaluated the performance of our algorithm for synchronization of electroporation pulse delivery with electrocardiogram. The application of this algorithm in clinical electroporation would increase the level of safety for the patient and suitability of electroporation for use in anatomical locations presently not accessible to existing electroporation devices and electrodes
Single Center Review of Femoral Arteriovenous Grafts for Hemodialysis
It is unclear how to manage high risk hemodialysis patients who present with an indwelling catheter. The National Kidney Foundation Practice Guidelines urge prompt removal of the catheter, but the guidelines do not specifically address the problem of patients whose only option is a femoral arteriovenous (AV) graft.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/41306/1/268_2005_Article_62.pd
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