The safety of paediatric surgery between COVID-19 surges:an observational study

Despite the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, elective paediatric surgery must continue safely through the first, second and subsequent waves of disease. This study presents outcome data from a children's hospital in north-west England, the region with the highest prevalence of COVID-19 in England. Children and young people undergoing elective surgery isolated within their household for 14 days, then presented for real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus disease-2 (SARS-CoV-2) within 72 h of their procedure (or rapid testing within 24 h in high-risk cases), and completed a screening questionnaire on admission. Planned surgery resumed on 26 May 2020; in the four subsequent weeks, there were 197 patients for emergency and 501 for elective procedures. A total of 488 out of 501 (97.4%) elective admissions proceeded, representing a 2.6% COVID-19-related cancellation rate. There was no difference in the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 among children and young people who had or had not isolated for 14 days (p > 0.99). One out of 685 (0.1%) children who had surgery re-presented to the hospital with symptoms potentially consistent with SARS-CoV-2 within 14 days of surgery. Outcomes were similar to those in the same time period in 2019 for length of stay (p = 1.0); unplanned critical care admissions (p = 0.59); and 14-day hospital re-admission (p = 0.17). However, the current cohort were younger (p = 0.037); of increased complexity (

Human malarial disease: a consequence of inflammatory cytokine release

Malaria causes an acute systemic human disease that bears many similarities, both clinically and mechanistically, to those caused by bacteria, rickettsia, and viruses. Over the past few decades, a literature has emerged that argues for most of the pathology seen in all of these infectious diseases being explained by activation of the inflammatory system, with the balance between the pro and anti-inflammatory cytokines being tipped towards the onset of systemic inflammation. Although not often expressed in energy terms, there is, when reduced to biochemical essentials, wide agreement that infection with falciparum malaria is often fatal because mitochondria are unable to generate enough ATP to maintain normal cellular function. Most, however, would contend that this largely occurs because sequestered parasitized red cells prevent sufficient oxygen getting to where it is needed. This review considers the evidence that an equally or more important way ATP deficency arises in malaria, as well as these other infectious diseases, is an inability of mitochondria, through the effects of inflammatory cytokines on their function, to utilise available oxygen. This activity of these cytokines, plus their capacity to control the pathways through which oxygen supply to mitochondria are restricted (particularly through directing sequestration and driving anaemia), combine to make falciparum malaria primarily an inflammatory cytokine-driven disease

Biological bar code for determining the geographical origin offruits using 28S rDNA ¢ngerprinting of fungal communities by PCR-DGGE: an application to Shea tree fruits

ABSTRACT Objectives Shea tree is a multi-purpose tree daily used by rural African communities. Economic importance of Shea tree fruits has been rising and achieving a great success in African, American and European markets. Shea butter is used mainly in chocolate industry, cosmetic or pharmacological products. Traceability is now one of the great concerns of the customers and the lawyers. In view of the difficulties of installing these documentary systems in developing country particularly the countries of sub-Saharan Africa, the new strategies of traceability emerge. Methods Molecular technique using 28S rDNA profiles generated by polymerase chain reaction denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis was used to detect the variation in fungal community structures of Shea tree fruit from Senegal, Mali and Cameroon. Results 28S rDNA profiles were analysed by multivariate analysis, distinct microbial communities were detected. Band profiles of Shea tree fruit fungi from different countries were specific for each location and could be used as a bar code to discriminate the origin of fruits. Conclusion We propose the polymerase chain reaction denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis method as the fingerprinting of Shea tree fruits using 28S rDNA of fungi that provides the fruits with a unique bar code and make it possible to trace back the Shea tree fruit to their original locations

Prevalence of Antibody to Hepatitis C Virus in Saudi Blood Donors

The prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) was retrospectively determined using a second generation enzyme immunoassay in 3868 blood donors from the southern part of Saudi Arabia in an area with high prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Of 3354 Saudis, 48 (1.43%) were seropositive for anti-HCV. A high prevalence (43 of 204, 21.08%) of anti-HCV was observed among Egyptian donors compared with Saudis (1.43%) and other nationalities (eight of 310, 2.58%). Furthermore, the prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies was observed to increase with age, peaking in the 25 to 34 year age group. From this and other studies conducted in different regions of Saudi Arabia, the prevalence of anti-HCV among Egyptian donors appears to range from 19.2 to 24.5%, and among Saudi donors appears to range from 1.00 to 1.7%, a rate similar to that reported from western countries; this latter rate does not seem to be influenced by the high prevalence of HBV infection in this region

Correction: Omar et al. Antifungal Evaluation and Molecular Docking Studies of Olea europaea Leaf Extract, Thymus vulgaris and Boswellia carteri Essential Oil as Prospective Fungal Inhibitor Candidates. Molecules 2021, 26, 6118

The authors of this paper [...

Nutritional Composition and Volatile Compounds of Black Cumin (Nigella sativa L.) Seed, Fatty Acid Composition and Tocopherols, Polyphenols, and Antioxidant Activity of Its Essential Oil

This study was to assess the nutritional quality and bioactive properties of black cumin (Nigella sativa L.) seeds and oil commonly found in the Chinese market. The results showed that black cumin seeds contain 5.02, 21.07, 39.02, 3.02, 6.01, and 25.86% moisture, crude proteins, crude fat, ash, fiber, and carbohydrates, respectively. It also contains substantial amounts of minerals, namely calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, iron, zinc, and copper. Glutamic acid (4.10 g/100 g protein) is the major amino acid of black cumin seeds. The major volatile components in black cumin seeds were thymoquinone (21.01%), o-cymene (18.23%), and β-thujene (17.22%). Cumin seed oil extracted by the soxhlet method contains high quantities of unsaturated fatty acids (UFA; 85.16%) and low amounts of saturated fatty acids (SFA; 15.02%). The major fatty acid of black cumin seed oil was linoleic acid (57.71%), followed by oleic acid (24.46%). The most prominent TAG of black cumin seed oils was oleoyl-dilinoleoyl-glycerol (OLL; 38.87%). In addition, the levels of α-tocopherol, β-tocopherol, γ-tocopherol, and total polyphenols in the black cumin seed oil were 25.59, 14.21, and 242.83 mg/100 g, and 315.68 mg GAE/kg, respectively, and possessed high antioxidant activity (DPPH IC50%, of 4.02 mg/mL). These findings demonstrate that black cumin seeds are nutritionally rich with high potential applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries