Chromatography Method for Simultaneous Determination of Five Synthetic Dyes by High Performance Liquid Chromatography

An effective analytical method for the simultaneous determination of five synthetic colorants (i.e., Tartrazine, Brilliant Black, Sunset yellow, Brilliant Blue and Erythrosine) in wine by Reversed-Phase High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with a Diode Array detector was established. The experimental parameters, including the spectrophotometric properties, detection limits and recoveries of studied synthetic colorants, were studied in detail. These parameters were determinated according to statistical methods.Under optimized conditions, the recoveries for all experimental samples were in the range of 98.03–103.5%, and this method had good linearities in the tested ranges with correlation coefficients (r2) >0.9991. The limits of quantification for five synthetic colorants were between 0.054 and 0.1 mg.L−1. Keywords: synthetic dyes, high performance liquid chromatograph

Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Summary Background Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. Methods We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung’s disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. Findings We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung’s disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middleincome countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in lowincome countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. Interpretation Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between lowincome, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030

The Cytokine Storm in COVID-19: The Strongest Link to Morbidity and Mortality in the Current Epidemic

COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The clinical presentations of the SARS-CoV-2 infection are widely variable and treatment strategies for COVID-19 are dependent on the infection phase. Timing the right treatment for the right phase of this disease is paramount, with correlations detected between the phase of the infection and the type of drug used to treat. The immune system activation following COVID-19 infection can further develop to a fulminant cytokine storm which can progress to acute respiratory distress syndrome. The inflammatory phase, or the hyperinflammation phase, is a later stage when patients develop acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), sepsis, and kidney and other organ failure. In this stage, the virus is probably not necessary and all the damage is due to the immune system&rsquo;s cytokine storm. Immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory agent administration is the major strategy in treating COVID-19 patients at this stage. On the other hand, immunodeficient patients who are treated with immunomodulator agents have attenuated immune systems that do not produce enough cytokines. Current data do not show an increased risk of severe COVID-19 in patients taking biologic therapies or targeted disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. However, more comprehensive studies are needed to assess the effect of these medications, and whether they may actually be protective of the severe type of disease. Although medications for COVID-19 and for the cytokine storm are important, the main breakthrough in slowing down the pandemic was developing effective vaccines. These vaccines showed a dramatic result in reducing morbidity and mortality up to the Delta variant&rsquo;s spread. However, the emergence of the new variant, Omicron, influenced the successful results we had before. This variant is more contagious but less dangerous than Delta. The aim now is to develop vaccines based on the Omicron and Delta immunogens in the future for broad protection against different variants

Pulmonary Embolism in Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Patient Induced by Inferior Vena Cava Mechanical Compression

Introduction: Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease is a common syndrome. Renal and hepatic cysts can cause discomfort, bleeding, rupture, infection, hypertension and a mass effect with compression of adjacent organs.Case presentation: A 48-year-old man with polycystic kidney disease and hypertension presented to the emergency department for bilateral flank pain. An abdominal computed tomography scan with contrast showed a 7 cm heterogeneous process posteriorly and laterally to the right kidney. It appeared to be a renal cyst associated with bleeding and bilateral pulmonary artery filling defects, apparently due to pulmonary embolism. Cavography following inferior vena cava filter insertion did not show any deep vein thrombosis. Discussion and conclusion: The pulmonary embolism was probably caused by extrinsic inferior vena cava compression by a liver cyst. Virchow's triad of stasis, vessel damage and hypercoagulability probably resulted in a thrombus which moved on the right side to the pulmonary artery

New potentiometric electrode based on ion pair complex for determination of tropicamide in pure and pharmaceutical formulations

Construction and general performance of a novel modified carbon paste electrode (MCPE) for determination of tropicamide (TPC) in pure form and pharmaceutical formulations have been examined. Tropicamide-tetraphenylborate (TPC–TPB) ion pair has been prepa­red and used as electroactive material. The best MCPE electrode was composed of 7 % ion-pair, 46.5 % dioctylphthalat and 46.5 % graphite powder. The electrode shows stable potentiometric response for TPC in the concentration range 0.3–221.0 µM at 25 °C and pH range of 2.0–8.0. The electrode exhibits near Nernstian slope of 59.71±0.30 mV/decade and lower limit of detection of 0.09 µM with fast response time (less than 15 s). The selectivity of the electrode (TPC–TPB) was investigated with respect to some organic and inorganic cations. The MCPE was designed to have better mechanical resistance. The proposed method was successfully applied for determination of TPC in eye drop formulation

Clinical Predictors of Mortality and Critical Illness in Patients with COVID-19 Pneumonia

Early identification of patients with COVID-19 who will develop severe or critical disease symptoms is important for delivering proper and early treatment. We analyzed demographic, clinical, immunological, hematological, biochemical and radiographic findings that may be of utility to clinicians in predicting COVID-19 severity and mortality. Electronic medical record data from patients diagnosed with COVID-19 from November 2020 to June 2021 in the COVID-19 Department in the Galilee Medical Center, Nahariya, Israel, were collected. Epidemiologic, clinical, laboratory and imaging variables were analyzed. Multivariate stepwise regression analyses and discriminant analyses were used to identify and validate powerful predictors. The main outcome measure was invasive ventilation, or death. The study population included 390 patients, with a mean age of 61 ± 18, and 51% were male. The non-survivors were mostly male, elderly and overweight and significantly suffered from hypertension, diabetes mellitus type 2, lung disease, hemodialysis and past use of aspirin. Four predictive factors were found that associated with increased disease severity and/or mortality: age, NLR, BUN, and use of high flow oxygen therapy (HFNC). The AUC or diagnostic accuracy was 87%, with a sensitivity of 97%, specificity of 60%, PPV of 87% and NPP of 91%. The cytokine levels of CXCL-10, GCSF, IL-2 and IL-6 were significantly reduced upon the discharge of severely ill COVID-19 patients. The predictive factors associated with increased mortality include age, NLR, BUN, and use of HFNC upon admission. Identifying those with higher risks of mortality could help in early interventions to reduce the risk of death

Convalescent Plasma Reduces Mortality and Decreases Hospitalization Stay in Patients with Moderate COVID-19 Pneumonia

Humans infected with SARS-CoV-2 may develop COVID-19, which manifests across a wide spectrum of clinical severity ranging from mild upper respiratory tract illnesses to diffuse viral pneumonia, causing acute respiratory failure. Many therapies have been tested for their efficacy in treating COVID-19. Controversy surrounds convalescent plasma transfusions as an effective treatment for COVID-19. This study discusses the efficacy of this treatment on COVID-19 patients. Electronic medical record data were collected from patients diagnosed with COVID-19, from November 2020 to August 2021, in the Galilee Medical Center’s COVID-19 departments. Epidemiological, clinical, laboratory and imaging variables were analyzed. Multivariate stepwise regression and discriminant analyses were used to identify and validate the correlation between convalescent treatment and either death or time to negative PCR and hospitalization length. The study population included 270 patients, 100 of them treated with convalescent plasma. The results show that convalescent plasma therapy significantly prevented mortality in moderate patients, reduced hospitalization length and time to negative PCR. Additionally, high BMI, elderly age, high CRP and 4C-scores correlated with the severity and mortality of COVID-19 patients. Convalescent plasma also significantly reduced inflammatory markers, especially in moderate COVID-19 patients. In non-critical hospitalized patients, convalescent plasma therapy reduces morbidity and mortality in moderate COVID-19 patients and hospitalization length. Identifying patients who could benefit from this treatment could reduce the risk of death and shorten their hospitalization stay

Liver Fat Storage Is a Better Predictor of Coronary Artery Disease than Visceral Fat

Fatty liver is one aspect of metabolic syndrome. The roles and contributions of fatty liver and visceral fat storage to coronary artery disease (CAD) are not clear. This study measured associations among visceral fat storage, fatty liver, insulin resistance, atherosclerosis, and CAD. Patients were divided into three groups: excess visceral fat (visceral fat area >330 ± 99 cm2), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and a control group. The definition of fatty liver is liver minus spleen density greater than or equal to −10. We defined early atherosclerosis as intima–media thickness of the common carotid artery >7 mm in men and >0.65 mm in women, measured with Doppler ultrasound. Visceral fat area was defined using CT (>330 ± 99 cm2). Insulin-resistance biomarkers (HOMA), CRP, and oxidant–antioxidant status (MDA-Paraoxonase) were also measured. Patients with high liver or visceral fat showed higher coronary plaque prevalence (50% (p p p p pp p p p p p p < 0.001). Liver fat storage is a strong independent risk factor for CAD and carotid atherosclerosis and contributes more than visceral fat storage

Convalescent Plasma Reduces Mortality and Decreases Hospitalization Stay in Patients with Moderate COVID-19 Pneumonia

Humans infected with SARS-CoV-2 may develop COVID-19, which manifests across a wide spectrum of clinical severity ranging from mild upper respiratory tract illnesses to diffuse viral pneumonia, causing acute respiratory failure. Many therapies have been tested for their efficacy in treating COVID-19. Controversy surrounds convalescent plasma transfusions as an effective treatment for COVID-19. This study discusses the efficacy of this treatment on COVID-19 patients. Electronic medical record data were collected from patients diagnosed with COVID-19, from November 2020 to August 2021, in the Galilee Medical Center’s COVID-19 departments. Epidemiological, clinical, laboratory and imaging variables were analyzed. Multivariate stepwise regression and discriminant analyses were used to identify and validate the correlation between convalescent treatment and either death or time to negative PCR and hospitalization length. The study population included 270 patients, 100 of them treated with convalescent plasma. The results show that convalescent plasma therapy significantly prevented mortality in moderate patients, reduced hospitalization length and time to negative PCR. Additionally, high BMI, elderly age, high CRP and 4C-scores correlated with the severity and mortality of COVID-19 patients. Convalescent plasma also significantly reduced inflammatory markers, especially in moderate COVID-19 patients. In non-critical hospitalized patients, convalescent plasma therapy reduces morbidity and mortality in moderate COVID-19 patients and hospitalization length. Identifying patients who could benefit from this treatment could reduce the risk of death and shorten their hospitalization stay

Clearance of the SARS-CoV-2 Virus in an Immunocompromised Patient Mediated by Convalescent Plasma without B-Cell Recovery

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This case report presents a patient who had difficulty eradicating the corona virus due to being treated with Rituximab, which depletes B lymphocyte cells and therefore disables the production of neutralizing antibodies. The combined use of external anti-viral agents like convalescent plasma, IVIG and Remdesivir successfully helped the patient’s immune system to eradicate the virus without B-cell population recovery. In vitro studies showed that convalescent plasma is the main agent that helped in eradicating the virus