Clinical outcomes of non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding and its relation to aspirin and anticoagulants.

BACKGROUND: Non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (NVUGIB) is a life-threatening emergency that requires an urgent management. Antiplatelet (e.g., aspirin) and anticoagulant drugs are widely chronically used in various cardiac and coronary artery diseases. These drugs increase the risk of NVUGIB as they may cause ulceration of the upper gastrointestinal (GI) mucosa directly or may cause bleeding or rebleeding. The management of NVUGIB is complicated as the risk between GI bleeding episodes and cardiovascular attacks needs to be well managed. AIM: The aim of this study is to determine the impact of antiplatelets (aspirin) and anticoagulants use on the morbidity, mortality, and clinical outcomes in patients presented with non-variceal GI bleeding. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 105 patients presented with melena and/or hematemesis and diagnosed by upper GI endoscopy were enrolled in a prospective cohort study. Patients were sub-grouped according to their use of antiplatelets, anticoagulants, or none (controls). Patients were excluded if they had portal hypertension or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) use and divided into five groups: Group I – patients who had not taken anticoagulants and antiplatelet; Group II – patients on heparin, warfarin, and LMWH only; Group III – patients on aspirin only; Group IV – patients on clopidogrel and ticlopidine with or without aspirin; and Group V – patients on combined anticoagulants and antiplatelet. All patients were subjected to clinical, laboratory (complete blood count, liver function tests, renal function tests, prothrombin time, and partial thromboplastin time), and endoscopic investigations. Clinical details were reported including admission, blood transfusion, rebleeding, and mortality. RESULTS: Full medical history revealed that 43 patients were diabetic, 45 patients were cardiac, and 67 patients were hypertensive. Regarding the history of analgesic drug intake, 38 patients used NSAIDs and 29 of them used non-selective NSAIDs and 8 patients used selective NSAIDs. There were non-significant differences among the studied groups with NVUGIB regarding sex, hematemesis only presentation, melena only presentation, liver function tests, and endoscopic findings. On the other hand, there were statistically significant differences between the studied groups with NVGIB regarding increasing age, NSAIDs use whatever selective or non-selective, decrease level of HB, WBCs, serum albumin, bleeding profile, kidney function tests, clinical presentation in the form of hematemesis and melena, need for blood transfusion, history of associated diseases, especially being cardiac patients, rebleeding after 6 and 12 months, and mortality. CONCLUSION: Aspirin intake may be associated with less favorable clinical outcomes in patients with NVUGIB, while combined anticoagulants and antiplatelets seem to be associated with the worse outcomes

The Effectiveness of Technical Multiplicity in Enrichment of the Creative Aspects of Design Surfaces

Abstract:Technology is one of the design processes that give the idea its physical existence, and it is one of the most important means of visual attraction because of its influential capabilities in terms of form, function and material, which helps the designer to communicate his ideas according to the systems he adopts to show the aesthetics of the design building. The scientific and technological development has led to more Among the techniques in front of the designer's thought and imagination, and it helped in the emergence of multiple creative methods, and each type had different specifications and boundaries of different possibilities, which necessitated the necessity of knowing that diversity and plurality and the relationship of each other and the realization of their aesthetic values and creativity in order to be able to choose the appropriate ones, which opens the horizons of experimentation and the discovery of modern techniques and materials that enrich the creative design thinking, and the successful creative designer in the field of design is one who has the knowledge and ability to deal professionally with many technologies that enable him to design and produce works of the best possible quality and development His abilities and solutions to many problems encountered in the field of design and presenting new creative casesThe research problem is determined in investing the increasing development in technologies with the scientific and technological progress and the resulting diversity and multiplicity of methods and techniques in the field of design and combining several techniques to find various creative solutions to enrich the design surfaces, through procedural steps based on the tools of the descriptive analytical approach to track the development of technologies In design trends in the period of modernity and beyond, and to study selections of technical patterns and their impact on design construction, enriching the creative aspects of design surfaces, and conducting the research to several results, including:- Exposing the multiplicity and diversity of design methods and techniques in the period of modernity and beyond.- Knowledge of the limits and capabilities of design techniques and the optimal use of them.- The combination of patterns from technologies to design trends enriches the creative aspects of design surfaces

Post Covid-19 Tourism: Promoting the Holy Family Trail as a Niche Religious Tourism Destination/ الترويج ل مسار العائلة :COVID- السياحة بعد 19 المقدسة كوجهة للسياحة الدينية

The tourism sector constitutes significant importance for the Egyptian economy, with a contribution of 11.9% to the GDP and total employment of 2.49 million in 2018. The sector has different segments including both mass and niche tourism, where Egypt is heavily dependent on the former. Over the past 10 years, the sector was hammered by several internal and external intermittent hits, resulting in instability in the sector and fluctuations in its revenues that have consequently pulled down the foreign currency reserves. The current challenge of COVID-19 has introduced a new global norm that hurdled the mobility of mass tourist groups and the regular functionality of the sector in light of the imposed global travel restrictions.Despite Egypt’s tourism product portfolio diversification, Egypt relies heavily on both segments of mass tourism: recreational and cultural tourism. Given the increasing competition that characterizes the marketplace of the world’s mass tourism sector, in addition to the new normal dictated by COVID-19, there is a need to shift towards the niche tourism segments. By virtue of their nature, niche segments are less damaging, more sustainable, and more inclusive. Moreover, it generates higher revenues and expands the life cycle of tourism destinations

Financing for tuberculosis prevention, diagnosis and treatment services in the Western Pacific Region in 2005–2020

Objective: This paper provides an overview of financing for tuberculosis (TB) prevention, diagnostic and treatment services in the World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Region during 2005–2020. Methods: This analysis uses the WHO global TB finance database to describe TB funding during 2005–2020 in 18 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in the Western Pacific Region, with additional country-level data and analysis for seven priority countries: Cambodia, China, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and Viet Nam. Results: Funding for the provision of TB prevention, diagnostic and treatment services in the 18 LMICs tripled from US$358 million in 2005 to US$ 1061 million in 2020, driven largely by increases in domestic funding, which rose from US$325 million to US$ 939 million over the same period. In the seven priority countries, TB investments also tripled, from US$340 million in 2005 to US$ 1020 million in 2020. China alone accounted for much of this growth, increasing its financing for TB programmes and services five-fold, from US$160 million to US$ 784 million. The latest country forecasts estimate that US$3.8 billion will be required to fight TB in the seven priority countries by 2025, which means that unless additional funding is mobilized, the funding gap will increase from US$ 326 million in 2020 to US$ 830 million by 2025. Discussion: Increases in domestic funding over the past 15 years reflect a firm political commitment to ending TB. However, current funding levels do not meet the required needs to finance the national TB strategic plans in the priority countries. An urgent step-up of public financing efforts is required to reduce the burden of TB in the Western Pacific Region

Depression, Nutrition, and Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy in Men Who Have Sex With Men in Manila, Philippines

Introduction: Depression is the most frequently observed psychiatric disorder among HIV patients. The effect of depression on adherence among men who have sex with men (MSM) HIV patients has not been well studied in the Philippines. Depression is commonly undiagnosed and consequently untreated, which leads to a negative influence on antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence. Other risk factors such as HIV-related stigma, self-body image satisfaction, and nutritional status are recognized as potential barriers to access HIV prevention and treatment services issues and poor adherence.Methods: Hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) was used to screen depressive symptoms during scheduled clinic visits. ART adherence was self-reported using a visual analog scale questionnaire covering the last 30 days. Structured questionnaires were used for measuring risk factors and socio-demographic data. Anthropometry was conducted and body composition was assessed using bioelectrical impedance analysis.Results: One-hundred and ninety-three participants were recruited from the SHIP clinic between 7th March and 30th September 2018, of whom, 42 (21.8%) screened positive for depression (HADS score ≥ 8) and 24 (12.4%) were non-adherent to ART (<95% of medication taken as prescribed). The most common reported reason for non-adherence was simply forgotten (18 out of 42, 42.9%). Increasing depressive symptoms were associated with non-adherence [crude odds ratio (OR) = 1.13; 95% CI: 1.02–1.26]. Social family support (SFS) and body image (BI) scores were also associated with non-adherence, but were not statistically significant in multivariable models. Factors significantly associated with depressive symptoms (but not non-adherence) included the following: using intravenous drugs, being in a relationship, anxiety, self-esteem, and stigma scores.Conclusions: Increased depression symptoms, low social family support, and body image dissatisfaction may be interconnected risk factors for ART non-adherence among Filipino MSM HIV patients. Comprehensive mental health services beyond regular post-HIV testing counseling may increase adherence to ART and improve HIV treatment outcomes. Further prospective studies are needed to address the causal/reverse causal pathway between depression and non-adherence

Surgical site infection after gastrointestinal surgery in high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries: a prospective, international, multicentre cohort study

Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most common infections associated with health care, but its importance as a global health priority is not fully understood. We quantified the burden of SSI after gastrointestinal surgery in countries in all parts of the world. Methods: This international, prospective, multicentre cohort study included consecutive patients undergoing elective or emergency gastrointestinal resection within 2-week time periods at any health-care facility in any country. Countries with participating centres were stratified into high-income, middle-income, and low-income groups according to the UN's Human Development Index (HDI). Data variables from the GlobalSurg 1 study and other studies that have been found to affect the likelihood of SSI were entered into risk adjustment models. The primary outcome measure was the 30-day SSI incidence (defined by US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for superficial and deep incisional SSI). Relationships with explanatory variables were examined using Bayesian multilevel logistic regression models. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02662231. Findings: Between Jan 4, 2016, and July 31, 2016, 13 265 records were submitted for analysis. 12 539 patients from 343 hospitals in 66 countries were included. 7339 (58·5%) patient were from high-HDI countries (193 hospitals in 30 countries), 3918 (31·2%) patients were from middle-HDI countries (82 hospitals in 18 countries), and 1282 (10·2%) patients were from low-HDI countries (68 hospitals in 18 countries). In total, 1538 (12·3%) patients had SSI within 30 days of surgery. The incidence of SSI varied between countries with high (691 [9·4%] of 7339 patients), middle (549 [14·0%] of 3918 patients), and low (298 [23·2%] of 1282) HDI (p < 0·001). The highest SSI incidence in each HDI group was after dirty surgery (102 [17·8%] of 574 patients in high-HDI countries; 74 [31·4%] of 236 patients in middle-HDI countries; 72 [39·8%] of 181 patients in low-HDI countries). Following risk factor adjustment, patients in low-HDI countries were at greatest risk of SSI (adjusted odds ratio 1·60, 95% credible interval 1·05–2·37; p=0·030). 132 (21·6%) of 610 patients with an SSI and a microbiology culture result had an infection that was resistant to the prophylactic antibiotic used. Resistant infections were detected in 49 (16·6%) of 295 patients in high-HDI countries, in 37 (19·8%) of 187 patients in middle-HDI countries, and in 46 (35·9%) of 128 patients in low-HDI countries (p < 0·001). Interpretation: Countries with a low HDI carry a disproportionately greater burden of SSI than countries with a middle or high HDI and might have higher rates of antibiotic resistance. In view of WHO recommendations on SSI prevention that highlight the absence of high-quality interventional research, urgent, pragmatic, randomised trials based in LMICs are needed to assess measures aiming to reduce this preventable complication

Unveiling the therapeutic potential of exogenous β-hydroxybutyrate for chronic colitis in rats: novel insights on autophagy, apoptosis, and pyroptosis

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic relapsing inflammatory disease of the colorectal area that demonstrates a dramatically increasing incidence worldwide. This study provides novel insights into the capacity of the exogenous β-hydroxybutyrate and ketogenic diet (KD) consumption to alleviate dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced UC in rats. Remarkably, both interventions attenuated disease activity and colon weight-to-length ratio, and improved macro and microstructures of the damaged colon. Importantly, both β-hydroxybutyrate and KD curbed the DSS-induced aberrant NLRP3 inflammasome activation as observed in mRNA and protein expression analysis. Additionally, inhibition of the NLRP3/NGSDMD-mediated pyroptosis was detected in response to both regimens. In parallel, these modalities attenuated caspase-1 and its associated consequences of IL-1β and IL-18 overproduction. They also mitigated apoptosis as indicated by the inactivation of caspase-3. The anti-inflammatory effects of BHB and KD were confirmed by the reported decline in the levels of inflammatory markers including MPO, NFκB, IL-6, and TNF-α. Moreover, these interventions exhibited antioxidative properties by reducing ROS production and improving antioxidative enzymes. Their effectiveness in mitigating UC was also evident in the renovation of normal intestinal epithelial barrier function, as shown by correcting the discrepancies in the levels of tight junction proteins ZO-1, OCLN, and CLDN5. Furthermore, their effects on the intestinal microbiota homeostasis were investigated. In terms of autophagy, exogenous β-hydroxybutyrate upregulated BECN-1 and downregulated p62, which may account for its superiority over KD in attenuating colonic damage. In conclusion, this study provides experimental evidence supporting the potential therapeutic use of β-hydroxybutyrate or β-hydroxybutyrate-boosting regimens in UC

フィリピンの結核患者のうつ状態、スティグマ、社会・家族支援と栄養状態 -- 抗結核治療アドヒアランスへの影響についての混合研究 --

長崎大学学位論文 学位記番号:博(Global Health)甲第2号 学位授与年月日:令和3年9月17日Nagasaki University（長崎大学）課程博