135 research outputs found

    A taxonomic study of some red algae commonly growing on the coast of Karachi

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    Eighteen commonly occurring species of marine benthic red algae, i.e., Asparagopsis taxiformis (Delile) Trevisan, Bangia atropurpurea (Roth) C. Agardh, Centroceras clavulatum (C. Agardh) Montagne, Calliblepharis fimbriata (Greville) Kiitzing, Coelarthrum muelleri (Sonder) BĀ¢rgesen, Cottoniella filamentosa (Howe) BĀ¢rgesen, Gracilariafoliifera (Forsskai) BĀ¢rgesen, Halymenia porphyraeformis (BĀ¢rgesen) Parkinson, Hypnea muscifor:mis (Wulfen) Lamouroux, Hypnea valentiae (Turner) Montagne, Laurencia obtusa (Hudson) Lamouroux, Me!anothamnus somalensis Bomet et Falkenberg, Porphyra vietnamensis Tanaka et Pham-hoang H6, Sarconema filiforme (Sonder) Kylin, Sebdenia flabellata (J. Agardh) Parkinson, Scinaia fascicularis (BĀ¢rgesen) Huisman, Scinaia hatei BĀ¢rgesen, and Solieria robusta (Greville) Kylin were collected from coastal areas near Karachi (Pakistan) and taxonomically investigated. All the investigated seaweeds are taxonomically known species. During this study, Melanothamnus somalensis is reported for the first time from northern Arabian Sea and Asparagopsis taxiformis, Bangia atropurpurea, Cottoniella filamentosa, Gracilaria foliifera, Halymenia porphyraeformis, Melanothamnus somalensis, Sarconema filiforme, Sebdenia flabellata, Scinaia fascicularis, and Solieria robusta are taxonomically described for the first time from the coast of Pakistan

    Fatty acid composition of three species of Hypnea (Gigartinales, Rhodophyta) from Karachi coast

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    Hypnea musciformis (Wulf.) Lamour., H. pannosa J. Ag. and H. valentiae (Turn.) Mont., collected from the northern Arabian Sea coast of Pakistan, have been investigated for their fatty acid compositions through GC-MS. Palmitic acid was present in largest quantity (55-57%) and oleic was the major (7.6-8.4%) unsaturated fatty acid. Pentacosanoic and hexacosenoic acids are being reported for the first time from any species of Hypnea. The three species differed remarkably due to their habitat ecology

    Contrasting Pattern of Chronic Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Primary and Autoimmune Sclerosing Cholangitis.

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    To access publisher's full text version of this article click on the hyperlink at the bottom of the pagePrimary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and autoimmune sclerosing cholangitis (AISC) are related, but distinct chronic liver diseases. PSC is associated with a high prevalence of ulcerative colitis while the intestinal inflammation associated with AISC is less well characterised.To assess and contrast aspects of intestinal inflammation in patients with AISC and PSC and compare the clinical features with those of patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.23 and 22 patients with AISC and PSC, respectively, underwent review of colonoscopy and biopsy findings, capsule enteroscopy and assessment of clinical and inflammatory (faecal calprotectin) disease activity, which was compared with that of patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease (n = 55 each).Five and 6 patients with AISC and PSC, respectively, had normal colonoscopy and faecal calprotectin levels of 34.4 Ā± 8.3 and 39.7 Ā± 8.4 Ī¼g/g, respectively (normal 0.05) between patients with intestinal inflammation in AISC (588 Ā± 549 Ī¼g/g), PSC (421 Ā± 351 Ī¼g/g), ulcerative colitis (501 Ā± 656 Ī¼g/g) or Crohn's disease (476 Ā± 571 Ī¼g/g). Capsule enteroscopy showed that 7 of 18 (39%) (p < 0.03) of those with AISC had small bowel mucosal breaks whereas no patient with PSC had these findings.Collectively these findings lend support to the suggestion that the chronic inflammatory bowel disease associated with PSC and in particular AISC may represent a distinct nosologic entity different from classic ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease

    Towards NHS Zero: greener gastroenterology and the impact of virtual clinics on carbon emissions and patient outcomes. A multisite, observational, cross-sectional study

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    OBJECTIVE: The National Health Service (NHS) produces more carbon emissions than any public sector organisation in England. In 2020, it became the first health service worldwide to commit to becoming carbon net zero, the same year as the COVID-19 pandemic forced healthcare systems globally to rapidly adapt service delivery. As part of this, outpatient appointments became largely remote. Although the environmental benefit of this change may seem intuitive the impact on patient outcomes must remain a priority. Previous studies have evaluated the impact of telemedicine on emission reduction and patient outcomes but never before in the gastroenterology outpatient setting. METHOD: 2140 appointments from general gastroenterology clinics across 11 Trusts were retrospectively analysed prior to and during the pandemic. 100 consecutive appointments during two periods of time, from 1 June 2019 (prepandemic) to 1 June 2020 (during the pandemic), were used. Patients were telephoned to confirm the mode of transport used to attend their appointment and electronic patient records reviewed to assess did-not-attend (DNA) rates, 90-day admission rates and 90-day mortality rates. RESULTS: Remote consultations greatly reduced the carbon emissions associated with each appointment. Although more patients DNA their remote consultations and doctors more frequently requested follow-up blood tests when reviewing patients face-to-face, there was no significant difference in patient 90-day admissions or mortality when consultations were remote. CONCLUSION: Remote consultations greatly reduced the carbon emissions associated with each appointment. Although more patients DNA their remote consultations and doctors more frequently requested follow-up blood tests when reviewing patients face-to-face, there was no significant difference in patient 90-day admissions or mortality when consultations were remote

    Aberrant hepatic trafficking of gut-derived T cells is not specific to primary sclerosing cholangitis

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    Background and Aims The ā€œgut homingā€ hypothesis suggests the pathogenesis of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is driven by aberrant hepatic expression of gut adhesion molecules and subsequent recruitment of gutā€derived T cells to the liver. However, inconsistencies lie within this theory including an absence of investigations and comparisons with other chronic liver diseases (CLD). Here, we examine ā€œthe gut homing theoryā€ in patients with PSC with associated inflammatory bowel disease (PSCā€IBD) and across multiple inflammatory liver diseases. Approach and Results Expression of MAdCAMā€1, CCL25, and Eā€Cadherin were assessed histologically and using RTā€PCR on explanted liver tissue from patients with CLD undergoing OLT and in normal liver. Liver mononuclear cells were isolated from explanted tissue samples and the expression of gut homing integrins and cytokines on hepatic infiltrating gutā€derived T cells was assessed using flow cytometry. Hepatic expression of MAdCAMā€1, CCL25 and Eā€Cadherin was upā€regulated in all CLDs compared with normal liver. There were no differences between disease groups. Frequencies of Ī±4Ī²7, Ī±EĪ²7, CCR9, and GPR15 expressing hepatic T cells was increased in PSCā€IBD, but also in CLD controls, compared with normal liver. Ī²7 expressing hepatic T cells displayed an increased inflammatory phenotype compared with Ī²7 negative cells, although this inflammatory cytokine profile was present in both the inflamed and normal liver. Conclusions These findings refute the widely accepted ā€œgut homingā€ hypothesis as the primary driver of PSC and indicate that aberrant hepatic recruitment of gutā€derived T cells is not unique to PSC, but is a panetiological feature of CLD

    Cytokine responsive networks in human colonic epithelial organoids unveil a molecular classification of inflammatory bowel disease

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    Interactions between the epithelium and the immune system are critical in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In this study, we mapped the transcriptional landscape of human colonic epithelial organoids in response to different cytokines responsible for mediating canonical mucosal immune responses. By profiling the transcriptome of human colonic organoids treated with the canonical cytokines interferon gamma, interleukin-13, -17A, and tumor necrosis factor alpha with next-generation sequencing, we unveil shared and distinct regulation patterns of epithelial function by different cytokines. An integrative analysis of cytokine responses in diseased tissue from patients with IBD (n = 1,009) reveals a molecular classification of mucosal inflammation defined by gradients of cytokine-responsive transcriptional signatures. Our systems biology approach detected signaling bottlenecks in cytokine-responsive networks and highlighted their translational potential as theragnostic targets in intestinal inflammation

    The LUCID study: living with ulcerative colitis; identifying the socioeconomic burden in Europe

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    Background Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease with increasing prevalence worldwide. Current treatment strategies place considerable economic and humanistic burdens on patients. The aim of this study was to determine the socioeconomic burden of UC in adult patients in European countries in a real-world setting. Methods In this retrospective, cross-sectional and observational pan-European study, patients with moderate or severe UC were assigned to ARM 1 and patients who had moderate or severe UC but achieved mild or remission status 12 months before index date (or clinical consultation date), were assigned to ARM 2. Clinical and medical resource use data were collected via electronic case report forms, and data on non-medical and indirect costs, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) were collected via patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) questionnaires. Per-patient annual total costs per ARM and per country were calculated using the collated resource use in the last 12 months (between the start of the documentation period and patient consultation or index date) and country specific unit costs. Quality of life was described by arm and by country. Results In the physician-reported eCRF population (nā€‰=ā€‰2966), the mean annual direct medical cost was ā‚¬4065 in ARM 1 (nā€‰=ā€‰1835) and ā‚¬2935 in ARM 2 (nā€‰=ā€‰1131). In the PPIE population (ARM 1, nā€‰=ā€‰1001; ARM 2, nā€‰=ā€‰647), mean annual direct cost was ā‚¬4526 in ARM 1 and ā‚¬3057 in ARM 2, mean annual direct non-medical cost was ā‚¬1162 in ARM 1 and ā‚¬1002 in ARM 2, mean annual indirect cost was ā‚¬3098 in ARM 1 and ā‚¬2309 ARM 2, and mean annual total cost was in ā‚¬8787 in ARM 1 and ā‚¬6368 in ARM 2. HRQoL scores showed moderate to high burden of UC in both groups. Conclusions The cost and HRQoL burden were high in patients in both ARM 1 and ARM 2 indicating unmet needs in the UC active population
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