A Bibliometric Review of Highly Cited and Hot Papers on Coronavirus and COVID 19

The main objective of the study is to identify and examine the characteristics of the highly cited and hot papers on Coronavirus and COVID 19. The distributions of highly cited and hot papers per year, country, organization and journal were analyzed, as well as authorship pattern and most frequently used keywords. The Web of Science (WOS) indexing database was selected to extract the bibliometric data of highly cited and hot papers on Coronavirus. Top cited and hot papers mainly originated from China, the United States, England, and Saudi Arabia and the majority were published from 2019 to 2020. The University of Hong Kong and Huazhong University of Science and Technology were leading organizations. Journal of Medical Virology, the Lancet and The New England Journal of Medicine were top in publishing. Many of the publications have been contributed by multiple authors as compared to a single author. The frequently used keywords included acute respiratory syndrome, pneumonia, coronavirus, outbreak, infection, respiratory syndrome coronavirus, Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS‐CoV). This bibliometric analysis of the highly cited articles on Coronavirus and COVID 19 from Web of Science has demonstrated several significant points, which help to map the progress on COVID 19 development and recent research trends and potentially guide Coronavirus researchers for evaluating and orienting their future research works

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and angiotensin receptor blocker initiation on organ support-free days in patients hospitalized with COVID-19

IMPORTANCE Overactivation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) may contribute to poor clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Objective To determine whether angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) initiation improves outcomes in patients hospitalized for COVID-19. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In an ongoing, adaptive platform randomized clinical trial, 721 critically ill and 58 non–critically ill hospitalized adults were randomized to receive an RAS inhibitor or control between March 16, 2021, and February 25, 2022, at 69 sites in 7 countries (final follow-up on June 1, 2022). INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomized to receive open-label initiation of an ACE inhibitor (n = 257), ARB (n = 248), ARB in combination with DMX-200 (a chemokine receptor-2 inhibitor; n = 10), or no RAS inhibitor (control; n = 264) for up to 10 days. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was organ support–free days, a composite of hospital survival and days alive without cardiovascular or respiratory organ support through 21 days. The primary analysis was a bayesian cumulative logistic model. Odds ratios (ORs) greater than 1 represent improved outcomes. RESULTS On February 25, 2022, enrollment was discontinued due to safety concerns. Among 679 critically ill patients with available primary outcome data, the median age was 56 years and 239 participants (35.2%) were women. Median (IQR) organ support–free days among critically ill patients was 10 (–1 to 16) in the ACE inhibitor group (n = 231), 8 (–1 to 17) in the ARB group (n = 217), and 12 (0 to 17) in the control group (n = 231) (median adjusted odds ratios of 0.77 [95% bayesian credible interval, 0.58-1.06] for improvement for ACE inhibitor and 0.76 [95% credible interval, 0.56-1.05] for ARB compared with control). The posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitors and ARBs worsened organ support–free days compared with control were 94.9% and 95.4%, respectively. Hospital survival occurred in 166 of 231 critically ill participants (71.9%) in the ACE inhibitor group, 152 of 217 (70.0%) in the ARB group, and 182 of 231 (78.8%) in the control group (posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitor and ARB worsened hospital survival compared with control were 95.3% and 98.1%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this trial, among critically ill adults with COVID-19, initiation of an ACE inhibitor or ARB did not improve, and likely worsened, clinical outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT0273570

Functional implication of PLX7 receptors in neuroinflammatory phenomena associates with depression : a preclinical study

Le projet de cette thèse s'est attaché à caractériser le rôle de l'IL-1 beta et les récepteurs P2X7 dans la dépression. Les résultats suggèrent que chez les souris stressés et les perturbation comportementaux, l'activation microgliales et endocriniennes sont reversées par l'antagoniste des P2X7Rs. Ces résultats mettent en évidence que l'antagoniste des récepteurs P2X7 a des effets comportementaux et neuroendocriniens.Research work of this thesis was aimed to characterize role of IL-1 beta and P2X7 receptors in depressive illness. Results suggest that i stressed mice the behavioral and neurobiochemical changes are reversed by use of P2X7R antagonist. It is an evidence of antidepressant of these compounds

College to faculty: proposal for integration of medical education institutions in universities

Background: Majority of public sector medical education institutions in Pakistan works under the supervision of Ministry of Health while public sector universities take necessary directives from Higher Education Commission. This institutional dichotomy leads to a deficit in deliverance of comprehensive medication education. Teaching of basic sciences as well as non-clinical subjects (community medicine in particular) is examination orientated. Moreover, in the absence of a coherent research environment the diagnostic and interventional facilities available in hospitals fail to contribute adequately to research. Contrary to this, a medical faculty working in collaboration with other life sciences faculties (such as pharmacology, veterinary and animal sciences, food sciences, chemistry and physiology) and social sciences (such as psychology and statistics) will produce graduates better equipped with knowledge of research methodology and practices (Miles, S., Price, G. M., Swift, L. et al, 2010). The proposed model will also help develop a liaison of medical faculty with apparently distant faculties like physics and environmental sciences in order to develop newer technologies of diagnosis and treatment as well as discover environmental influences on disease and recovery processes (Chandra, A., 2012). Improved competence in statistical analysis and interpretation of data will not only help future doctors envisage better projects, it will also enable them to compete at international level. Funding opportunities from international donors will also be increased for medical projects due to improvement in human resource availability for research purpose. A research masters program for post-graduate medical trainees will make them clinicians capable of reading changes in dynamics of their outdoors and indoors and report it. Conversely, preventive health may be better explained to the youth in rest of the faculties in routine as well as in cases of an epidemic

Is unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) a reliable model to study depression-induced neuroinflammation?

International audienceUnipolar depression is one of the leading causes of disability. The pathophysiology of depression is poorly understood. Evidence suggests that inflammation is associated with depression. For instance, pro-inflammatory cytokines are found to be elevated in the peripheral blood of depressed subjects. Cytokine immunotherapy itself is known to induce depressive symptoms. While the epidemiological and biochemical relationship between inflammation and depression is strong, little is known about the possible existence of neuroinflammation in depression. The use of animal models of depression such as the Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress (UCMS) has already contributed to the elucidation of the pathophysiological mechanisms of depression such as decreased neurogenesis and HPA axis alterations. We used this model to explore the association of depressive-like behavior in mice with changes in peripheral pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, TNFα and IL-6 level as well as the neuroinflammation by quantifying CD11b expression in brain areas known to be involved in the pathophysiology of depression. These areas include the cerebral cortex, the nucleus accumbens, the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, the caudate putamen, the amygdala and the hippocampus. The results indicate that microglial activation is significantly increased in the infralimbic, cingulate and medial orbital cortices, nucleus accumbens, caudate putamen, amygdala and hippocampus of the mouse brain as a function of UCMS, while levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines did not differ among the groups. This finding suggests that neuroinflammation occurs in depression and may be implicated in the subject's behavioral response. They also suggest that UCMS could be a potentially reliable model to study depression-induced neuroinflammation

Synthesis, Molecular Docking and β-Glucuronidase Inhibitory Potential of Indole Base Oxadiazole Derivatives

β-glucuronidase is a lysosomal glycosidase enzyme which catalyzes the extracellular matrix of cancer and normal cells and the glycosaminoglycans of the cell membrane, which is important for cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. Liver cancer, colon carcinoma, and neoplasm bladder are triggered by the increase of the level of β-glucuronidase activity. The most valuable structures are indole and oxadiazole which has gain immense attention because of its pharmacological behavior and display many biological properties. Twenty-two (1–22) analogs of indole based oxadiazole were synthesized and screened for their inhibitory potential against β-glucuronidase. Majority of the compounds showed potent inhibitory potential with IC50 values ranging between 0.9 ± 0.01 to 46.4 ± 0.9 µM, under positive control of standard drug d-saccharic acid 1,4 lactone (IC50 = 48.1 ± 1.2 µM). Structural activity relationship (SAR) has been established for all synthesized compounds. To shed light on molecular interactions between the synthesized compounds and β-glucuronidase, 1, 4, and 6 compounds were docked into the active binding site of β-glucuronidase. The obtained results showed that this binding is thermodynamically favorable and β-glucuronidase inhibition of the selected compounds increases with the number of hydrogen bonding established in selected compound-β-glucuronidase complexes

Synthesis of chromen-4-one-oxadiazole substituted analogs as potent β-glucuronidase inhibitors

Chromen-4-one substituted oxadiazole analogs 1–19 have been synthesized, characterized and evaluated for β-glucuronidase inhibition. All analogs exhibited a variable degree of β-glucuronidase inhibitory activity with IC50 values ranging in between 0.8 ± 0.1–42.3 ± 0.8 μM when compared with the standard d-saccharic acid 1,4 lactone (IC50 = 48.1 ± 1.2 μM). Structure activity relationship has been established for all compounds. Molecular docking studies were performed to predict the binding interaction of the compounds with the active site of enzyme

Synthesis of thymidine phosphorylase inhibitor based on quinoxaline derivatives and their molecular docking study

We have synthesized quinoxaline analogs (1–25), characterized by 1H-NMR and HREI-MS and evaluated for thymidine phosphorylase inhibition. Among the series, nineteen analogs showed better inhibition when compared with the standard inhibitor 7-Deazaxanthine (IC50 = 38.68 ± 4.42 µM). The most potent compound among the series is analog 25 with IC50 value 3.20 ± 0.10 µM. Sixteen analogs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21 and 24 showed outstanding inhibition which is many folds better than the standard 7-Deazaxanthine. Two analogs 8 and 9 showed moderate inhibition. A structure-activity relationship has been established mainly based upon the substitution pattern on the phenyl ring. The binding interactions of the active compounds were confirmed through molecular docking studies