An intelligent framework using disruptive technologies for COVID-19 analysis

This paper describes a framework using disruptive technologies for COVID-19 analysis. Disruptive technologies include high-tech and emerging technologies such as AI, industry 4.0, IoT, Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), big data, virtual reality (VR), Drone technology, and Autonomous Robots, 5 G, and blockchain to offer digital transformation, research and development and service delivery. Disruptive technologies are essential for Industry 4.0 development, which can be applied to many disciplines. In this paper, we present a framework that uses disruptive technologies for COVID-19 analysis. The proposed framework restricts the spread of COVID-19 outbreaks, ensures the safety of the healthcare teams and maintains patients' physical and psychological healthcare conditions. The framework is designed to deal with the severe shortage of PPE for the medical team, reduce the massive pressure on hospitals, and track recovered patients to treat COVID-19 patients with plasma. The study provides oversight for governments on how to adopt technologies to reduce the impact of unprecedented outbreaks for COVID-19. Our work illustrates an empirical case study on the analysis of real COVID-19 patients and shows the importance of the proposed intelligent framework to limit the current outbreaks for COVID-19. The aim is to help the healthcare team make rapid decisions to treat COVID-19 patients in hospitals, home quarantine, or identifying and treating patients with typical cold or flu.</p

The supraorbital keyhole approach for clipping of anterior circulation ruptured aneurysms

Introduction. The supraorbital approach has been demonstrated to be useful, particularly in minimization of brain retraction and exposure to air, decreases blood loss, surgical trauma, operative time and infection rates. While its shortcomings include&nbsp;&nbsp; difficult control of frontal air sinus, narrower surgical view and limited exposure of sylvian fissure. Patients and methods. We retrospectively reviewed the files of patients who underwent clipping of anterior circulation aneurysms through the supraorbital keyhole approach at Neurosurgery Department, Mansoura University between Jan 2014 and May 2016. Results. Twenty-five consecutive patients harbouring aneurysm at anterior circulation underwent clipping through the supraorbital keyhole approach, sixteen A-com artery aneurysms and nine cases of ICA aneurysms Table 1 show the location of aneurysms. Eleven patients were males, and 14 were females. The ages ranged from 44 to 69 with a mean age of 61.9 years. All patients were presented with subarachnoid haemorrhage due to rupture of aneurysms in anterior circulation The Hunt and Hess grade was (1.50 ± 0.65) and Fisher grade was (1.67 ± 0.45). The average operative time was 3.32 ± 1.14 hours. Follow-up ranged from 1 to 16 months with a mean of 7 months Conclusion. Surgical clipping of some selected aneurysms of anterior circulation can be operated through minimally invasive supraorbital approach which minimize the dissection and retraction of the brain, reduce operative time and blood loss with small incision and good cosmetic results

Improved pain and quality of life outcomes after percutaneous vertebroplasty for thoraco-lumbar non-osteoprotic compression fractures

Introduction: Vertebroplasty is a minimally invasive technique in which percutaneous injection of bone cement under fluoroscopic guidance Percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) has been widely and successfully accepted in the treatment of osteoporotic and neoplastic vertebral compression fractures to control pain refractory to medical treatment. However, using of vertebroplasty as primary line treatment for traumatic, non-osteoporotic compression fractures still not widely accepted and considered a debatable issue. Patients and methods: This prospective comparative study was conducted at Neurosurgery department, Mansoura university hospital and Mansoura emergency hospital through the period between January 2015 and March 2016. 20 patients complaining of back pain due to single level thoracolumbar vertebral compression non-osteoprotic fractures were admitted to the study. Patients were divided into two groups 10 patients each, PVP group and conservative group. Outcome were assessed as regard pain improvement using Visual analogue scale VAS and quality of life using short form 36 scale (SF36). Results: Ten patients in the PVP group received Vertebroplasty, eight males (80%) and two females (20%) the age ranged from 29 to 62 years with mean age of 44.2+8.3 (mean+SD) years. The conservative group included ten patients seven males (70%) and three females (30%) the age ranged from 31 to 64 years with mean age of 45.1+9.2 (mean+SD) years. The level of injury ranged from D6 to L4. VAS and SF36 results showed significant improvement in post injection results compared to preinjection and to the conservative group Conclusion: Percutaneous vertebroplasty is safe and effective procedure to improve pain and quality of life in non osteoprotic patients complaining of traumatic compression fractures of thoraco-lumar region it decreases pain, and provide early ambulation of patients which improve their quality of life without significant morbidity

Host Genome Polymorphisms And Tuberculosis Infection: What We Have To Say?

Several epidemiology studies suggest that host genetic factors play important roles in susceptibility, protection and progression of tuberculosis infection. Here we have reviewed the implications of some genetic polymorphisms in pathways related to tuberculosis susceptibility, severity and development. Large case-control studies examining single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes have been performed in tuberculosis patients in some countries. Polymorphisms in natural resistance-associated macrophage protein 1 (NRAMP1), toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA), IL-10, vitamin D receptor (VDR), dendritic cell-specific ICAM-3-grabbing non-integrin (DC-SIGN), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), nucleotide oligomerization binding domain 2 (NOD2), interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), mannose-binding lectin (MBL) and surfactant proteins A (SP-A) have been reviewed. These genes have been variably associated with tuberculosis infection and there is strong evidence indicating that host genetic factors play critical roles in tuberculosis susceptibility, severity and development

The Roles Of MicroRNAs On Tuberculosis Infection: Meaning Or Myth?

The central proteins for protection against tuberculosis are attributed to interferon-γ, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1β, while IL-10 primarily suppresses anti-mycobacterial responses. Several studies found alteration of expression profile of genes involved in anti-mycobacterial responses in macrophages and natural killer (NK) cells from active and latent tuberculosis and from tuberculosis and healthy controls. This alteration of cellular composition might be regulated by microRNAs (miRNAs). Albeit only 1% of the genomic transcripts in mammalian cells encode miRNA, they are predicted to control the activity of more than 60% of all protein-coding genes and they have a huge influence in pathogenesis theory, diagnosis and treatment approach to some diseases. Several miRNAs have been found to regulate T cell differentiation and function and have critical role in regulating the innate function of macrophages, dendritic cells and NK cells. Here, we have reviewed the role of miRNAs implicated in tuberculosis infection, especially related to their new roles in the molecular pathology of tuberculosis immunology and as new targets for future tuberculosis diagnostics

Periodontal status among adult cigarette smokers using Miswak (Salvadora persica) for oral hygiene: A crosssectional study from Asir Region of Saudi Arabia

Purpose: To compare the periodontal status of exclusive users of Miswak (Salvadora persica) with that of exclusive toothbrush users among adult smokers of cigarettes in Saudi Arabia.Methods: This educational-institutional study included one hundred and fifty adult patients (age and socioeconomic status matched, SES) between the ages of 18 and 75, and were listed as the group I, II, and III, with 50 participants each (participants with no oral hygiene, toothbrush users and miswak users respectively). Oral hygiene habits, the number of cigarettes smoked, and time since the habit began. Periodontal and radiographic parameters were reported.Results: All parameters related to periodontium (plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), bleeding on probing (BOP), probing pocket depth (PPD), gingival recession (Rec), clinical attachment level (CAL) and bone loss (BL)) showed that the analysed groups exhibited differences (p &lt; 0.001). Least amount of BL (anterior and posterior) was found in toothbrush users and Miswak users, while least amount of attachment loss (both anterior and posterior) was recorded among Miswak users (p &gt; 0.05). Positive association was found for GI (r = 0.753) and recession (r = 0.436, p &lt; 0.001) in terms of the number of cigarettes smoked in group I, and anterior PPD (r = 0.388, p &lt; 0.001) in group III for the duration of smoking. A negative correlation was found for BOP in group III (r = - 0.339, p &lt; 0.05) in terms of frequency of tooth cleaning and GI (r = - 0.381) (p &lt; 0.001) in group II, in terms of time taken attain oral hygiene.Conclusion: This study indicates less severe periodontal damage among adult current cigarette smokers in miswak users than in toothbrush users. Thus, there some potentials for miswak use for promotion of oral hygiene. Keywords: Periodontal status, Adult cigarette smokers, Miswak, Oral hygien

DWI-MRI: Single, Informative, and Noninvasive Technique for Prostate Cancer Diagnosis

Aim. To evaluate diffusion weighted image-MRI (DWI) as a single diagnostic noninvasive MRI technique for prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis. Material and Methods. A prospective study was conducted between July 2008 and July 2009. Candidates patients were equal or more than 40 years old, with suspicious digital rectal examination (more than clinical T2) or PSA >4 ng/mL. Informed consent was signed. DWI-MRI was performed at 1.5 T with a body coil combined with a spine coil in consecutive 100 cases. The histopathology of biopsies has been used as reference standard. Two examiners were evaluating MRI and TRUS, both of them were blinded regarding pathological findings. Accuracy, specificity, and sensitivity were statistically analyzed. Results. Based on pathological diagnosis: group A (cancerous); 75 cases and group B (non-cancerous); 25 cases. Mean age was 65.3 and 62.8 years in groups A and B, respectively. Mean PSA was 30.7 and 9.2 ng/mL in groups A and B, respectively. Sensitivity of DWI was 58.3% while specificity was 83.8%. Accuracy of lesion detection was 52.4–77.8% (P < 0.05). Moreover, DWI at ADC value 1.2 × 10−3 mL/sec could determine 82.4% of true positive cases (P < 0.05). ADC values were lower with Gleason score ≥7 (P < 0.05). Conclusion. DWI could represent a non invasive single diagnostic tool not only in detection and localization but also in prediction of Gleason score whenever DWI is used prior to invasive TRUS biopsy. Furthermore, targeted single biopsy could be planned after DWI to minimize patient morbidity by invasive techniques

An IoT model for supporting global governmental lockdown scenarios: investigating comparative lockdown strategies and assessing generic perception of pandemic response

We propose an integrated IoT model to blend IoT technologies, neutrosophic theory and AHP to handle uncertain conditions of real-life situations and aid decision-makers with systematic and optimum decisions. In our case study, four ranked scenarios are assigned the appropriate IoT technology generated to support the government and competent authorities in the pandemic outbreak to prevent growing risks. Our study is based on the decision-makers’ judgments that need to be expanded with more experts in the various aspects of government and competent authorities. The integrated IoT model provides a balance between the restart of economic life and COVID-19 outbreaks