Human Coronaviruses SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2 in Children

The novel coronavirus, known as 2019-nCoV or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has caused an epidemic with high mortality and morbidity since December 2019, in Wuhan, China. The infection has now been transmitted to more than 210 countries worldwide and caused more than 200,000 deaths. Similar to other coronaviruses such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), SARS-CoV-2 appears to less commonly affect pediatrics and to cause less severe disease along with fewer symptoms compared to adults. Available data suggest that the pediatric population is just as likely as adults to become infected with SARS-CoV-2. However, they may be asymptotic or have milder symptoms than adults; they can be potential carriers of the disease. This article reviews the present understanding of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the pediatric age group in comparison with MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV. (c) 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and incidence of microvascular complications of diabetes in patients with type 2 diabetes: a prospective cohort study

ObjectiveTo investigate the association between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and liver enzymes with the incidence of microvascular complications (neuropathy, retinopathy, and nephropathy) in a cohort of Iranian patients with type 2 diabetes.MethodsFor a total population of 3123 patients with type 2 diabetes, a prospective study was designed for 1215 patients with NAFLD and 1908 gender and age-matched control patients without NAFLD. The two groups were followed for a median duration of 5 years for the incidence of microvascular complications. The association between having NAFLD, the level of liver enzymes, aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI), Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) value, and the incidence risk of diabetic retinopathy, neuropathy, and nephropathy were assessed through logistic regression analysis.ResultsNAFLD was found to be associated with incidence of diabetic neuropathy and nephropathy (Odds ratio: 1.338 (95% confidence interval: 1.091-1.640) and 1.333 (1.007-1.764), respectively). Alkaline-phosphatase enzyme was found to be associated with higher risks of diabetic neuropathy and nephropathy ((Risk estimate: 1.002 (95% CI: 1.001-1.003) and 1.002 (1.001-1.004), respectively)). Moreover, gamma-glutamyl transferase was associated with a higher risk of diabetic nephropathy (1.006 (1.002-1.009). Aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase were inversely associated with the risk of diabetic retinopathy (0.989 (0.979-0.998) and 0.990 (0.983-0.996), respectively). Furthermore, ARPI_T (1), ARPI_T (2), and ARPI_T (3) were shown to be associated with NAFLD (1.440 (1.061-1.954), 1.589 (1.163-2.171), and 2.673 (1.925, 3.710), respectively). However, FIB-4 score was not significantly associated with risk of microvascular complications.ConclusionDespite the benign nature of NAFLD, patients with type 2 diabetes should be always assessed for NAFLD to ensure early diagnosis and entry into proper medical care. Regular screenings of microvascular complications of diabetes is also suggested for these patients

A review on Quarantine during COVID-19 Outbreak: Lessons Learned from Previous Epidemics

Background: Since the emergence in December 2019, the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused a global pandemic that has infected so many people all around the world. As there are no vaccination or antiviral treatment available yet, public health measures play a substantial role in the management of this pandemic. Governments of affected countries have imposed different quarantine policies and travel bans. As quarantine can have many controversial aspects, this review intends to clarify its role in disease control and other aspects of human everyday life with due attention to a couple of epidemics in the past (SARS, MERS, and flu) and ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.   Methods: We conducted a thorough search in PubMed, Research Gate, Google Scholar, Excerpta Media Database (EMBASE), and Web of Science databases and collected all relevant articles to Quarantine in the past epidemics (SARS, MERS, and flu) as well as ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.     Results:  A total of 176 articles were extracted in our primary search process. Primarily, 53 articles have been excluded because of duplication. The other 44 articles have been excluded due to different reasons (Lack of useful information and eligibility of data). Finally, 79 articles were selected for more evaluation (published until April 2020).   Conclusion: By having previous epidemics, including SARS, MERS, and flu, in mind, quarantine and isolation seem to be proper choices for this situation. But, as this epidemy is bigger than former ones, stricter public health measurements, such as serious social distancing and community-wide containment, are recommended

The Yin and Yang of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate Use for Oral and Periodontal Health: A Literature Review

Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is an anionic surfactant, which has a wide range of usage in the health sector and in dental pharmaceutical products, especially in toothpastes. The objective of this review was to investigate the effects of SLS containing dentifrices on oral and periodontal health, possible side effects, and its benefits. A thorough literature search was done using databases of PubMed and Google Scholar and finally, 40 articles were included in the study. This narrative review revealed the sources of discrepancy and conflicting results regarding the impact of SLS on oral cavity as well as a lack of sufficient evidence in most topics. Hence, the evidence suggests improved drug bioavailability when used as a solubilizer, improved plaque control, and reduction in bad breath. On the other hand, SLS can serve as a risk indicator of prolonged oral wound healing time, recurrent aphthous stomatitis

Zingiber officinale (Ginger) as a treatment for inflammatory bowel disease: A review of current literature

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a term used for a variety of conditions involving persistent inflammation of the digestive system. Ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD) are examples of IBD. There were some treatments like Amino salicylates, glucocorticoids, immunosuppressants, antibiotics, and surgery which have been used for treating IBD. However, the short and long-term disabling adverse effects, like nausea, pancreatitis, elevated liver enzymes, allergic reactions, and other life-threatening complications remain a significant clinical problem. On the other hand, herbal medicine, believed to be safer, cheaper, and easily available, has gained popularity for treating IBD. Nowadays, Ginger, the Rizhome of Z. officinale from the Zingiberaceae family, one of the most commonly used fresh spices and herbs, has been proposed as a potential option for IBD treatment. According to upper issues, IBD treatment has become one of the society’s concerns. So, this review aims to summarize the data on the yin and yang of ginger use in IBD treatment

Global burden of 288 causes of death and life expectancy decomposition in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BACKGROUND Regular, detailed reporting on population health by underlying cause of death is fundamental for public health decision making. Cause-specific estimates of mortality and the subsequent effects on life expectancy worldwide are valuable metrics to gauge progress in reducing mortality rates. These estimates are particularly important following large-scale mortality spikes, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. When systematically analysed, mortality rates and life expectancy allow comparisons of the consequences of causes of death globally and over time, providing a nuanced understanding of the effect of these causes on global populations. METHODS The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 cause-of-death analysis estimated mortality and years of life lost (YLLs) from 288 causes of death by age-sex-location-year in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations for each year from 1990 until 2021. The analysis used 56 604 data sources, including data from vital registration and verbal autopsy as well as surveys, censuses, surveillance systems, and cancer registries, among others. As with previous GBD rounds, cause-specific death rates for most causes were estimated using the Cause of Death Ensemble model-a modelling tool developed for GBD to assess the out-of-sample predictive validity of different statistical models and covariate permutations and combine those results to produce cause-specific mortality estimates-with alternative strategies adapted to model causes with insufficient data, substantial changes in reporting over the study period, or unusual epidemiology. YLLs were computed as the product of the number of deaths for each cause-age-sex-location-year and the standard life expectancy at each age. As part of the modelling process, uncertainty intervals (UIs) were generated using the 2·5th and 97·5th percentiles from a 1000-draw distribution for each metric. We decomposed life expectancy by cause of death, location, and year to show cause-specific effects on life expectancy from 1990 to 2021. We also used the coefficient of variation and the fraction of population affected by 90% of deaths to highlight concentrations of mortality. Findings are reported in counts and age-standardised rates. Methodological improvements for cause-of-death estimates in GBD 2021 include the expansion of under-5-years age group to include four new age groups, enhanced methods to account for stochastic variation of sparse data, and the inclusion of COVID-19 and other pandemic-related mortality-which includes excess mortality associated with the pandemic, excluding COVID-19, lower respiratory infections, measles, malaria, and pertussis. For this analysis, 199 new country-years of vital registration cause-of-death data, 5 country-years of surveillance data, 21 country-years of verbal autopsy data, and 94 country-years of other data types were added to those used in previous GBD rounds. FINDINGS The leading causes of age-standardised deaths globally were the same in 2019 as they were in 1990; in descending order, these were, ischaemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lower respiratory infections. In 2021, however, COVID-19 replaced stroke as the second-leading age-standardised cause of death, with 94·0 deaths (95% UI 89·2-100·0) per 100 000 population. The COVID-19 pandemic shifted the rankings of the leading five causes, lowering stroke to the third-leading and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to the fourth-leading position. In 2021, the highest age-standardised death rates from COVID-19 occurred in sub-Saharan Africa (271·0 deaths [250·1-290·7] per 100 000 population) and Latin America and the Caribbean (195·4 deaths [182·1-211·4] per 100 000 population). The lowest age-standardised death rates from COVID-19 were in the high-income super-region (48·1 deaths [47·4-48·8] per 100 000 population) and southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania (23·2 deaths [16·3-37·2] per 100 000 population). Globally, life expectancy steadily improved between 1990 and 2019 for 18 of the 22 investigated causes. Decomposition of global and regional life expectancy showed the positive effect that reductions in deaths from enteric infections, lower respiratory infections, stroke, and neonatal deaths, among others have contributed to improved survival over the study period. However, a net reduction of 1·6 years occurred in global life expectancy between 2019 and 2021, primarily due to increased death rates from COVID-19 and other pandemic-related mortality. Life expectancy was highly variable between super-regions over the study period, with southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania gaining 8·3 years (6·7-9·9) overall, while having the smallest reduction in life expectancy due to COVID-19 (0·4 years). The largest reduction in life expectancy due to COVID-19 occurred in Latin America and the Caribbean (3·6 years). Additionally, 53 of the 288 causes of death were highly concentrated in locations with less than 50% of the global population as of 2021, and these causes of death became progressively more concentrated since 1990, when only 44 causes showed this pattern. The concentration phenomenon is discussed heuristically with respect to enteric and lower respiratory infections, malaria, HIV/AIDS, neonatal disorders, tuberculosis, and measles. INTERPRETATION Long-standing gains in life expectancy and reductions in many of the leading causes of death have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the adverse effects of which were spread unevenly among populations. Despite the pandemic, there has been continued progress in combatting several notable causes of death, leading to improved global life expectancy over the study period. Each of the seven GBD super-regions showed an overall improvement from 1990 and 2021, obscuring the negative effect in the years of the pandemic. Additionally, our findings regarding regional variation in causes of death driving increases in life expectancy hold clear policy utility. Analyses of shifting mortality trends reveal that several causes, once widespread globally, are now increasingly concentrated geographically. These changes in mortality concentration, alongside further investigation of changing risks, interventions, and relevant policy, present an important opportunity to deepen our understanding of mortality-reduction strategies. Examining patterns in mortality concentration might reveal areas where successful public health interventions have been implemented. Translating these successes to locations where certain causes of death remain entrenched can inform policies that work to improve life expectancy for people everywhere. FUNDING Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Chitosan-based Scaffolds, Suitable Structures for Wound Healing Dressing: A Short Review

Introduction: Different kinds of substances has been used for wound dressing, however, some disadvantages such as unsatisfactory mechanical stability, poor flexibility, severe shrinkage, low porosity, hard separation from the wound site, and non-antibacterial activity, has been reported. Over the last two decades, much effort has been made to find suitable biopolymer materials for wound healing applications. Chitosan has revealed various biological properties like biodegradable, biocompatible, non-toxic and non-allergenic, antibacterial effects thus can be used for the production of biofilms and nano-scaffolds. The poor solubility and thermal properties of chitosan restrict its widespread uses, but this polysaccharide is highly compatible with other biopolymers, and researchers are using this property to improve the limitations of chitosan and produce various types of chitosan-based hybrids materials. The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of various chitosan-based nanoscaffolds as wound healing dressings. Materials and Methods: This narrative review was performed using ISI Web of Science, PubMed, SID, Scholar, Scopus, and Science Direct and articles published up to Jan 2020 were included. The keywords of chitosan, chitosan-based scaffolds, chitosan-based composite, and wound dressing were  used. Results: Many researches have been accomplished to obtain chitosan-based scaffolds, including the construction of chitosan based blends and composite scaffolds and etc. The results of most of these researches showed positive effects of chitosan, and its nanocomposite scaffolds/biofilms in blood clotting, activated platelet activity, facilitated tissue regeneration and wound healing process. Conclusion: The use of chitosan-based scaffolds is effective in biological dressings and wound healing. Futuristic and innovative approaches in chitosan derivatives and nanocomposites can lead to the preparation of suitable co-polymers and the production of wound dressings with the desired properties. the authors hope that this review will help  for researchers

The Roles of Vitamin D in Increasing the Body's Immunity and Reducing Injuries due to Viral Infections: With an Emphasis on its Possible Role in SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)

Background: It is known that vitamin D can increase the body's immunity against some viral infections. Many people worldwide have vitamin D deficiency; therefore, this has become a public concern whether vitamin D is an important factor protecting against COVID-19 infection. In this paper, the data about the roles of vitamin D in immunity and recovery from viral infections, especially novel Coronavirus disease (COVID19), are reviewed. Methods: The electronic databases of Pubmed, Google Scholar, Research Gate, Excerpta Media Database (EMBASE), and Medical and Health Education (Medrix) were searched. Results: Vitamin D is considered an important factor in immune homeostasis. Various effects have been considered for this nutrient on the immune system, particularly because of vitamin D receptor (VDR) and Cytochrome P450 Family 27 Subfamily B Member 1 (CYP27B1) expression in most of the immune cells. Vitamin D can increase cellular immunity, reduce cytokine storm, and enhance antioxidants production. It also has modulatory effects on Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors and might have protective functions against acute lung injuries, including COVID-19 infection. However, there are some articles against this positive effect. Conclusion: Vitamin D supplementation is reported to be effective in the enhancement of the immune system and might be effective in the treatment and prevention of COVID-19 infection, especially in those with its deficiency. However, it should be considered that vitamin D deficiency shows the overall health status of the patients and cannot be considered specific for COVID-19 infectio

Chronic non-communicable diseases in the epidemic (COVID-19): Investigation of risk factors, control and care

Introduction: Chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), global health problem and it is a threat to health and the development of countries. Currently, the number of people with COVID-19 as well as the resulting death toll is rising sharply worldwide. People with underlying diseases may be at greater risk. Aim: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the chronic non-communicable diseases in the epidemic (COVID-19): Investigation of risk factors, control and care. Meterials and methods: To access the articles, including international databases Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase were searched using the keywords of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), chronic, risk factors, prevention and control, self-efficacy and self-care and their various combinations using AND/OR operators. No language restrictions were applied to the search process. Results: Based on the evidence, NCDs, exacerbate the negative consequences of COVID-19. according to the results of this study, Among the patients admitted with COVID-19, The most common underlying diseases, were in these people, include, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), smoking, malignancy, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes mellitus. Obesity may be considered as a potential COVID-19 risk factor. Conclusions: Although lifestyle, nutrition, and medical interventions are important for the early prevention of NCDs, having the tools and resources to use information more effectively is more important One of the determining and effective factors in maintaining health and preventing the aggravation of signs and symptoms of the disease COVID-19, especially in chronic diseases, is to perform self-care behaviors. Keywords: COVID-19; NCDs; SARS-CoV-2; control measures; lifestyle; risk factors; self-care

Additional file 2 of Three-year weight change and risk of all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality among Iranian adults: over a decade of follow-up in the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study

Additional file 2: Table S2. Multivariable hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of association between weight change categories and all-cause mortality among those without cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer at baseline or first follow-up: the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study, Iran, 1999-2018