ABSTRACT
During preparatory operations of pumpkin, for cooking and processing, usually peel and seeds are discarded as waste but pumpkin seeds are rich in macro and micro nutrients, a potential source of pharma foods. In present study biscuits were developed from pumpkin seeds powder, rich in Fe and Zn, for children to strengthen innate and adaptive immune system to combat current COVID 19 outbreak scenarios. Chemical analyses of pumpkin seeds powder, white flour and developed biscuits, with 0, 5, 10 and 15% replacement level of pumpkin seeds powder, were performed. Ash, fat, fiber, Fe and Zn contents were significantly higher in pumpkin seeds powder as compared to white flour. By increasing the replacement level of pumpkin seeds powder with white flour, a significant increase in ash, fat, fiber, Fe and Zn, in biscuits was observed. In control (T0) the contents were, ash (0.57%), fat (30.36%), fiber (0.37%), Fe (2.44 mg/100 g) and Zn (1.45 mg/100 g) but when supplementation level was increased to 15% (T3) these contents were increased as, ash (1.65%), fat (32.46%), fiber (1.24%), Fe (4.23 mg/100 g) and Zn (4.37 mg/100 g). In current post COVID 19 scenario adequate supply of healthy diet, balanced with pharma foods could play a basic role in boosting immune system of the children. Concerns of the food processors has raised the choice of new food products enriched with immunity booster nutrients. These nutritious biscuits can be developed, marketed and consumed at mass levels to provide the basic nutrients to the developing communities.
ABSTRACT
Objective: To report the early experience, the relationship of surgical site infection after pelvi-acetabular fracture fixation with certain possible risk factors, and organizational protocol for emergency pelvic surgery currently being used during the COVID-19 pandemic by an integrated team of orthopedic surgeons. Study Design: Prospective study. Setting: Department of Orthopedic and Spine Surgery, "Ghurki Trust Teaching Hospital Lahore, Pakistan. Period: March 2020, to August 2020. Material & Methods: A total of 25 patients diagnosed with acetabular fractures were included. Fracture patterns were classified according to judet and letournel and young burgess classification systems. Factors studied included patient's age, gender, body mass index, fracture pattern, type of surgery, comorbidities, smoking status, associated injuries, surgical site infections and mortality. Results: In a total of 25 patients, 21(84.0%) were male and 4(16.0%) female patients with overall mean age as 38.04±14.58 years. Overall, mean BMI was 23.20±2.60 kg/m2. There were 12(48.0%) patiens who had hypertension while 4 (16.0%) smokers. There were 21 (84.0%) patients who did not have any associated injuries while 3 (12.0%) had the associated extremities. The mean hospital stay of the patients was 5.08±0.76 days. The results revealed no significant association of Gender with these parameters (p > 0.001). Conclusion: There is no added risk of infection and mortality for the provision of emergency trauma services to pelvi-acetabular fractured patients even during panic and pandemic situations. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Professional Medical Journal is the property of Professional Medical Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: In December 2019, a novel coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2 was identified as the cause of a cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan, China. It rapidly spread due to human-to-human transmission, resulting in a global pandemic. Nearly every country, including Qatar, has established guidelines and regulations to limit the spread of the virus and to preserve public health. However, these procedures have been associated with negative effects on the psychological and intellectual well-being of individuals, including children and adolescents. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the psychological influence of home isolation and social distancing on children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic in Qatar, and the strategies used to cope with these measures. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was undertaken using an online questionnaire administered through SMS text messaging. All home-isolated children and adolescents registered at the Primary Health Care Corporation aged 7-18 years were invited to participate in the study. Children and adolescents with intellectual disadvantages were excluded. A P value of .05 (two-tailed) was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Data were collected from 6608 participants from June 23 to July 18, 2020. Nearly all participants adhered to the official regulations during the period of home isolation and social distancing; however, 69.1% (n=4568) of parents believed their children were vulnerable to the virus compared to 25% (n=1652) who expressed they were not vulnerable at all. Higher levels of anger, depression, and general anxiety were prevalent among 1.3% (n=84), 3.9% (n=260), and 1.6% (n=104) of participants, respectively. The mean score for the emotional constructs anger and depression decreased with increased compliance with regulations (P=.04 and P=.11, respectively). The differences in mean score for all psychological and coping strategies used among participants across the 3 levels of vulnerability to SARS-CoV-2 were statistically significant. The mean score varied little with increasing reported vulnerability to the virus. This mild variation can make a difference when the sample size is large, as is the case in this study. CONCLUSIONS: Screening for psychological and social disruptions is important for the development of strategies by schools and health care providers to assess and monitor behavioral changes and negative psychological impact during post-COVID-19 reintegration. Participants experiencing higher levels of anxiety should be given more attention during reintegration and transitional phases in schools. Although electronic devices and social media platforms may have lowered anxiety levels in some cases, it is important to address how they are used and how content is tailored to children and adolescents. It is also important to maintain an active lifestyle for children and young persons, and encourage them not to neglect their physical health, as this promotes a better psychological state of mind.