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Zingiber officinale, Curcuma longa, and Momordica charantia are medicinal plants that are commonly used in the form of herbal tea, which is formulated to strengthen the immune system, especially against COVID-19 infection. Excellent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunostimulatory properties have been reported for their bioactive compounds, which have been shown to aid in stimulating immune systems as well as lowering the risk of severe COVID-19 such as lung injury. Yet, no bibliometric study on the subject is available. Hence, the purpose of this study is to quantitatively examine the existing articles related to the therapeutic potential of these three herbs, as well as their mechanisms of action in combating the SARS-CoV-2 virus. A total of 121 papers were retrieved from Scopus database up to 14th March 2023. The bibliometric analysis was conducted using VOSviewer software. Based on the literature search, Z. officinale was the most researched plant. India appeared as the most prolific country, with the highest number of articles contributed by two authors from India (Rathi, R. and Gayatri Devi, R.). In terms of keywords, the plants were associated with immune modulation, management of symptoms, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiviral activities. Several important bioactive compounds were responsible for these effects such as gingerol, paradol, shogaol, curcumin, calebin A, momordicoside, karaviloside and cucurbitadienol. These compounds were hypothesized to prevent and cure COVID-19 by regulating inflammatory response, downregulating oxidative stress and modulating immunostimulatory activity. This review paper therefore supports the potential of Z. officinale, C. longa, and M. charantia to be formulated as a herbal blend for treating and preventing COVID-19 infection.
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BACKGROUND: Patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) are more likely to develop severe course of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and experience increased risk of mortality compared to SARS-CoV-2 patients without CRC. OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in CRC patients and analyse the demographic parameters, clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes in CRC patients with COVID-19 illness. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched Proquest, Medline, Embase, Pubmed, CINAHL, Wiley online library, Scopus and Nature for studies on the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in CRC patients, published from December 1, 2019 to December 31, 2021, with English language restriction. Effect sizes of prevalence were pooled with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Sub-group analyses were performed to minimize heterogeneity. Binary logistic regression model was used to explore the effect of various demographic and clinical characteristics on patient's final treatment outcome (survival or death). RESULTS: Of the 472 papers that were identified, 69 articles were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis (41 cohort, 16 case-report, 9 case-series, 2 cross-sectional, and 1 case-control studies). Studies involving 3362 CRC patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 (all patients were adults) were analyzed. The overall pooled proportions of CRC patients who had laboratory-confirmed community-acquired and hospital-acquired SARS-CoV-2 infections were 8.1% (95% CI 6.1 to 10.1, n = 1308, 24 studies, I2 98%, p = 0.66), and 1.5% (95% CI 1.1 to 1.9, n = 472, 27 studies, I2 94%, p < 0.01). The median patient age ranged from 51.6 years to 80 years across studies. The majority of the patients were male (n = 2243, 66.7%) and belonged to White (Caucasian) (n = 262, 7.8%), Hispanic (n = 156, 4.6%) and Asian (n = 153, 4.4%) ethnicity. The main source of SARS-CoV-2 infection in CRC patients was community-acquired (n = 2882, 85.7%; p = 0.014). Most of those SARS-CoV-2 patients had stage III CRC (n = 725, 21.6%; p = 0.036) and were treated mainly with surgical resections (n = 304, 9%) and chemotherapies (n = 187, 5.6%), p = 0.008. The odd ratios of death were significantly high in patients with old age (≥ 60 years) (OR 1.96, 95% CI 0.94-0.96; p < 0.001), male gender (OR 1.44, 95% CI 0.41-0.47; p < 0.001) CRC stage III (OR 1.54, 95% CI 0.02-1.05; p = 0.041), CRC stage IV (OR 1.69, 95% CI 0.17-1.2; p = 0.009), recent active treatment with chemotherapies (OR 1.35, 95% CI 0.5-0.66; p = 0.023) or surgical resections (OR 1.4, 95% CI 0.8-0.73; p = 0.016) and admission to ICU (OR 1.88, 95% CI 0.85-1.12; p < 0.001) compared to those who survived. CONCLUSION: SARS-CoV-2 infection in CRC patient is not uncommon and results in a mortality rate of 26.2%. Key determinants that lead to increased mortality in CRC patients infected with COVID-19 include older age (≥ 60 years old); male gender; Asian and Hispanic ethnicity; if SARS-CoV-2 was acquired from hospital source; advanced CRC (stage III and IV); if patient received chemotherapies or surgical treatment; and if patient was admitted to ICU, ventilated or experienced ARDS.
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This Innovate Practice Full Paper presents a technique to create a flexible, secure lab environment for a comprehensive practical course in cybersecurity.A common challenge for universities is integrating a hands-on learning environment as part of the cybersecurity curriculum. As a result, university programs that can allow students to practice and experiment with security tools similar to those used by both professionals and malicious actors are in high demand. Unfortunately, getting the needed IT infrastructure for a practical cybersecurity lab environment in academia is challenging for educators. Many instructors are therefore resorting to using virtual machines, containers, and cloud services to provide virtual labs environments that students can access anytime and anywhere. However, despite the vast benefits these technologies offer, deploying, configuring, and maintaining a secure virtual lab infrastructure is demanding and requires much preparation and testing.Utilizing open-source technologies such as Apache Guacamole, Docker, and LXD containers, the author, managed to provide a simple, secure lab setup that only required a web browser to access the lab. Students could then work on individualized lab exercises using time-constrained ephemeral Linux containers with the necessary software and tools to complete their weekly assignments.We deployed the solution in 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic to an undergraduate cybersecurity class with 250 students. Furthermore, the anonymous online survey results were overwhelmingly positive, and the participants responded that accessing a Linux machine through the browser anytime, anywhere enabled them to learn the material effectively. © 2022 IEEE.
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In response to the COVID-19 crisis and government strategies of quarantine, bans on gatherings, or even a complete lockdown, many schools and universities transferred from traditional face-to-face learning to online remote learning. This increased the need to develop web- or mobile-based applications to support e-learning requirements. Moreover, the need for providing academic institutions with platforms that manage e-lectures and e-exams during the pandemic or any other crises like wars and disasters.This paper provides a web-based learning system that controls course content in the University of Basrah in Iraq. The proposed e-learning system has several features, such as playing video lectures beside text lectures, providing online quizzes, and creating e-certificates. The system was developed according to the agile software development method with the Scrum technique and using HTML, CSS, PHP programming language, with MySQL for its database. In addition, the suggested e-learning system includes three authorized users: administrator, teacher, and students. Finally, an evaluation session was conducted to measure the usability and effectiveness of the system. The results showed that incorporating video lectures and e-quizzes into the e-learning system enhanced students' engagement and improved the interaction between students and teachers during the pandemic. © 2022 IEEE.
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Evidence suggests that the stressor factors faced by women of childbearing age during the COVID-19 pandemic are related to changes in menstrual cycles. The present study was conducted to explore the premenstrual symptoms (PMS), menstrual regularity, and their negative impact on academic performance and interpersonal relationships among Iraqi female university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 1270 Iraqi university students in Baghdad, Iraq. An online questionnaire was created to collect data about the menstrual cycle, PMS, and academic performance during the COVID 19 pandemic. The majority of the participants (76.6%) reported PMS. Depressed mood (69.6%) and flatulence (56.1%) were the most commonly reported PMS. The majority of participants (36.9%) suffered from moderate PMS. Moreover, (26.3%) and (18.3%) of the respondents reported worsening PMS and exacerbating menstrual pain, respectively. Among the respondents, (8.5%) reported a change in menstrual cycle length, and (50%) mentioned the lack of concentration. The study found that PMS was significantly (P<0.005) associated with the students’ age, age of menarche, and dysmenorrhea. Furthermore, PMS was highly significantly (P<0.001) associated with poor academic performance, poor interpersonal relationships, and COVID-19 infection. The findings of the present study reveal that during the COVID-19 pandemic, PMS was significantly increased in Iraqi university students and was associated with poorer academic performance and interpersonal relationships. © 2023 by SPC (Sami Publishing Company)
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At the time of writing this study, the COVID-19 virus continues to spread through its multiple mutants, the latest of which is (Omicron). Therefore, it was necessary to use effective and unconventional treatments to reduce the spread of this virus and to deliver health care to its infected without the need to be exposed to the risk of infection. This research paper presents valuable solutions for communicating with COVID-19 patients through the use of information technology applications. This method contributes to reducing the consumption of medical resources, reducing contact with patients, and helping with social distancing, which contributes to reducing the spread of this virus. The process of using information technology means to provide medical advice and treatment to patients by telemedicine doctors has been clarified. More importantly, the results of this study presented the factors affecting the use of these applications in terms of social, technological, and organizational. © 2022 Institute of Advanced Engineering and Science. All rights reserved.
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The shift of educational activities to the online environment due to the outbreak of Covid-19 has generated contentions regarding the effectiveness of social media in developing language proficiency. Also, determining appropriate social media platforms becomes essential. This study, therefore, aims to examine the differences in EFL learners’ development of different language skills across various social media platforms. The study adopted an online descriptive survey in which a self-develop questionnaire was used as a data-collection tool. The respondents comprise a randomly selected sample of 80 students from the first and second levels of the English undergraduate program at a Jordanian university. The data were analyzed using a non-parametric method consisting of Chi-square test and frequency statistics. According to the findings, EFL learners tend to develop reading skills, vocabulary, and pronunciation through Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube respectively. Additionally, significant differences exist in language proficiency development across social media platforms. This study is expected to provide useful information to educators in choosing the most appropriate platforms to supplement their instructional efforts based on learners’ needs. © 2022 ACADEMY PUBLICATION.
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SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with a rise of intimate partner violence (IPV) and increased use of televisits but there is no published curricula addressing IPV assessment and management in the primary care televisit setting. A novel and virtual 90-minute workshop was developed and delivered to small groups of internal medicine interns at an academic medical center. DESCRIPTION: The workshop consisted of a slide show reviewing IPV, audiovisual testimony of an IPV victim, fishbowl interview roleplaying, and a prerecorded session with our clinic social worker. The workshop answered five learning objectives that established a foundational knowledge of IPV, addressed specifically how it impacts our patient population, and presented tangible next steps to identify and manage IPV in the televisit ambulatory setting. EVALUATION: Interns' attitudes, beliefs, knowledge, and clinical interview practices were evaluated before and six weeks after the workshop with a voluntary two-section survey and virtual Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs). First section reproduced a validated survey by Maiuro et al. with six categories: Blame, Inquiry, Role Resistance, Provider's Perceived Efficacy, System Support, and Victim/Provider Safety. Second section consisted of knowledge questions based on Insetta et al.'s shortened PREMIS survey. Statistical analysis was carried out with signed rank and McNemar's tests. Of the 40 interns who completed the workshop, 36 (90%) completed the pre-post survey. There were improvements in Provider's Perceived Efficacy, System Support, and IPV Inquiry categories. Learners had improved confidence in strategies to inquire about IPV (p <0.01), reported improved ability to provide resources (p <0.01) and make appropriate referrals (p <0.01), and increase in access to IPV management information (p <0.01). Learners felt social work or community advocates as well as mental health services were readily accessible (p <0.01). Post-workshop knowledge questions revealed an overall improvement (p <0.01). Most significant IPV knowledge improvements were in state- based reporting requirements and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on IPV incidence (p = 0.02, p = 0.05, respectively). Learners reported more frequent clinical practice inquiries about IPV in patients with chronic pelvic pain, headaches, and mood disorders (p = <0.01, 0.012, 0.014, respectively). DISCUSSION / REFLECTION / LESSONS LEARNED: A brief virtual and novel IPV curriculum increased resident knowledge of IPV and confidence in ability to identify, assess, and effectively manage IPV in televisits. It led to a reported increase in IPV inquiries in clinical practice. In combination, this readily transportable curriculum has potential for positively impacting the care of patients experiencing IPV. Next steps include analyzing our pre-post OSCEs to elucidate if IPV interviewing skills also improved.
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SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Structural racism is defined as the cumulative effects of policies, institutional practices, cultural representations, and other norms that work together to perpetuate racial inequity. This phenomenon extends to academic medicine and is exposed through how we teach, learn, and evaluate patients, students, trainees, and faculty physicians. Thus, the authors created a faculty development series to establish a knowledge of structural competency as a framework for teaching and to change participants' attitudes and confidence. Our participants consisted of clinician-educators (N=122) including internal medicine (generalists and subspecialists), pediatrics, psychiatry, and surgery who participated in sessions rooted in structural competency. The authors developed and facilitated the sessions over Zoom. DESCRIPTION: In the wake of Black Lives Matter protests following the killing of George Floyd, and in light of alarming health disparities uncovered in the COVID-19 pandemic, our institution, like many across the country, realized the importance of actively training providers to address racism and its downstream effects. Despite this, there are few examples of curricula for clinician-educators. Structural competency offers a framework for practicing anti-racism in medical education. We developed a faculty development workshop series consisting of four 90-minute workshops administered in the spring and summer of 2021 and developed or adapted associated tools that could be directly applied to teaching. Session Developed Tools Introduction to Structural Competency & Revising Existing Curricula Structurally competent and anti-racist rubric for revising existing didactics Transforming Resident Report and Case-Based Presentations Using the Structural Differential Step by step guide for building a structural differential with learners Ambulatory Teaching: The Structurally Competent Preceptor Structurally competent adaptations of the One Minute Preceptor and SNAPPS precepting models Inpatient Teaching: Structurally Competent Hospital-Based Medicine Structurally competent inpatient discharge checklist EVALUATION: Preliminary results showed significant improvements in overall faculty attitudes and confidence on pre-and post-intervention surveys (M=1.92, SD=2.29, p= 0.01;M=4.36, SD=3.32, p=.0.00) respectively. Additional results will evaluate whether there are improvements in faculty knowledge and behavior by tracking faculty use of the structural competency rubric and comparing faculty clinical documentation practices before and after the curriculum. DISCUSSION / REFLECTION / LESSONS LEARNED: The potential next step is to integrate into a faculty development program aimed to bolster structurally competent communication with diverse patients, strengthen efficiencies in clinical data gathering, and deepen patient trust in treatment plans. Future investigations will center on the validation of a survey tool to assess anti-racism within an institution's teaching faculty and apply the workshop to various institutional settings.
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The changes in air quality were investigated in six megacities during the shutdown phases in 2020 and were compared to the same time periods in the previous 10 years (2010-2019) using the data of Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis and Research and Application, version 2 (MERRA-2). The concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5 were greatly reduced in all megacities during the lockdown in 2020 when compared to the same period in 2019 and in the previous ten years. The highest reduction in PM10 was recorded in Delhi, and Sao Paulo (21%, and 15% and by 27%, and 9%), when compared with the concentrations in 2019 and in the period 2010-2019, respectively. Similarly, levels of PM2.5 in Delhi, Sao Paulo, Beijing, and Mumbai decreased by 20%, 14%, 12%, and 10%, respectively in 2020 when compared to the last ten years. Results indicated that the lockdown is an effective mitigation measure to improve air quality. The MERRA-2 reanalysis dataset could be a vital tool in air quality studies in places with a lack of In-situ observations.
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Dysmenorrhea is the most common gynecological symptom among adolescent girls and young women. It can have a significant impact on females' quality of life. The study aims to investigate the prevalence and impact of dysmenorrhea among Iraqi university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional study was conducted across different universities, including (College of Medicine, Pharmacy, and Dentistry) in Baghdad/Iraq, from March to May 2021. The data was collected through a self-questionnaire of 1312 Iraqi female university students. Dysmenorrhea was reported by (51.5%) of university students. Nearly one-third (32.1%) of participants rating dysmenorrhea as mild, (13.3%) moderate, and (6.1%) severe. Approximately (18.1%) of participants reported worsening of their menstrual pain, (21.3%) reported irregular menstrual cycles, (35.5%) reported increasing in learning difficulties, and (13.4%) reported increasing in the medication used to treat dysmenorrhea during the pandemic. The results revealed that there was a significant relationship between dysmenorrhea and the age of students, menstrual irregularity, medication use, and students who had Covid-19 infection (p-value <0.005). In addition, there was a highly significantly relationship between dysmenorrhea and learning disabilities as well as poor interpersonal relationships among Iraqi university students during the COVID-19 pandemic (p-value <0.001). According to the findings, dysmenorrhea has a negative impact on students' attendance, academic performance, and their interpersonal interactions during the COVID 19 pandemic. Future studies need to focus on improving pain management strategies to reduce the effects of dysmenorrhea so that young women can optimize their educational and future life opportunities. © 2022 Sami Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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Introduction: Cytokines play a role in severely ill patients with COVID-19. Similarly, there are roles of other pro-inflammatory responses in COVID-19 pathogenesis. Objective: To detect IL-6 G/C +174 polymorphisms in COVID-19 pregnant women. Method: 77 blood samples were collected from pregnant women with COVID-19 and 25 samples of healthy pregnant women (age range: 20-35 years). The blood samples of pregnant women with COVID-19 were collected (from the 1st of August to the 25th of December, 2020) from Azasi Teaching Hospital and Al-Jumhuri Hospital in Kirkuk, Iraq. Results: The results showed that C allele in pregnant women with COVID-19 was 31(40.3%) compared to with allele G, which is 46(59.7%), while the allele C was 19(76%), compared to the allele A, which is 6(34%) in healthy pregnant women. Conclusion: G allele demonstrates significant frequency in pregnant women with COVID-19 and higher rate compared with healthy pregnant women, and G allele may represent a significant risk factor for COVID-19 in the Iraqi population and there is an association between IL-6-174 G/C polymorphism and COVID-19 patients. © 2022 Indian Society for Malaria and Communicable Diseases. All rights reserved.
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Introduction: Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the paradigm has evolved such that virtual breast cancer clinics and surveillance has dominated patient follow-up. Breast cancer patients are routinely followed up for years in surgical, medical oncology and radiation oncology clinics. However, controversies surround follow-up, and its value is uncertain. The aim of this study was to assess whether breast cancer recurrences presenting at our breast unit were detected clinically or radiologically and proportion of the recurrences detected during routine physical exam. Methods: An observational cohort study of retrospective design was performed evaluating patients suffering breast cancer recurrence (locoregional and/or distant) between 2016 and 2020. Electronic hospital records were reviewed to update patient data. Basic descriptive statistics (Chi-square, Fisher's Exact tests) were performed using SPSS version 26.0. Results: In total, 181 patients presented to our unit with breast cancer recurrence during the period of this study. Overall, 88 recurrences were detected clinically and 93 were detected using radiology (48.6% and 51.4%). Interestingly, 77 recurrences were detected by the patient themselves (42%) and only 11 recurrences were detected by physical examination on scheduled appointments (6%). These eleven patients had asymptomatic recurrences identified by clinical exam, which could have been identified by surveillance imaging. Conclusion: Breast cancer recurrences are as likely to be detected clinically as using radiology. Keeping the substantially low cancer detection rate of asymptomatic recurrences, review of data in post covid period requires appropriate utilization of resources for breast cancer follow-up. Long term routine hospital follow-up appears to be inefficient in detecting recurrence.
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The current work was objective to estimate the levels of some cytokines in pregnant women with COVID-19 infection. A total of 58 blood samples were obtained from infected pregnant women with COVID-19 and 30 healthy pregnant women (age range: 18–40 years). The blood samples collected (at a period June 2020 to January, 2021) from Al Shifa Medical Center, Azadi Teaching Hospital, Kirkuk, Iraq. The findings of current work showed that the levels of D-dimer in infected pregnant women significant elevated compared with healthy pregnant women. On the other hand, the findings showed that the levels of IL-6 and IL-10 in infected pregnant women significant elevated compared with healthy pregnant women. Therefore, it is concluded from the current work that infection with the COVID-19 cause higher levels of cytokines that have been studied in infected pregnant women compared to healthy pregnant women. © 2021, Dr. Yashwant Research Labs Pvt. Ltd.. All rights reserved.
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Background: Transport and retrieval of patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support can be hazardous to patients and healthcare workers (HCWs)1. COVID-19 is highly contagious and can be transmitted by contact, droplet, or airborne route. Transport of COVID-19 patients exposes HCWs and the public to infection risks, hence strict measures must be in place to ensure everyone’s safety2. ECMO cannulation and transportation is considered an aerosol generating procedure and can pose significant risks to HCWs3. In addition, close contact with the patient in the confined space of the ambulance may put HCWs at increased risk of exposure and infection. Methods: Between March 1st and September 30th 2020, a total of 32 episodes of COVID-19 ECMO transport were undertaken by the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) and Ambulance Service. We reviewed the incidence of COVID-19 infection among HCWs involved in these missions. The transport clinical team is composed of ECMO consultant, two ECMO nurses, a perfusionist and a Critical Care Paramedic (CCP). Due to staff shortage and clinical needs, a respiratory therapist did not attend to the majority of cases. A crew of two paramedics supports the clinical team with their intensive care ambulance. Results: The number of clinical staff involved in the COVID-19 ECMO transport during that period is shown in Table 1. The duration of clinical staff’s exposure to the infected patient in the back of the ambulance is demonstrated in Table 2. MICU staff underwent COVID-19 serology tests every 2 weeks as per local policy. None of the clinical staff involved in these transfers and retrievals of COVID-19 positive patients tested positive after 2 weeks of transport. Conclusion: Strict infection prevention and personal protective measures are mandatory to avoid cross-infection and were carefully adhered to during all the missions. They translated into the well-being of the clinical staff involved in the transfer and retrievals of COVID-19 positive patients.
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COVID-19 is a disease that puts most of the world on lockdown and the search for therapeutic drugs is still ongoing. Therefore, this study used in silico screening to identify natural bioactive compounds from fruits, herbaceous plants, and marine invertebrates that are able to inhibit protease activity in SARS-CoV-2 (PDB: 6LU7). We have used extensive screening strategies such as drug likeliness, antiviral activity value prediction, molecular docking, ADME, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, and MM/GBSA. A total of 17 compounds were shortlisted using Lipinski's rule in which 5 compounds showed significant predicted antiviral activity values. Among these 5, only 2 compounds, Macrolactin A and Stachyflin, showed good binding energy of -9.22 and -8.00 kcal/mol, respectively, within the binding pocket of the Mpro catalytic residues (HIS 41 and CYS 145). These two compounds were further analyzed to determine their ADME properties. The ADME evaluation of these 2 compounds suggested that they could be effective in developing therapeutic drugs to be used in clinical trials. MD simulations showed that protein-ligand complexes of Macrolactin A and Stachyflin with the target receptor (6LU7) were stable for 100 nanoseconds. The MM/GBSA calculations of Mpro-Macrolactin A complex indicated higher binding free energy (-42.58 ± 6.35 kcal/mol). Dynamic cross-correlation matrix (DCCM) and principal component analysis (PCA) on the residual movement in the MD trajectories further confirmed the stability of Macrolactin A bound state with 6LU7. In conclusion, this study showed that marine natural compound Macrolactin A could be an effective therapeutic inhibitor against SARS-CoV-2 protease (6LU7). Additional in vitro and in vivo validations are strongly needed to determine the efficacy and therapeutic dose of Macrolactin A in biological systems.
Subject(s)
Coronavirus 3C Proteases , Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors/chemistry , Macrolides/chemistry , Molecular Docking Simulation , SARS-CoV-2/enzymology , Coronavirus 3C Proteases/antagonists & inhibitors , Coronavirus 3C Proteases/chemistry , HumansABSTRACT
Simulators for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) are generally haunted by bulky devices and low-fidelity methodologies. Ongoing efforts optimizing modern solutions for such issues, focusing on minimizing expenses and blending training with the intensive care unit. This is particularly evident, following the Coronavirus pandemic, where economical resources are extensively cut. Upon reviewing the state-ofthe- A rt and developing a strong collaboration with Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), Qatar's leading provider of healthcare, requirements have been established for the development upon the cutting-edge. This work introduces a high-realism, cost-effective simulator for ECMO for adult patients. Specifically, the system's core relies on a thermochromic module that simulates blood color changes through an innovative reversible technology. On top, multiple simulation modules are developed, including bleeding, line chattering, air bubbles noise, and more. Furthermore, wireless technology enables teachers to orchestrate the teaching process via a custom developed tablet application. It also enables both creative and standardized simulation scenario modeling via an intuitive interface. Currently, a high-fidelity, product-level prototype is in the final stages of development (Figure 1). In a questionnaire-based study conducted in 2017 at HMC, nineteen specialists classified the efficiency of the simulator as highly realistic during an interactive demonstration. A second study is planned to be performed to assess the educational effectiveness of the simulator as a complete ECMO simulation toolbox that meets strict budget constraints and yet satisfies high pedagogical standards. Acknowledgements This paper was supported by Qatar University Internal Grant No. M-CTPCENG-2020-1. The findings achieved herein are solely the responsibility of the authors.
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Corona viruses were first identified in 1931 and SARS-CoV-2 is the most recent. COVID-19 is a pandemic that put most of the world on lockdown and the search for therapeutic drugs is still on-going. Therefore, this study uses in silico screening to identify natural bioactive compounds from fruits, herbaceous plants and marine invertebrates that are able to inhibit protease activity in SARS-CoV-2(PDB: 6LU7). We have used various screening strategies such as drug likeliness, antiviral activity value prediction, molecular docking, ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion), molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and MM/GBSA (molecular mechanics/generalized born and surface area continuum solvation). 17 compounds were shortlisted using Lipinski’s rule. 5 compounds revealed significantly good predicted antiviral activity values and out of them only 2 compounds, Macrolactin A and Stachyflin, showed good binding energy values of -9.22 and -8.00 kcal/mol within the binding pocket, catalytic residues (HIS 41 and CYS 145) of Mpro. These two compounds were further analyzed for their ADME properties. The ADME evaluation of these 2 compounds suggested that they could be effective as therapeutic agents for developing drugs for clinical trials. MD simulations showed that protein-ligand complexes of Macrolactin A and Stachyflin were stable for 100 nano seconds. The MM/GBSA calculations of Mpro – Macrolactin A complex indicated higher binding free energy (-42.58 ± 6.35 kcal/mol) with Mpro protein target receptor (6LU7). DCCM and PCA analysis on the residual movement in the MD trajectories confirmed the good stability on Macrolactin A bound state of 6LU7. This signify the stable conformation of 6LU7 with high binding energy with Macrolactin A. Thus, this study showed that Macrolactin A could be an effective therapeutical agent for SARS-CoV-2protease (6LU7) inhibition. Additional in vitro and in vivo validations are needed to determine efficacy and dose of Macrolactin A in biological systems.
Subject(s)
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome , COVID-19ABSTRACT
Background: Pandemics are associated with anxiety, depression, and/or even death. The present study was planned to measure the psychological stress due to current pandemic-COVID19 amongst resident of Hail, Saudi Arabia. Method: It was a survey based cross sectional study. Non-Probability convenient sampling was used to collect the information from 240 respondents. Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7) was used as study tool. Data was displayed as number and percentages. Chi square test was used to measure inferential statistics. Results: More than 55% of study respondent reportedly found to have some level of anxiety during lockdown. However, nearly 35% had mild anxiety. Interestingly, statistically significant association was observed amongst, gender, level of education, Income, nationality, profession, place of resident, and age. Conclusion: The findings of present study may not be generalizable to Hail city. However, more than 50% of study respondent reported some sort of anxiety. Mild anxiety was most commonly reported. Level of anxiety was found to be statistically associated with various socio demographic variables. It is recommended to have further studies to measure the relationship of psychological stress on individuals of various backgrounds.