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Introduction: Novel coronavirus affects different individuals in different ways, with most people recovering with mild to moderate illness not requiring hospitalization. Liver transplant for end-stage liver disease is a lifesaving procedure, and though living donor liver transplant (LDLT) is a well-planned elective surgery, it was considered a semi-emergency owing to the decompensation of the recipient posing a challenge to the transplant team owing to the situation of the pandemic. The availability of liver grafts from cadaveric donors in India was 0.65 per million population until 2019 as per the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization statistics which was sparse and further accentuated, leaving LDLT as the only option during the pandemic. Aim: This study aims to describe our experience and testing protocol for COVID-19 disease for the patients undergoing liver transplant during the pandemic at our hospital, which is a tertiary care referral hospital. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study done at AIG Hospitals, Hyderabad, India. Fifty adult patients who underwent LDLT and deceased donor liver transplant from May 2020 to December 2020 were included in the study. Exclusion Criteria: All recipients and donors with reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) positive for SARS CoV2;and COVID-19 disease reporting and data system (CO-RADS) score of 4 or 5 on high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) chest. Results: The mean age of the recipients was 46 years, and the donors was 36 years;the most common indication being acute-on-chronic liver failure with failed medical therapies and the second common being hepatocellular carcinoma. All the 50 recipients were RT-PCR negative for SARS CoV2;8 out of whom had a CO-RADS score of 3;and 4 out of the 8 were post-COVID-19 infection who had IgG positive and IgM negative;and the other 4 were both IgG and IgM negative, similarly 4 out of 8 donors were IgG positive. Intraoperative and postoperative period was uneventful. None of the donors or recipients were infected with COVID-19 disease during the hospital stay and up to 1 month postoperative. One patient died within 1 month due to sudden cardiac arrest. Conclusion: In our experience, with meticulous testing and proper care, there is a favorable outcome for liver transplant even during the pandemic.
ABSTRACT
Recent studies on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) have shown that obesity and vitamin D deficiency increase the risk of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and its complications. The levels of cytokines are increased in SARS-CoV-2 infection, obesity, and vitamin D deficiency aggravating the complications related to COVID-19. The Angiotensin-converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2), through which SARS-CoV-2 enters the host cell, is highly expressed in adipose tissue showing the vulnerability to the infection. In this review we have explained how obese individuals are more prone and contagious than lean to COVID-19, the role of adipose tissue as a reservoir of infection, vitamin D sequestration and deficiency in obese, and its association with COVID-19 and the combined release of cytokines in obesity, vitamin D deficiency and SARS-CoV-2 infection leading to cytokine storm both locally and systemically, hence leading to multi-organ failure in elderly and younger generations.
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Purpose: This paper aims to document the narratives that emerged in favour of and against the austerity measures proposed by the Auckland Council, with specific reference to performing arts organisations (PAOs) in the aftermath of the pandemic 2020. Design/methodology/approach: Written submissions from stakeholders received in response to austerity measures were analysed to identify the arguments presented to support/oppose funding cuts to PAOs. These narratives were thematically grouped into accounting, political, artistic and social categories to deliberate on the tensions that exist between these when funding PAOs. Findings: This study identifies the arguments presented by grass-root PAOs on the rationale of their existence from a Pacific perspective. The analysis suggests that accounting, hitherto considered as a “sword” can also be used as a “shield” if PAOs direct their research accordingly and offers future research directions. Originality/value: Prior studies concerning funding difficulties of PAOs have relied on opinions obtained ex-post from selected stakeholders. There are no known studies, which factor the opinions of grass-root PAOs, captured “during” funding deliberations. This study bridges this gap in the New Zealand setting by providing an analysis of grass-root opinions from the Pacific perspective, conducted during a funding deliberation. © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.
ABSTRACT
Novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV2) outbreak, which is a causal agent for coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), has gotten a pandemic in a very short timeframe and represents a global health threat. Since this virus crossed species boundaries, it has put the whole humanity at risk for the infection. We may expect to see the emergence of many other novel coronaviruses like this in future. It is of vital importance that effective standardized care protocols for serious cases are globally recommended to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. As of now, there are no clinically approved vaccines for COVID-19, but the Phase1 vaccine development approach is on the way. In future, we may expect a dozen vaccines but to test the vaccines and to understand their role, animal models which reflect the clinical symptoms, replication of the virus and disease pathology as in the humans are in great demand. The vaccine development for SARS-CoV2 would depend on the immunological data collected from the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) that emerged late in 2003. Because the SARS-CoV and newly emerged SARS-CoV2 share ninety percent of sequence homology, previously used transgenic animal models to study the spread of the virus and the therapeutic response could be used for the development of systematic therapeutic drugs for SARS-CoV2. Here, in this review, we have summarized some of the animal models which were considered from the previous studies on SARS-CoV and the comparison between these animal models could be a good consideration for further developments in the treatment of COVID-19.
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Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to document both, the challenges faced by a cohort of postgraduate students undertaking capstone research projects in an Accounting Conversion Master Degree Programme (ACMP), and the strategies used by teachers in response to those challenges during the COVID-19 lockdown period. Design/methodology/approach: Written communications originating from students were analysed to identify areas of difficulties faced by them. These communications were thematically grouped and reflected upon through the lens of constructivist and behaviourist perspectives of learning. Findings: The study found that students were severely challenged in sense-making with conceptual, application and judgement-related issues and understanding of the administrative requirements of the module. Innovative strategies used by teachers to resolve each of these issues were documented. While some strategies can be replicated in future periods, some are not sustainable as they have ramifications on other aspects of teaching and learning. Originality/value: There are no known studies in this genre, conducted especially during a pandemic period. © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited.
ABSTRACT
Objectives: Age Layered Population Structure (ALPS) which introduces time labels into a traditional Genetic Algorithm (GA) is a novel search metaheuristic in overcoming premature convergence. There are two models of ALPS namely generational and steady-state with their own merits and demerits. Present work has been taken up to devise a search algorithm E-Hybrid-ALPS with the combined concepts and advantages of both the models. Methodology: E-Hybrid-ALPS not only combined the concepts and advantages of both the models but also considered weak individual solutions to the mating pool and adaptively applied the crossover operator. A search algorithm, a component of the molecular docking tool plays a vital role in the success of molecular docking used in drug discovery. Hence, E-Hybrid-ALPS has been implemented as a search algorithm for molecular docking. The execution was carried out with two receptor-ligand combinations namely receptor CYP2C8 and ligand Chloroquine, a therapeutic option in the treatment of Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) and also a drug used in the treatment of Malaria and receptor CYP2B6 and ligand Cyclophosphamide a drug used in the treatment of cancer. Results: E-Hybrid-ALPS generates poses of the ligand in the active site of the receptor, calculates the binding energy of each pose and outputs the pose with the lowest binding energy. The performance was evaluated by comparing it with the widely used molecular docking tools AutoDock and AutoDockVina which employ Lamarckian GA as a search algorithm. Lowest binding energy found by E-Hybrid-ALPS was significantly low as compared to the lowest binding energy found by AutoDock and AutoDockVina Conclusion: E-Hybrid-ALPS which generates a ligand/drug pose with the lowest binding energy can be implemented as a search algorithm for AutoDock molecular docking tool. This helps the drug discoverer in designing a drug with a better binding affinity as lower binding energies indicate higher binding affinity. © IJCRR.