-2548G>A LEP Polymorphism Is Positively Associated with Increased Leptin and Glucose Levels in Obese Saudi Patients Irrespective of Blood Pressure Status

Background and Objectives: In this study, we aimed to investigate the link between common -2548G>A (rs7799039) promoter variant of the human leptin gene (LEP) with leptin and serum glucose leptin levels in obese Saudi patients. Materials and Methods: A total of 206 Saudi adults (80 obese normotensive nondiabetics, 76 obese hypertensive with Type 2 Diabetes and 50 normotensive nondiabetic controls) were genotyped for -2548G>A LEP polymorphism using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment-length polymorphism technique. Results: Participants with minor AA genotype had significantly higher blood glucose levels (6.8 ± 0.55 mmol/L vs. 5.8 ± 0.30 mmol/L; p < 0.04) and HOMA-IR (4.1 ± 0.84 vs. 2.6 ± 0.67; p = 0.03) against those carrying major GG genotype. Participants with heterozygous GA genotype had significantly higher serum leptin levels against those carrying major GG genotype (40.0 ± 2.6 ng/mL vs. 29.6 ± 2.6 ng/mL; p = 0.04). Further investigation showed that individuals with AA, GA, GA + AA genotypes are at greater risk of developing hyperglycemia compared to those with GG genotype [OR 3.7(1.6−8.4), p = 0.001; 3.2 (1.2−8.6), p = 0.03; 3.5 (1.6−7.7), p = 0.001, respectively]. Additionally, the -2548AA allele was shown to be a risk factor for hyperglycemia [OR 1.9 (1.2−3.0), p = 0.006]. Our data revealed no relationship between this variant of the LEP gene with systolic and diastolic BP, signifying that this genetic variant is not a significant marker of obesity and hypertension in the Saudi population. Conclusions: AA and GA genotypes and LEP gene -2548AA alleles may signify potent risk factors predisposing healthy individuals to develop T2DM regardless of blood-pressure profile.

Interrelationship of physical exercise, perceptual discrimination and academic achievement variables in high school students.

BACKGROUND: Many studies results suggest how can we improve the academic performance for our kids. The purposes of this study were to examine how physical activity could affect both academic achievement and fluid intelligence in adolescence. STUDY DESIGN: We measured the three variables (physical, cognitive, academic) and try to find the correlations between them. METHODS: A total of 167 adolescents (mean age = 16.34 years SD = 1.2) from Morocco are participating in this study. The cardiorespiratory fitness was measured with the20 m endurance shuttle-run test. We also assessed the Resistance capacity with 500m sprint test. The academic achievement was assessed by school grades. The fluid intelligence was assessed by using Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices. We examined the correlation between all variables. RESULTS: This study indicates that the academic achievement was positively associated with the Fluid Intelligence and also with the Resistance Capacity and not with Cardiorespiratory Fitness (VO2peak). CONCLUSIONS: We can conclude that the professionals and researchers in sports and education have to promote physical activity at the school age for a public health purpose.

Psychometric properties of the Sexual Adjustment Questionnaire (SAQ) in the Iranian population with spinal cord injury.

STUDY DESIGN: This is a cross-sectional study. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Sexual Adjustment Questionnaire (SAQ) for Iranian people with spinal cord injury. SETTING: This study was conducted in the brain and Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. METHODS: We assessed the psychometric properties of the SAQ, with 200 participants (men=146, women=54) completing the scale. An evaluation of its test-retest reliability was performed over a 2-weeks period, on a subsample of 30 patients recruited from the overall group. Cronbach's α-coefficient was computed for assessment of internal consistency reliability. In addition, content and face validity were examined by an expert committee. Construct validity was assessed by examining convergent and discriminant validity. Finally, exploratory factor analysis was used to extract the factor structure of the questionnaire. RESULTS: The Cronbach's α and intraclass correlation coefficient were 0.77 and 0.72 retrospectively. With regard to construct validity, there was a significant (P=0.009) negative correlation (r=-0.28) between the SAQ score and age. Those with lower levels of educations scored significantly lower on the SAQ (P=0.04). The exploratory factor analysis indicated a four-factor structure for the questionnaire, accounting for 68.9% of the observed variance. The expert committee approved the face and content validity of the developed measure. CONCLUSION: The SAQ is a valid measure for assessing sexual adjustment in people with spinal cord injury. The evaluation of sexual well-being may be useful in clinical trials and practical settings.

Celiac disease and dysfunctional uterine bleeding; the efficiency of gluten free diet.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relation between Celiac disease (CD) and unexplained dysfunctional uterine bleeding (DUB) in celiac women. The celiac patients were selected from women who were referred to celiac department. Controls were selected from those women without any signs of celiac disease and matched with age. Meanwhile, a trained physician was ready to explain the study, and then in case of their allowance, a questionnaire was completed by the physician. 24 % of celiac women reported a past history of at least one menstrual cycle disorder vs 10 % of controls reported these problems (p=0.038) and higher percentage of unexplained DUB has been observed in celiac women. All celiac patients were undertaking gluten free diet for at least 3 months and the celiac patients who reported the history of DUB were again interviewed for any signs of unexplained DUB. From 12 celiac women with DUB, 10 patients reported no more unexplained DUB after getting gluten-free diet (83.3 %). The occurrence of a significant correlation between CD and DUB suggests the possibility of considering CD as one of the potential causes of abnormal uterine bleeding. Therefore, celiac disease must be seriously considered in the screening of patients with reproductive disorders (Tab. 2,Ref. 23).

Design and application of metal organic frameworks for heavy metals adsorption in water: a review.

The growing apprehension surrounding heavy metal pollution in both environmental and industrial contexts has spurred extensive research into adsorption materials aimed at efficient remediation. Among these materials, Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) have risen as versatile and promising contenders due to their adjustable properties, expansive surface areas, and sustainable characteristics, compared to traditional options like activated carbon and zeolites. This exhaustive review delves into the synthesis techniques, structural diversity, and adsorption capabilities of MOFs for the effective removal of heavy metals. The article explores the evolution of MOF design and fabrication methods, highlighting pivotal parameters influencing their adsorption performance, such as pore size, surface area, and the presence of functional groups. In this perspective review, a thorough analysis of various MOFs is presented, emphasizing the crucial role of ligands and metal nodes in adapting MOF properties for heavy metal removal. Moreover, the review delves into recent advancements in MOF-based composites and hybrid materials, shedding light on their heightened adsorption capacities, recyclability, and potential for regeneration. Challenges for optimization, regeneration efficiency and minimizing costs for large-scale applications are discussed.

Lung Ultrasonography Accuracy for Diagnosis of Adult Pneumonia: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Pneumonia is a ubiquitous health condition with severe outcomes. The advancement of ultrasonography techniques allows its application in evaluating pulmonary diseases, providing safer and accessible bedside therapeutic decisions compared to chest X-ray and chest computed tomography (CT) scan. Because of its aforementioned benefits, we aimed to confirm the diagnostic accuracy of lung ultrasound (LUS) for pneumonia in adults. METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed of Medline, Cochrane and Crossref, independently by two authors. The selection of studies proceeded based on specific inclusion and exclusion criteria without restrictions to particular study designs, language or publication dates and was followed by data extraction. The gold standard reference in the included studies was chest X-ray/CT scan or both. RESULTS: Twenty-nine (29) studies containing 6702 participants were included in our meta-analysis. Pooled sensitivity, specificity and PPV were 92% (95% CI: 91-93%), 94% (95% CI: 94 to 95%) and 93% (95% CI: 89 to 96%), respectively. Pooled positive and negative likelihood ratios were 16 (95% CI: 14 to 19) and 0.08 (95% CI: 0.07 to 0.09). The area under the ROC curve of LUS was 0. 9712. CONCLUSIONS: LUS has high diagnostic accuracy in adult pneumonia. Its contribution could form an optimistic clue in future updates considering this condition.

Study of operated primary and secondary (recurrence) hydatidosis in hospitals of Kermanshah, west of Islamic Republic of Iran.

Cystic echinococcosis, caused by the larval stage of Echinoccocus granulosus, is a global public health threat. The aim of this study was to determine the demographic and clinical characteristics of cases of primary and secondary hydatid cyst in the west of the Islamic Republic of Iran. A retrospective record review was made in 7 public and private hospitals in Kermanshah from 2004 to 2009. Of 526 files of suspected cases analysed, 291 cases of hydatid cyst had been operated upon and confirmed. Of the patients, 51.5% were females, 57.7% lived in urban and suburban areas and the largest age group (17.5%) was 31-40 years. The major organs involved were liver (64.9%) and lung (26.8%) and 18 cases (6.2%) were confirmed as secondary hydatidosis. Most patients (79.4%) had been treated with albendazole. Kermanshah province should be considered an endemic region for human hydatid cyst disease; greater efforts in prevention are needed.

Low-temperature synthesis, characterization and photocatalytic properties of lanthanum vanadate LaVO4.

In this study, we have successfully prepared tetragonal lanthanum vanadate LaVO4 nanoparticles by a facile co-precipitation method at room temperature. The obtained materials were characterized using different structural and micro-structural techniques such as the characterization by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectrum (DRS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Raman spectrometry. The obtained structure is crystallized in single tetragonal phase with pin-like nanostructure. A main optical transition with bandgap energy of 3.26 eV is evidenced, and the average lifetime of charges carriers was found to be 1 ns Furthermore, the photoluminescence occurs in the visible light range. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) with initial concentration of 10 mg L-1. The result indicates that LaVO4 particles showed a best photocatalytic activity of 98.2% degradation for methylene blue solution after irradiation of 90 min under visible light. Furthermore, the photocatalytic mechanism and reusability were studied.

Comparison of static and rolling logistic regression models on predicting invasive mechanical ventilation or death from COVID-19-A retrospective, multicentre study.

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 virus has undergone mutations, and the introduction of vaccines and effective treatments have changed its clinical severity. We hypothesized that models that evolve may better predict invasive mechanical ventilation or death than do static models. METHODS: This retrospective study of adult patients with COVID-19 from six Michigan hospitals analysed 20 demographic, comorbid, vital sign and laboratory factors, one derived factor and nine factors representing changes in vital signs or laboratory values with time for their ability to predict death or invasive mechanical ventilation within the next 4, 8 or 24 h. Static logistic regression was constructed on the initial 300 patients and tested on the remaining 6741 patients. Rolling logistic regression was similarly constructed on the initial 300 patients, but then new patients were added, and older patients removed. Each new construction model was subsequently tested on the next patient. Static and rolling models were compared with receiver operator characteristic and precision-recall curves. RESULTS: Of the 7041 patients, 534 (7.6%) required invasive mechanical ventilation or died within 14 days of arrival. Rolling models improved discrimination (0.865 ± 0.010, 0.856 ± 0.007 and 0.843 ± 0.005 for the 4, 8 and 24-h models, respectively; all p < 0.001 compared with the static logistic regressions with 0.827 ± 0.011, 0.794 ± 0.012 and 0.735 ± 0.012, respectively). Similarly, the areas under the precision-recall curves improved from 0.006, 0.010 and 0.021 with the static models to 0.030, 0.045 and 0.076 for the 4-, 8- and 24-h rolling models, respectively, all p < 0.001. CONCLUSION: Rolling models with contemporaneous data maintained better metrics of performance than static models, which used older data.

Gramine Exerts Cytoprotective Effects and Antioxidant Properties Against H2O2-Induced Oxidative Stress in HEK 293 Cells.

Oxidative stress caused due to the perturbations in the oxidant-antioxidant system can damage molecules and cause cellular alteration leading to the pathogenesis of multiple diseases. This study was designed and performed to investigate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of an alkaloid, gramine on H2O2-induced oxidative stress on HEK 293 cells. Cell viability and morphometric analysis of cells treated with H2O2 and gramine were studied. Oxidative stress and inflammatory and antioxidant enzymes such as ROS, LPO, NO, SOD, GSH, and CAT were analyzed. Furthermore, mRNA expression of SOD, CAT, and COX-2 was also evaluated. H2O2 at concentration > 0.3 mM and gramine at concentration > 80 µg/mL affect the proliferation. Viability and morphometric analysis showed that gramine has protective effects. Treating cells with gramine suppressed oxidative stress and inflammatory enzymes, whereas antioxidant enzymes were enhanced. SOD and CAT mRNA levels were overexpressed and COX-2 mRNA levels were decreased in the treated groups. Gramine possesses effective antioxidant potential and can regulate oxidative stress and damages associated with it.

Soluble CD163 is associated with body mass index and blood pressure in hypertensive obese Saudi patients.

BACKGROUND: The hallmark of vascular inflammation is the recruitment of circulating leucocytes, primarily monocytes, macrophages and T lymphocytes, into the vascular wall; however, the link between monocyte/macrophage activation and hypertension has not been established as yet. In this study, we determined how sCD163, a monocyte/macrophage soluble scavenger receptor and immunomodulator, relates to arterial blood pressure (BP) in hypertensive Saudi individuals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 90 (30 non-hypertensive obese, 30 hypertensive obese and 30 lean normotensive controls) adult Saudi subjects, aged 40-60 years, participated in this cross-sectional study. Serum fasting blood glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C), LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C), leptin, adiponectin, resistin, insulin, tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), PAI-1, angiotensin II, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and sCD163 were measured in all subjects studied. RESULTS: sCD163 concentrations were significantly increased in obese hypertensive patients compared to controls (P=0.016). Positive correlations between sCD163 and body mass index (BMI) (r=0.27, P=0.01), systolic BP (r=0.25, P=0.01), diastolic BP (r=0.33, P=0.001), LDL-C (r=0.21, P=0.04), TNF-α (r=0.23, P=0.02) and hsCRP (r=0.33, P=0.008) were observed. Positive correlations between sCD163 and diastolic BP (r=0.23, P=0.04) and LDL-C (r=0.22, P=0.03) remained significant after controlling for BMI. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, these data demonstrate that the monocyte/macrophage activation-related sCD163 is positively associated with BMI and increased arterial BP with the elevation in diastolic BP being independent of the BMI.

A Comparative Study for Measuring Serum Ferritin Levels with Three Different Laboratory Methods: Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay versus Cobas e411 and Cobas Integra 400 Methods.

Different laboratory methods are used to measure serum ferritin levels as a marker of iron status in the general population. This study aimed to compare serum ferritin levels using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) versus immunochemiluminescence (Cobas e411) and immunoturbidimetric (Cobas Integra 400) methods in terms of sensitivity, specificity and accuracy, and whether they can be used interchangeably. A comparative cross-sectional study enrolled one hundred and six adult Yemeni patients (33 males and 73 females) aged 18-55 years, recruited from the dermatology and cosmetic center of Hadhramout Modern Hospital, Mukalla, Yemen. Serum ferritin levels were measured using ELISA, Cobas e411, and Cobas Integra 400 methods. For method comparison, a paired-sample t-test was used. For the consistency between the three methods, they were analyzed with regression and Pearson correlation coefficient. For determining accuracy, a receiver operating curve (ROC) was used. Bias error between the methods was determined through a Bland-Altman plot analysis. Our results did not show any significant statistical difference between ELISA and Cobas e411 (52.55 ± 7.4 µg/L vs. 52.58 ± 7.5 µg/L, p = 0.967), while there were significantly higher values from Cobas Integra 400 results than Cobas e411 (56.31 ± 7.8 µg/L vs. 52.58 ± 7.5 µg/L, p < 0.001) and ELISA (52.55 ± 7.4 µg/L vs. 56.31 ± 7.8 µg/L, p < 0.001). According to the correlation coefficient and linear regression analysis, a strong association between ELISA with Cobas e411 (r = 0.993, p < 0.001) and Cobas Integra 400 results (r = 0.994, p < 0.001) were revealed. For determining accuracy, Cobas e411 and Cobas Integra 400 results showed higher sensitivity (92.0%; 90.0%) and specificity (97.7%; 99.9%) respectively. Additionally, the Bland-Altman plot analysis showed a high agreement between the ELISA and Cobas e411 methods (bias: -0.035). In contrast, there was a low agreement between the ELISA and Cobas Integra 400 methods (bias: -3.75). Similarly, the agreement between Cobas e411 and Cobas Integra 400 methods was low (bias: -3.72). Serum ferritin levels were measured by Cobas e411, and Cobas Integra 400 methods were strongly correlated with the ELISA results, with higher sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy. However, further investigations with larger samples are required for improved accuracy and more precise results, and to determine whether they can be used interchangeably.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perception towards COVID-19 among Medical Students in Yemen: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

Numerous measures have been taken to slow the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) rapid spread. Such population control techniques may have a substantial impact on people's attitudes, knowledge, and perception of COVID-19. This web-based cross-sectional survey aimed to assess Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices (KAP) towards COVID-19 among Hadhramout University Medical Students in Yemen from 15 June to 26 June 2020. This survey was performed using social media via the Google Platform among 422 Hadhramout University Medical students. After consenting, participants completed an online survey assessing sociodemographic data, 21 knowledge items, 15 attitudes items, and 5 perception items towards COVID-19. Of the total 422 participants, 389 (92.18%) were surveyed online, and 256 (65.8%) were females, and 133 (34.2%) were males aged 19-24 years (88.7%), studying medicine (58.9%), and living in urban areas (80.7%). The survey revealed that 64.0% of participants had good knowledge about the disease and 52.7% had positive attitudes towards protective measures against the virus. The majority of participants (98.2%) thought that the virus was transmitted through nasal droplets, and 59.6% agreed that the disease is dangerous. The majority of participants agreed that fever (99.2%), dry cough (97.9%), and difficulty breathing (99.5%) are the most common symptoms of the disease. The survey also showed high knowledge levels about preventive measures against the virus spreading, such as regular proper hand hygiene (99.7%), maintaining an appropriate distance (99.2%), avoiding touching eyes and nose (98.7%), and wearing facemasks in public places (97.4%). Moreover, 69.7% of participants agreed to be isolated at home if they got an infected person, 64.3% implemented washing hands with soap and water, 41.9% agreed to be separated at the hospital until they proved free from the disease, 46.0% agreed to inform the health authorities if they had any symptoms associated with the disease. By using sample T-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA), mean knowledge score about COVID-19 was significantly higher in males than in females (p = 0.029). Additionally, medicine students had significantly higher mean knowledge score than students of medical laboratory (p < 0.001) and nursing (p = 0.008). In general, our research revealed that participants had favorable opinions regarding the disease's preventative measures and a good awareness of it. However, more educational initiatives and campaigns that take into account KAP modifying elements are needed.

Antioxidant status in patients with lichen planus.

BACKGROUND: Lichen planus (LP) is an autoimmune inflammatory disease of the mucocutaneous tissue, whose exact pathological course is not yet understood. Many studies have implicated the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the protective role of antioxidants in several autoimmune skin disorders. In this study, serum levels of antioxidants in patients with LP were determined and compared with those of healthy controls. METHODS: In total, 30 patients with LP (mean ± SD age 41.63 ± 13.03), who had never received treatment for their disease, were enrolled; 30 healthy people (aged 41.17 ± 13.24) were recruited as the control group. Serum levels of glutathione peroxidase (GPX), vitamin C, selenium, bilirubin and uric acid were determined. RESULTS: The mean plasma level of vitamin C was significantly lower (P < 0.001) in patients compared with controls. A significant positive correlation was found between selenium and GPX in both patients (Spearman ρ = 0.99, P < 0.001) and controls (ρ = 0.10, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Lower serum levels of vitamin C in patients with LP indicates that free radicals and the resulting oxidative damage may be important in the pathogenesis of LP lesions.

CORAL: Monte Carlo based global QSAR modelling of Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors using hybrid descriptors.

Global QSAR modelling was performed to predict the pIC50 values of 233 diverse heterocyclic compounds as BTK inhibitors with the Monte Carlo algorithm of CORAL software using the DCW hybrid descriptors extracted from SMILES notations of molecules. The dataset of 233 BTK inhibitors was randomly split into training, invisible training, calibration and validation sets. The index of ideality of correlation was also applied to build and judge the predictability of the QSAR models. Eight global QSAR models based on the hybrid optimal descriptor using two target functions, i.e. TF1 (WIIC = 0) and TF2 (WIIC = 0.2) have been constructed. The statistical parameters of QSAR models computed by TF2 are more reliable and robust and were used to predict the pIC50 values. The model constructed for split 4 via TF2 is regarded as the best model and the numerical values of r2Train, r2Valid, Q2Train and Q2Valid are equal to 0.7981, 0.7429, 0.7898 and 0.6784, respectively. By internal and external validation techniques, the predictability and reliability of the designed models have been assessed. The structural attributes responsible for the increase and decrease of pIC50 of BTK inhibitors were also identified.

[Variation of cognitive functions and glycemia during physical exercise in Ramadan fasting]. / Variation des fonctions cognitives et de la glycémie lors de l'exercice physique durant le jeûne du mois de Ramadan.

INTRODUCTION: During the month of Ramadan, Muslims fast every day from dawn to sunset. Several studies have shown that Ramadan fasting affects biochemical parameters, sleep/wake cycle, behaviour and food habits. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of Ramadan fasting (RF) and physical exercise on cognitive functions, blood glucose. METHODS: Eleven healthy male volunteers aged 20.45+/-1.65 years were assessed before RF (B.RF), during the 1st week (wk), 3rd wk and 1 wk B.RF, in blood sugar, work memory (WM), visual perception (VP), before exercise (B. Ex) and after exercise (A. Ex) exercise of 1000 m. RESULTS: Compared to control days (B.RF), there were no significant changes in body mass index. Physical performance declined significantly during 1st wk (p<0.001), 3th wk (p<0.013) and before (p<0.046) of RF. At the level of the glycemia, the results show a significant effect of Ramadan by increasing gradually during Ramadan but nevertheless, the values remain lower of 100mg/dl. No significant change was observed between B. Ex and A. Ex value in WM during RF. However, the WM A. Ex value increase significantly during and after RF (respectively 1st wk (p<0.013), 3rd wk (p<0.005) and before (p<0.003). The VP was significantly affected by fasting effect (F=16.84, p<0.001) and exercise effect (F=14.01, p<0.0001), and was progressively increased 15.56% in the 1st wk, 25.69%, the 3rd wk during RF, and 27.07% A.RF, but no significant change was found in errors performances of VP during and after RF. CONCLUSION: These results showed that the intermittent fasting imply differently effects on cognitive functions and physiological.

A Monte Carlo method based QSPR model for prediction of reaction rate constants of hydrated electrons with organic contaminants.

The Monte Carlo algorithm was applied to formulate a robust quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) model to compute the reactions rate constants of hydrated electron values for a data set of 309 water contaminants containing 125 aliphatic and 184 phenyl-based chemicals. The QSPR models were computed with the hybrid optimal descriptors which were procured by combining the SMILES and hydrogen-suppressed molecular graph for both classes of compounds. Approximately 75% of the total experimental data set was randomly divided into training and invisible training sets, while approximately 25% was divided into calibration and validation sets. The authenticity and robustness of the developed QSPR models were also judged by the Index of Ideality of Correlation. In QSPR modelling of aliphatic compounds, the numerical values of r T r a i n i n g 2 , r V a l i d a t i o n 2 , Q T r a i n i n g 2 and Q V a l i d a t i o n 2 were in the range of 0.852-0.905, 0.815-0.894, 0.839-0.897 and 0.737-0.867, respectively. Whereas, in the QSPR modelling of phenyl-based compounds, the numerical values of r T r a i n i n g 2 , r V a l i d a t i o n 2 , Q T r a i n i n g 2 and Q V a l i d a t i o n 2 were in the range of 0.867-0.896, 0.852-0.865, 0.816-0.850 and 0.760-0.762, respectively. The structural attributes, which are promoters of l o g K e a q - increase/decrease are also extracted from the SMILES notation for mechanistic interpretation. These QSPR models can also be applied to compute the reaction rate constants of organic contaminants.

Frequency and Analysis of Unplanned Extubation in Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patients.

OBJECTIVES: To determine if patients with coronavirus disease 2019 had a greater number of unplanned extubations resulting in reintubations than in patients without coronavirus disease 2019. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study comparing the frequency of unplanned extubations resulting in reintubations in a group of coronavirus disease 2019 patients to a historical (noncoronavirus disease 2019) control group. SETTING: This study was conducted at Henry Ford Hospital, an academic medical center in Detroit, MI. The historical noncoronavirus disease 2019 patients were treated in the 68 bed medical ICU. The coronavirus disease 2019 patients were treated in the coronavirus disease ICU, which included the 68 medical ICU beds, 18 neuro-ICU beds, 32 surgical ICU beds, and 40 cardiovascular ICU beds, as the medical ICU was expanded to these units at the peak of the pandemic in Detroit, MI. PATIENTS: The coronavirus disease 2019 cohort included patients diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 who were intubated for respiratory failure from March 12, 2020, to April 13, 2020. The historic control (noncoronavirus disease 2019) group consisted of patients who were admitted to the medical ICU in the year spanning from November 1, 2018 to October 31, 2019, with a need for mechanical ventilation that was not related to surgery or a neurologic reason. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: To identify how many patients in each cohort had unplanned extubations, an electronic medical records query for patients with two intubations within 30 days was performed, in addition to a review of our institutional quality and safety database of reported self-extubations. Medical charts were manually reviewed by board-certified anesthesiologists to confirm each event was an unplanned extubation followed by a reintubation within 24 hours. There was a significantly greater incidence of unplanned extubations resulting in reintubation events in the coronavirus disease 2019 cohort than in the noncoronavirus disease 2019 cohort (coronavirus disease 2019 cohort: 167 total admissions with 22 events-13.2%; noncoronavirus disease 2019 cohort: 326 total admissions with 14 events-4.3%; p < 0.001). When the rate of unplanned extubations was expressed per 100 intubated days, there was not a significant difference between the groups (0.88 and 0.57, respectively; p = 0.269). CONCLUSIONS: Coronavirus disease 2019 patients have a higher incidence of unplanned extubation that requires reintubation than noncoronavirus disease 2019 patients. Further study is necessary to evaluate the variables that contribute to this higher incidence and clinical strategies that can reduce it.