Orthopedic Manifestations and Post-COVID-19 Infection.

Background: It's been widely reported that the new coronavirus has adverse effects on the musculoskeletal system. The primary goal of this study is to establish the frequency of musculoskeletal complaintswith extended COVID syndrome. This retrospective cohort research examined the occurrence of musculoskeletal problems in patients with chronic COVID-19 syndrome. Material and Methods: About 100 COVID-19patients tested positive, of which 27 (27.0%) had a minimum of one orthopedic impairment. Results: Patients with orthopedic conditions were significantly younger than those without (53.7 years vs. 58.1 years, p = 0.003), and their incidence was significantly higher in obese than non-obese patients (p = 0.022). Conclusion: Furthermore, patients with diabetes had significantly more orthopedic symptoms than those with cardiac or pulmonary complications. According to our research, patients who are obese or diabetic have a higher probability of experiencing musculoskeletal symptoms when infected with COVID-19. Additionally, analysis is needed to determine whether these orthopedic conditions persist during active disease and post-infection.

Avascular Necrosis of the Hip after the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background and Objectives: It is clear that COVID-19 can have a wide range of effects on the body, and the musculoskeletal system is no exception. Studies are ongoing to better understand how the virus may impact the hip bone and joint tissue. However, it is known that COVID-19 can cause inflammation and damage to various parts of the body, including the bones and joints, which could lead to pain, stiffness, and other symptoms. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis is done with ten patients admitted to the hospital due to COVID-19 and later complained of hip pain. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed on the patients, and it was found that they had degenerative changes characterized by avascular necrosis (AVN) of the head of the femur. One of the patients had a history of previous surgery on the femur with a plate and screws and was doing well but developed AVN after contracting COVID-19. Results: Observation among these groups shows a strong association between the history of COVID-19, high levels of IgG antibodies, the presence of joint abnormalities, and moderately severe symptoms. There is no evidence of identifying autoimmune, degenerative, or AVN diseases. This set of patients responded positively to supportive therapy and anti-inflammatory drugs used in empirical treatment, which subsided joint pain and acute inflammatory symptoms. Conclusions: It has been determined that there are significant musculoskeletal complications in COVID-19 patients, including AVN, which may be caused by the high use of steroids and microembolism leading to bone necrosis. Therefore, further studies and long-term follow-up are recommended.

Human endothelial cells in high glucose: New clues from culture in 3D microfluidic chips.

Several studies have demonstrated the role of high glucose in promoting endothelial dysfunction utilizing traditional two-dimensional (2D) culture systems, which, however, do not replicate the complex organization of the endothelium within a vessel constantly exposed to flow. Here we describe the response to high glucose of micro- and macro-vascular human endothelial cells (EC) cultured in biomimetic microchannels fabricated through soft lithography and perfused to generate shear stress. In 3D macrovascular EC exposed to a shear stress of 0.4 Pa respond to high glucose with cytoskeletal remodeling and alterations in cell shape. Under the same experimental conditions, these effects are more pronounced in microvascular cells that show massive cytoskeletal disassembly and apoptosis after culture in high glucose. However, when exposed to a shear stress of 4 Pa, which is physiological in the microvasculature, human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HDMEC) show alterations of the cytoskeleton but no apoptosis. This result emphasizes the sensitivity of HDMEC to different regimens of flow. No significant variations in the thickness of glycocalyx were detected in both human endothelial cells from the umbilical vein and HDMEC exposed to high glucose in 3D, whereas clear differences emerge between cells cultured in static 2D versus microfluidic channels. We conclude that culture in microfluidic microchannels unveils unique insights into endothelial dysfunction by high glucose.

The effect of shear stress reduction on endothelial cells: A microfluidic study of the actin cytoskeleton.

Reduced blood flow, as occurring in ischemia or resulting from exposure to microgravity such as encountered in space flights, induces a decrease in the level of shear stress sensed by endothelial cells forming the inner part of blood vessels. In the present study, we use a microvasculature-on-a-chip device in order to investigate in vitro the effect of such a reduction in shear stress on shear-adapted endothelial cells. We find that, within 1 h of exposition to reduced wall shear stress, human umbilical vein endothelial cells undergo reorganization of their actin skeleton with a decrease in the number of stress fibers and actin being recruited into the cells' peripheral band, indicating a fairly fast change in the cells' phenotype due to altered flow.

Bioinspired ZnS:Gd Nanoparticles Synthesized from an Endophytic Fungi Aspergillus flavus for Fluorescence-Based Metal Detection.

Recently, several nonconventional sources have emerged as strong hotspots for the biosynthesis of chalcogenide quantum dots. However, studies that have ascertained the biomimetic methodologies that initiate biosynthesis are rather limited. The present investigation portrays a few perspectives of rare-earth(Gd)-doped ZnS biosynthesis using the endophytic fungi Aspergillus flavus for sensing metals based on their fluorescence. Analysis of ZnS:Gd nanoparticles was performed by elemental analysis, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), photoluminescence (PL), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results of TEM demonstrated that the particles were polycrystalline in nature, with a mean size of 10-18 nm. The fluorescence amenability of the biogenic ZnS nanoparticles was further used for the development of a simple and efficient sensing array. The results showed sensitive and detectable quenching/enhancement in the fluorescence of biogenic colloidal ZnS nanoparticles, in the presence of Pb (II), Cd (II), Hg (II), Cu (II) and Ni (II), respectively. The fluorescence intensity of the biogenic ZnS:Gd nanoparticles was found to increase compared to that of the ZnS nanoparticles that capacitate these systems as a reliable fluorescence sensing platform with selective environmental applications.

Neuroprotective Role of a Novel Copper Chelator against Aß 42 Induced Neurotoxicity.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease and associated with the extracellular deposits of amyloid- ß peptide in hippocampus region. Metal ions like Cu, Fe and Zn are known to associate with the amyloid beta (A ß ) at high concentration and interaction of these ions with soluble and aggregated forms of A ß peptide help in development of AD. Here we showed Cu mediated neurotoxicity in the eye tissues of transgenic Drosophila expressing human amyloid ß and its rescue through a novel Cu chelator. In this context, we have synthesised and characterized the compound L 2,6-Pyridinedicarboxylic acid, 2,6-bis[2-[(4-carboxyphenyl) methylene] hydrazide] by Mass spectra (MS) and Elemental analysis (EA). The Cu chelation potential of the compound L is tested in vivo in Drosophila. Oral administration of Copper to the transgenic larvae resulted in severe degeneration in eye tissues, which was rescued by the supplementation of compound L. The levels of anti-oxidant markers like SOD and MDA were measured in compound L treated flies and found a significant rescue (P < 0.001). Further rescue of the eye degeneration phenotypes as revealed by SEM affirm the role of copper in A ß toxicity. Hence, use of compound L, an amidoamine derivative, could be a possible therapeutic measure for A ß induced neurotoxicity.

Synthesis and characterization of bis[N'-(4-carboxybenzylidene)]-pyridine-2,6-dicarbohydrazide: colorimetric and fluorometric modulation in presence of F- ions.

A novel organic compound bis[N'-(4-carboxybenzylidene)]-pyridine-2,6-dicarbohydrazide (L) was synthesized and characterized using spectroscopic and X-ray diffraction techniques. Tetrabutyl ammonium halides [(Bu)4N(+)X(-)] X = F, Cl, Br and I were allowed to react separately with a solution of L in DMSO (1 × 10(-5)M). The solution of L turned to shining yellow colour in the presence of F(-) ion only. The binding properties have been studied using absorption, emission and (1)H NMR titrations. Theoretical studies on compound L and compound L+X(-) (X = F, Cl and Br) in DMSO medium were carried out using density functional theory (DFT) at the B3LYP/6-31 G(d,p)/6-31 G+(d,p) level. The theoretical calculations agreed to the experimental results.

Concurrent variations of median and musculocutaneous nerves and their clinical correlation--a cadaveric study.

Variations of median nerve, musculocutaneous nerve and their communicating branches are of interest for anatomists and surgeons. These variations may be vulnerable to damage in surgical procedures. We examined median nerve and musculocutaneous nerve concurrently in 58 cadavers, i.e. 116 superior extremities, and found median nerve innervating muscle of the anterior compartment of arm in the absence of musculocutaneous nerve in 11.2% superior extremities, splitting of median nerve in the arm into median nerve proper and musculocutaneous nerve in 5.12% superior extremities, and communication between median and musculocutaneous nerves in 20.7% superior extremities. Knowledge of such anatomical variations is helpful for surgeons treating neoplasm or repairing trauma.

Omega-3 fatty acids and supportive psychotherapy for perinatal depression: a randomized placebo-controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Perinatal major depressive disorder (MDD), including antenatal and postpartum depression, is common and has serious consequences. This study was designed to investigate the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of omega-3 fatty acids for perinatal depression in addition to supportive psychotherapy. METHODS: Perinatal women with MDD were randomized to eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acids (DHA), 1.9g/day, or placebo for 8weeks. A manualized supportive psychotherapy was provided to all subjects. Symptoms were assessed with the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) biweekly. RESULTS: Fifty-nine women enrolled; N = 51 had two data collection points that allowed for evaluation of efficacy. Omega-3 fatty acids were well tolerated. Participants in both groups experienced significant decreases in EPDS and HAM-D scores (p<.0001) from baseline. We did not find a benefit of omega-3 fatty acids over placebo. Dietary omega-3 fatty acid intake was low among participants. LIMITATIONS: The ability to detect an effect of omega-3 fatty acids may have been limited by sample size, study length, or dose. The benefits of supportive psychotherapy may have limited the ability to detect an effect of omega-3 fatty acids. CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant difference between omega-3 fatty acids and placebo in this study in which all participants received supportive psychotherapy. The manualized supportive psychotherapy warrants further study. The low intake of dietary omega-3 fatty acids among participants is of concern, in consideration of the widely established health advantages in utero and in infants.

Tolerability of omega-3 fatty acid supplements in perinatal women.

BACKGROUND: Benefits of omega-3 fatty acids in perinatal women are well documented, although fish intake has declined among perinatal women. OBJECTIVE: To determine the tolerability of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in perinatal women. DESIGN: Pregnant and postpartum women with major depressive disorder (MDD) entered an 8-week double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of omega-3 fatty acids. Four capsules provided 1.84 g/day of eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), or matching placebo (corn oil with 1% fish oil to maintain blind). Tolerability was assessed by clinician interview biweekly. RESULTS: Fifty-nine women enrolled. Thirteen (22%) reported mainly transient side effects including dizziness, diarrhea, nausea, burping, heartburn/reflux, difficulty swallowing capsules, unpleasant breath/bad taste or feeling tired. The most common were unpleasant breath/bad taste and heartburn/reflux. Six reporting side effects received omega-3 fatty acids; seven received placebo. Neither pregnant nor postpartum women discontinued due to intolerability. CONCLUSIONS: Omega-3 fatty acid supplements were well tolerated by perinatal women.