bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Development of Bedside Aphasia Battery in Tamil (BAB-T)
Authors: Sivagnanapandian Divya , Preethi Shanmuga , Selvaraj Jasmine Lydia 
Published: August 2023

Bedside Aphasia Battery in Tamil (BAB-T) was developed for assessing the linguistic abilities of Tamil-speaking individuals following an acquired brain injury.

Method:
The conception of the test took place in two phases: Phase 1 was the development of the Bedside Aphasia Battery in Tamil (BAB-T) and phase 2 administration of the test battery in neurotypical adults and patients with aphasia. A Delphi panel was constructed based on selected experts from the field of neuro-communication disorders and linguistics majors in the Tamil language. Recruited participants were surveyed using a modified Delphi method to establish opinions. A three-round Delphi process-derived consensus among the experts regarding the components and subdomains employed in the construction of BAB in Tamil. A pilot study was also conducted on nine participants (six neurotypical and three patients with stroke) to content validate the constructed BAB in Tamil.

Outcomes and Results:
BAB-T and its subdomains were identified to have excellent internal consistency, test retest and interrater reliability. BAB-T takes approximately 15–20 min to administer and can be employed in busy wards. This tool is especially useful in low-resource countries like India, where professional specialized speech and language services are scarce. The BAB-T significantly differentiates performance between neurotypical adults and patients with aphasia. Additionally, differences among the patient group also reflect the type of fluent and non-fluent aphasia.
Impact of COVID-19 on Guillain-Barre Syndrome in India
Authors: Sireesha Yareeda , Shree Ritu , Nagappa Madhu , Patil Anuja , Singla Monika , Padma Srivastava MV , Dhamija RK , Balaram Neetha , Pathak Abhishek , Ramachandran Dileep , Kumar Sujit , Puri Inder , Sharma Sudhir , Panda Samhita , Desai Soaham , Samal Priyanka , Choudhary Aditya , Vijaya Pamidimukkala , Ferreira Teresa , Nair S. S. , Sinha H. P. , Bhoi S. K. , Sebastian Joseph , Sharma Sanjay , Basheer Aneesh , Bhartiya Manish , Mathukumalli N L , Jabeen Shaikh Afshan , Lal Vivek , Modi Manish , Sharma Praveen P , Kaul Subash , Singh Gagandeep , Agarwal Ayush , Garg Divyani , Jose James , Dev Priya , Iype Thomas , Gopalakrishnan Maya , Upadhyay Ashish , Bhatia Rohit , Pandit Awadh K. , Singh Rajesh K. , Salunkhe Manish , Yogeesh P.M. , Reyaz Alisha , Nadda Nishant , Jha Menkha , Kumar Bismay , Kushwaha PK , Chovatiya Harshadkumar , Madduluri Bhavani , Ramesh P , Goel Abeer , Yadav Rahul , Vishnu Venugopalan Y 
Published: August 2023

Introduction/Aims:
Studies conducted during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have reported varied data regarding the incidence of Guillain–Barre syndrome (GBS). The present study investigated demographic and clinical features, management, and outcomes of patients with GBS during a specified period of the COVID-19 pandemic, and compared these features to those of GBS in the previous year.

Methods:
A multicenter, ambispective cohort study including 26 centers across India was conducted. Data from a pre-COVID-19 period (March 1 to August 31, 2019) were collected retrospectively and collected ambispectively for a specified COVID-19 period (March 1 to August 31, 2020). The study was registered with the Clinical Trial Registry India (CTRI/2020/11/029143).

Results:
Data from 555 patients were included for analysis: pre-COVID-19 (n = 334) and COVID-19 (n = 221). Males were more commonly affected during both periods (male:female, 2:1). Gastroenteritis was the most frequent antecedent event in 2019 (17.4%), whereas fever was the most common event in 2020 (10.7%). Paraparesis (21.3% versus [vs.] 9.3%, P = 0.001) and sensory involvement (51.1% vs. 41.3%; P = 0.023) were more common during COVID-19 in 2020, whereas back pain (26.3% vs. 18.4%; P = 0.032) and bowel symptoms (20.7% vs. 13.7%; P = 0.024) were more frequent in the pre-COVID period. There was no difference in clinical outcomes between the two groups in terms of GBS disability score at discharge and 3 months after discharge. Independent predictors of disability in the pre-COVID period included areflexia/hyporeflexia, the requirementfor intubation, and time to bulbar weakness; in the COVID-19 period, independent predictors included time from onset to admission, intubation, and intubation requirement. The mortality rate was 2.3% during the entire study period (13/555 cases).

Discussion:
Results of this study revealed an overall reduction in the frequency of GBS during the pandemic. The lockdown likely reduced the risk for antecedent infections due to social distancing and improved hygiene, which may have resulted in the reduction of the frequency of GBS.
18F-FDG PET/CT and 99mTc-TRODAT Scan Findings in the Variants of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and Correlation With Clinical Findings
Authors: Seniaray Nikhil , Verma Ritu , Ranjan Rajeev , Belho Ethel , Mahajan Harsh 
Published: August 2023

Aim:
The aim of this study is to elucidate the patterns of characteristic hypometabolism on 18F-Fluoro Deoxy-glucose (18F-FDG) Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) in the variants of Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and its correlation with their core clinical features.

Material and Methods:
A retrospective analysis of 88 subjects with clinically suspected PSP was done. An institutional informed consent to participate in the study was taken from all the subjects. All the subjects had undergone a prior 99mTechnetium labeled Tropane derivative of dopamine transporter Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (99mTc TRODAT-1 SPECT) study and had abnormal scans to confirm degenerative parkinsonism. The subjects were clinically examined by the neurologists using the Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Rating Scale proposed by the Movement Disorder Society and were further clinically segregated into eight subtypes. All the included subjects further underwent a detailed clinical analysis to obtain their individual Schwab and England activities of daily living scale and Modified Hoehn and Yahr staging by a neurologist. All the subjects underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT scan after adequate preparation. The scans were analyzed both qualitatively (visually) and quantitatively using Statistical Parametric Mapping.

Results:
The frontal, limbic, and sensorimotor cortices represented the common areas of hypometabolism among all the subtypes of PSP. The subcortical regions showing the most significant hypometabolism were the thalami, mid-brain, nucleus accumbens, caudate, globus pallidus, and putamen in descending order. Multiple cortical and subcortical regions of hypometabolism were identified in different subtypes of PSP.

Conclusion:
The characteristic patterns of hypometabolism observed in the different subgroups were more apparent on quantification and based on visual analysis alone, it may not be possible to differentiate the different subtypes of PSP. A good correlation was seen between some of the core clinical features and hypometabolic clusters.
FDG-PET in Autoimmune Encephalitis
Authors: Jha Shreyashi , Nagaraj Chandana , Mundlamuri R. C. , Alladi Suvarna , Nashi Saraswati , Kenchaiah Raghavendra , Mahadevan Anita , Bhat Maya , Saini Jitender , Netravathi M. 
Published: August 2023

Background:
Fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) in autoimmune encephalitis (AE) as an adjunctive investigation helps in characterizing the type of AE based on characteristic metabolic patterns.

Objectives:
We aimed to study the following: (i) the sensitivity of FDG-PET in the diagnosis of AE, (ii) describe abnormal patterns of metabolism of various subtypes of AE, and (iii) correlate serum serology with FDG-PET abnormalities.

Materials and Methods:
This study was conducted at a tertiary university hospital in South India. The demographic profile, clinical features, and investigations (FDG-PET, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain, electroencephalography (EEG), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)) were reviewed. The nuclear medicine physician performed blinded qualitative visual and semi-quantitative analysis of the 18-FDG-PET (fluorine 18-FDG-PET) findings of these patients.

Results:
Twenty-nine (M:F: 11:18) patients were recruited; among them, 22 (75.8%) patients had autoimmune antibodies; the rest seven (24.1%) patients were seronegative. Among the 22 seropositive patients, 9 (31%) patients were positive for anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), 8 (28%) for anti-leucine-rich glioma inactivated 1 (LGI-1), 4 (14%) for anti-contactin-associated protein 2 (CASPR2), 1 (3%) for anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD)-65, and rest 7 (24%) patients were seronegative. The patterns most commonly observed were isolated hypermetabolism (41%), isolated hypometabolism (41%), and combined hypermetabolism with hypometabolism (18%). The fraction of abnormalities was lower for MRI (17/22; 73.9%) than for FDG-PET (27/29; 93.1%). FDG-PET correlated with serology in 10 (34%) cases [NMDAR: 6 (60%) and LGI-1: 4 (40%)]. The sensitivity of FDG-PET was 94.1% when compared with MRI.

Discussion and Conclusion:
FDG-PET correlated with serology in only one-third of patients. The most consistent pattern in both seropositive and seronegative AE is characterized by parieto-occipital hypometabolism and fronto-temporal with basal ganglia hypermetabolism.
Clinical and prognostic effect of MYC protein score in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in relation to blood group secretor status
Authors: Elgammal Maha A , Sadek Nadia A , Maghraby Hala K , Yahia Mona , Bakr Feissal Maha A , Balbaa Ola A 
Published: August 2023

Background
Lymphoma is the most common blood cancer. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common form of NHL. In Egypt, It represents about 49% of NHL presenting to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Cairo University. It is an aggressive lymphoma where multiple clinical and laboratory prognostic factors affect its clinical course.

Aim
The aim of the present study was to determine MYC protein score immunohistochemically and by using image optical density (IOD) in relation to secretor status in patients with DLBCL in order to extrapolate their clinical and prognostic impact.

Method
Thirty DLBCL patients were enrolled in this study during the period from Oct.1st, 2014 to Oct.1st, 2016 and 15 matched normal subjects as control. The follow up period for the patients was 24 months. A full medical history was taken together with laboratory analyses.

Results
According to our findings, a high significant relation was found between c-Myc score and IPI (p = 0.009). The mean IOD for Myc expression was statistically and significantly higher in patients with high IPI ((p = 0.001) at a cut off value of 50%) splenomegaly was higher among male patients, lymphocyte/monocyte ratio (LMR) was significantly lower in patients than in the control group and was associated with positive MYC protein expression with high scores (≥50%). Our study also confirmed that secretor status (B +ve) Lewis blood group phenotype carried a better prognosis, a higher overall survival associated and a lower MYC protein score. MYC protein in our patients was significantally correlation to β2M (r= 0.791), LDH (r= 0.697), IPI (r= 0.562) and IOD (r= 0.996). There was a significant negative correlation to Absolute Lymphocytic Count (ALC) (r= - 0.590) and LMR (r= - 0.694). Age, hemoglobin, TLC and platelet count did not show any significantt correlation to MYC protein.

Conclusion
Expression Determination of MYC scoring and secretor state are highly recommended at the initial evaluation of DLBCL patients.
The role of HBG2, BCL11A, and HBS1L-MYB in early diagnosis of transfusion-dependent thalassemia among Egyptian children
Authors: Shabaan Howyda M K , Ahmed Saad S A , Shalaby Marwan A B , Fallah Asmaa A 
Published: August 2023

Abstract

Background
Hereditary hemoglobinopathies are the most frequent diseases accountable to a single gene defect. Common mutations of the beta-globin gene are detected by PCR-based techniques.

Objective
To evaluate the role of HBG2, BCL11A, and HBS1L-MYB polymorphisms in addition to Thalassemia Severity Score (TSS) in the early diagnosis of transfusion-dependent thalassemia patients among Egyptian children and their impact on clinical decision.

Patients and methods
Thalassemia mutation analysis was performed by the Beta-Thal Modifier Strip Assay to determine the five polymorphisms associated with severity, and an automated online calculator (TSS).

Results
The transfusion-dependent group showed significantly higher TSS (P<0.001), with a sensitivity of 75%, specificity of 95%, positive predictive value of 93.8%, negative predictive value of 79.2%, and an accuracy of 85%. HBG2 CT and CC genotypes were significantly associated with younger age of first transfusion and higher transfusion rates. Deletion in alpha gene was significantly associated with TT genotype, followed by GG and then GT. TSS decreased gradually through wild, heterozygous, and homozygous rs7482144 and rs1427407 genotypes. Transfusion-free survival tends to decrease gradually with increased TSS severity (P<0.001). The HBS1L-MYB rs9399137 TC genotype was associated with poor transfusion-free survival by Cox regression analysis. Beta phenotype mild/mild, mild/severe, rs7482144 CT, TT, and rs1427407 GT, TT were associated with the protective effect against higher severity.

Conclusion
HBG2, BCL11A, and HBS1L-MYB have an important role in early diagnosis and prognosis of transfusion-dependent thalassemia among Egyptian children.
The association between hemostatic and genetic parameter variation and the susceptibility to develop vascular complications in Egyptian Bechet’s disease patients
Authors: Raslan Hanan N A , El-Jaafary Shaimaa I , Hassan Aya O S , Yousry Sherif , El Sissy Maha H 
Published: August 2023

Abstract

Objectives
Bechet’s disease (BD) is a multisystem inflammatory disorder with predominant and frequent vascular complications. The pathogenesis of thrombosis in BD is not clearly known, vasculitis and/or multifactorial procoagulant activities are the cornerstone histopathological features of the disease.

Patients and methods
In this study, we investigated the role of hypercoagulable state and the hemostatic alteration in BD patients and their susceptibility to develop vascular thrombotic complications using ViennaLab CVD StripAssay for molecular detection of thrombophilia gene mutation by PCR and reverse hybridization to allele-specific oligonucleotide probes immobilized on test strip. Natural anticoagulant levels were also assessed to trace the association between activated coagulation system and increased susceptibility of BD patients to develop vascular complication.

Results
The study revealed a significant association between human platelet antigen-1 polymorphism and the presence of vascular thrombosis, either arterial or venous, in BD patients. Also, there was a significant relationship between mutant MTHFR genotype and venous thrombosis. But, there was an insignificant association between vascular complications in BD patients from one side and the levels of natural anticoagulants (protein C, protein S, and antithrombin III) and mean platelet volume (MPV) level from the other side.

Conclusion
Despite the association of some thrombophilic factors with the thrombotic tendency seen in BD, the usage of anticoagulants in BD patients with thrombosis may be unnecessary.
Peripheral blood lymphocyte subset count in COVID-19 patients
Authors: Shahin Doaa , Mortada Metwaly I , Abousamra Nashwa , El Menshawy Nadia , Hasan Ahmed S , Eisa Noha , EL-Ashwah Shaimaa , Emarah Ziad , Elmaria Marwa O , Bakeer Mostafa , Saleh Ahmed , Ghannam Mayada A 
Published: August 2023

Abstract

Background:
(COVID-19) pathophysiology and the predictive factors are not fully understood, but lymphocyte dysregulation appears to play a role.

Aim and Objectives:
To explore the clinical value of lymphocyte subset changes in COVID-19 patients’ peripheral blood, which may illustrate the pathogenesis of COVID-19.

Methods:
This is prospective cohort study of 73 hospitalized patients with confirmed COVID-19 who were classified into two groups: non-severe and severe. Lymphocyte subsets (CD3, CD4, CD8, CD19, and CD56) were assessed using flow cytometry.

Results
Lymphocyte gate, CD3, CD4, CD8, and CD56 counts were significantly reduced in severe cases compared with nonsevere cases (P0.001, 0.006, 0.016, 0.011, and 0.008 respectively). Patients were divided into two groups according to cut off age (<50 and ≥ 50years) and (NLR) (NLR <4.14 and NLR ≥ 4.14). There was a significant difference in severe illness probability in two groups P0.001 and 0.001 respectively). Then, patients were divided into four groups by both NLR cutoff and age, There also significant difference in severe illness probability between four groups (P<0.001).

Conclusion
Based on our data, management of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia can be improved based on NLR and age model. We suggest that patients with NLR ≥ 4.14 should be admitted to isolation ward with close follow-up and actively transfer to intensive care unit.
Effect of platelet storage on complement activation
Authors: Mahmoud Amal A , Mohamed Maha A , Ahmed Shimaa A , Abdallah Mariam E 
Published: August 2023

Abstract

Background
Many specialists involved in patient care, from laboratory personnel to clinical physicians, are interested in platelet transfusion. In the field of transfusion medicine, the complement cascade is crucial. The study aimed to detect the complement levels of platelet-rich plasma to see whether there was a risk of transfusion of stored platelets.

Study design and methods
For 5 days, 10 U of platelet-rich plasma were stored on a platelet rotator at a temperature of 22–24°C. On days 0 (baseline), 3, 4, and 5, samples were taken using a sterile technique. C3a and C4d were tested as complement components to evaluate the level of complement activation. Both the platelet count and culturing were performed on the same day.

Results
Both C3a and C4d were insignificantly elevated over storage time up to day 5 compared with day 0 (baseline sample). Throughout the storage days, the platelet count decreased significantly. Culture had no significant impact.

Conclusion
Our findings show that under standard storage conditions, platelet storage had minimal complement activation or contamination, but with a significant decrease in platelet count.
Clinical significance of serum prohibitin in chronic myeloid leukemia patients on first-line tyrosine kinase inhibitors
Authors: Yassin Heba A , Azaazi Mohamed O , Hegab Hany M , Nabih Nermine A , Rakha Nahed M , Naguib Mary G 
Published: August 2023

Abstract

Background
Prohibitin is a widely expressed intracellular protein that is distributed in various compartments, where they exert different biological functions accordingly. Prohibitins have displayed both protumorigenic and antitumorigenic roles in cancer formation. Depending on the type of cancer and the localization of prohibitin, studies have shown that it exerts a different biological role.

Aim
This study aims to investigate prohibitin level in Egyptian patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and to evaluate its correlation with disease activity and response to first-line tyrosysine kinase inhibitor treatment.

Patients and methods
Prohibitin level was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 80 CML patients in the chronic phase. They were recruited from the clinical hematology division of Internal Medicine Department, Ain Shams University Hospitals. They were matched to 10 healthy volunteers as a control group.

Results
In our study, we have demonstrated that prohibitin levels were significantly higher in patients with CML than in the control participants (P=0.002). Prohibitin levels were significantly higher in CML patients with an active disease status (P=0.001). In addition, significantly higher levels of prohibitin in CML patients were associated with poor response to first generation TKIs (P=0.001). Receiver-operating characteristic curve was applied. A serum level of prohibitin higher than 289 is a good predictor for poor response to first generation TKIs as per response assessment by PCR for BCR-ABL (area under the curve=0.67, sensitivity and specificity 58.33 and 80.56, respectively).

Conclusion
Prohibitin is overexpressed in CML patients and has a possible impact on disease activity and response to treatment in CML patients that warrants further investigations.
Extended red blood cell phenotyping among regular donors in Fayoum, Egypt. Red Blood Cell Inventory Plan
Authors: Abdelrazik Abeer M , Abdelaziz Hossam M 
Published: August 2023

Abstract

Background
Antibodies to clinically significant red cell antigens contribute to hemolytic transfusion reactions and hemolytic disease of fetus and newborn. The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of extended red cell antigen phenotypes among regular donors in Fayoum, Egypt, and to create an emergency model database for chronic transfusion patients. Similar data in Egypt is rare to find in the literature.

Patients and methods
The study was carried out over 1 year from December 2020 until November 2021in Fayoum University Hospital Blood Bank. In all, 1834 healthy known blood donor samples were analyzed for major Rh phenotypes (D, C, c, E, e) and for other clinically significant systems including Kell, Kidd, MNS, and Duffy.

Results
Phenotypic frequencies of Rh system were D+ (84.4%), e+ (79.6%), and C+ (63.9%). The K antigen frequency was 4.3%, Jka 79.4%, Jkb 62.37%, Fy a 33.2%, Fy b 44.4%, M antigen 88%, N antigen 38.6%, and the S and s antigens 48.2 and 85.3%, respectively.

Conclusion
Determination of red cell antigen phenotyping in Fayoum, Egypt, plays an important role in setting a routine phenotyping strategy for multiple transfused patients by keeping the donor database for rare phenotypes to prevent hemolytic transfusion reaction.
Study of the morphologic changes in the peripheral blood smear as a predictive tool for the early diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 and their relation to the clinical course severity
Authors: Abdelsalam Hadeel S , Rahman Mohamed A , Ibrahim Elsherif Amr A , Bakheet Osama H , EL-Kady Hadir 
Published: August 2023

Abstract

Introduction
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection affects different organs of the human body, and also the blood cells.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, many studies have described the quantitative peripheral blood findings seen in COVID-19 patients. However, morphologic changes have been described by only a few studies.
Peripheral blood smear (PBS) is a simple and available method to investigate blood cells’ morphologic changes.

Aim
In this study, we aimed to determine the morphologic changes affecting all blood cells of COVID-19 patients and their relation to the early diagnosis and the patients’ clinical course severity.

Patients and methods
PBS of 200 COVID-19 patients and 50 non-COVID-19 controls was examined for morphological changes in the period between January 2021 and January 2022, the patients’ clinical course and blood chemistry were reported.

Results
Significant morphological changes were found. Smudge cells are the most frequent. Other findings were schistocyte, increased large granular lymphocytes, leukoerythroblastic reaction, pseudo Pelger–Huët, abnormal monocytes, and giant platelets. Our results showed significant relationship between PBS findings and the clinical course severity and outcome.