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Background: Thrombosis is a detrimental sequala of COVID-19 infection; thus, prophylactic anti-coagulant therapy has been deemed mandatory in treatment unless serious contraindications are present. Susceptibility to thromboembolic events in COVID-19, or following COVID-19 vaccination, is likely attributable to an interplay of factors, including a patient's baseline clinical status and comorbidities, alongside genetic risk factors. In Europe, 8–20% of the population are homozygous for the MTHFR (methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase) variant, which compromises folate metabolism and elevates homocysteine levels. While heightened homocysteine levels are considered a risk factor for thromboembolic events, the precise clinical significance remains a contentious issue. However, recent research suggests elevated homocysteine levels may predict the course and severity of COVID-19 infection. Given the lack of reliable biomarkers predictive of COVID-19 thrombotic risk existing in practice, and the accessibility of MTHFR screening, we established two main outcomes for this study: (1) to determine the association between hereditary MTHFR mutations and COVID-19 severity and thromboembolic events and (2) to determine the link between MTHFR variants and adverse thrombotic events following COVID-19 vaccination. Methods: The review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched from pandemic inception (11 March 2020) to 30 October 2023. Eligibility criteria were applied, and data extraction performed. Results: From 63 citations identified, a total of 14 articles met the full inclusion criteria (8 of which were cross-sectional or observational studies, and 6 were case studies or reports). Among the eight observational and cross-sectional studies evaluating the relationship between MTHFR variants (C667T; A1298C) and thromboembolic events in COVID-19 infection, four studies established a connection (n = 2200), while the remaining four studies failed to demonstrate any significant association (n = 38). Conclusions: This systematic review demonstrated a possible association between the MTHFR gene variants and COVID-19 severity, thromboembolic events, and adverse events following vaccination. However, the paucity of robust data precluded any firm conclusions being drawn. Further prospective trials are required to determine the connection between the MTHFR gene variant and COVID-19 infection and vaccination outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Members of the family Coronaviridae cause diseases in mammals, birds, and wildlife (bats), some of which may be transmissible to humans or specific to humans. In the human population, they can cause a wide range of diseases, mainly affecting the respiratory and digestive systems. In the scientific databases, there are huge numbers of research articles about the antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral, and anthelmintic activities of medicinal herbs and crops with different ethnobotanical backgrounds. The subject of our research is the antiviral effect of isolated saponins, a purified saponin mixture, and a methanol extract of Astragalus glycyphyllos L. In the studies conducted for the cytotoxic effect of the substances, CC50 (cytotoxic concentration 50) and MTC (maximum tolerable concentration) were determined by the colorimetric method (MTT assay). The virus was cultured in the MDBK cell line. As a result of the experiments carried out on the influence of substances on viral replication (using MTT-based colorimetric assay for detection of human Coronavirus replication inhibition), it was found that the extract and the purified saponin mixture inhibited 100% viral replication. The calculated selective indices are about 13 and 18, respectively. The obtained results make them promising for a preparation with anti-Coronavirus action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chest computed tomography (CT) plays a vital role in the early diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of COVID-19 pneumonia during the pandemic. However, this raises concerns about excessive exposure to ionizing radiation. This study aimed to survey radiation doses in low-dose chest CT (LDCT) and ultra-low-dose chest CT (ULD) protocols used for imaging COVID-19 pneumonia relative to standard CT (STD) protocols so that the best possible practice and dose reduction techniques could be recommended. A total of 564 articles were identified by searching major scientific databases, including ISI Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed. After evaluating the content and applying the inclusion criteria to technical factors and radiation dose metrics relevant to the LDCT protocols used for imaging COVID-19 patients, data from ten articles were extracted and analyzed. Technique factors that affect the application of LDCT and ULD are discussed, including tube current (mA), peak tube voltage (kVp), pitch factor, and iterative reconstruction (IR) algorithms. The CTDIvol values for the STD, LDCT, and ULD chest CT protocols ranged from 2.79–13.2 mGy, 0.90–4.40 mGy, and 0.20–0.28 mGy, respectively. The effective dose (ED) values for STD, LDCT, and ULD chest CT protocols ranged from 1.66–6.60 mSv, 0.50–0.80 mGy, and 0.39–0.64 mSv, respectively. Compared with the standard (STD), LDCT reduced the dose reduction by a factor of 2–4, whereas ULD reduced the dose reduction by a factor of 8–13. These dose reductions were achieved by applying scan parameters and techniques such as iterative reconstructions, ultra-long pitches, and fast spectral shaping with a tin filter. Using LDCT, the cumulative radiation dose of serial CT examinations during the acute period of COVID-19 may have been inferior or equivalent to that of conventional CT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditionally, Brassica species are widely used in traditional medicine, human food, and animal feed. Recently, special attention has been dedicated to Brassica seeds as source of health-promoting phytochemicals. This review provides a summary of recent research on the Brassica seed phytochemistry, bioactivity, dietary importance, and toxicity by screening the major online scientific database sources and papers published in recent decades by Elsevier, Springer, and John Wiley. The search was conducted covering the period from January 1964 to July 2022. Phytochemically, polyphenols, glucosinolates, and their degradation products were the predominant secondary metabolites in seeds. Different extracts and their purified constituents from seeds of Brassica species have been found to possess a wide range of biological properties including antioxidant, anticancer, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and neuroprotective activities. These valuable functional properties of Brassica seeds are related to their richness in active compounds responsible for the prevention and treatment of various chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, and COVID-19. Currently, the potential properties of Brassica seeds and their components are the main focus of research, but their toxicity and health risks must also be accounted for. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last three years, numerous research papers have been reported which use social media data to explore several issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Bibliometric methods in this work are used to analyze 1427 peer-reviewed documents from the last three years extracted from the Web of Science database. The results of this study show that there was high growth in publications in open access journals with an annual rate reaching 19.3% and they also identify the top cited journals and research papers. The thematic analysis of papers shows that research topics related to social media for surveillance and monitoring of public attitudes and perceptions, mental health, misinformation, and fake news are important and well-developed, whereas topics related to distance-learning education with social media are emerging. The results also show that the USA, China, and the UK have published many papers and received a high number of citations because of their strong international collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: The purpose of this article is to review pharmacological treatments for COVID-19 (currently approved by the EMA (European Medical Agency) and FDA (Food and Drug Administration)) and highlight their potential audio-vestibular side-effects as an ototoxic adverse reaction. (2) Methods: Review of the available literature in the scientific databases PubMed, ResearchGate, Scopus, and ScienceDirect, and in summaries of product data sheets. (3) Results: In accordance with EBM (evidence-based medicine) the treatment of COVID-19 by using lopinavir/ritonavir, chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin, favipiravir, amantadine, oseltamivir, and ivermectin is no longer recommended for patients suffering from COVID-19 due to a lack of clinical data, publications, and recommendations. There were 39 publications and 15 summaries of product characteristics (as other sources of data) which were also used in this analysis. Adverse events could be permanent or disappear over time. Following treatment for COVID-19, the most frequent adverse audio-vestibular reactions reported in clinical trials and publications in the area of audiology and otorhinolaryngology were: dizziness, blurry vision with dizziness, nasopharyngitis, dysgeusia, and tinnitus. As far as vaccines are concerned, dizziness as an ototoxic effect was uncommon and occurs only in hypersensitive people who experience anaphylactic shock. (4) Conclusions: The ototoxicity of the drugs discussed here does not have as severe symptoms as the drugs used in the treatment of COVID-19 in 2020 (e.g., hydroxychloroquine), and relates mainly to disorders of the vestibulocochlear system. However, there is still a need to monitor ototoxic side-effects because of potential interactions with other ototoxic drugs. Many of the drugs approved by EMA and FDA are new, and not every side-effect is known. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Live-attenuated SARS-CoV-2 vaccines received relatively little attention during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, several methods of obtaining attenuated coronaviruses are known. In this systematic review, the strategies of coronavirus attenuation, which may potentially be applied to SARS-CoV-2, were identified. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Embase databases were searched to identify relevant articles describing attenuating mutations tested in vivo. In case of coronaviruses other than SARS-CoV-2, sequence alignment was used to exclude attenuating mutations that cannot be applied to SARS-CoV-2. Potential immunogenicity, safety and efficacy of the attenuated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine were discussed based on animal studies data. A total of 27 attenuation strategies, used to create 101 different coronaviruses, have been described in 56 eligible articles. The disruption of the furin cleavage site in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein was identified as the most promising strategy. The replacement of core sequences of transcriptional regulatory signals, which prevents recombination with wild-type viruses, also appears particularly advantageous. Other important attenuating mutations encompassed mostly the prevention of evasion of innate immunity. Sufficiently attenuated coronaviruses typically caused no meaningful disease in susceptible animals and protected them from challenges with virulent virus. This indicates that attenuated COVID-19 vaccines may be considered as a potential strategy to fight the threat posed by SARS-CoV-2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and purpose of the study: SARS-CoV-2 virus does not only affect the respiratory system. It may cause damage to many organ systems with long-term effects. The latest scientific reports inform that this virus leaves a long-term trace in the nervous, circulatory, respiratory, urinary and reproductive systems. It manifests itself in disturbances in the functioning of the organs of these systems, causing serious health problems. The aim of the study was to review the latest research into the long-term effects of COVID-19 and determine how common these symptoms are and who is most at risk. Based on a literature review using the electronic scientific databases of PubMed and Web of Science on the long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection, 88 studies were included in the analysis. The information contained in the analyzed literature shows that the SARS-CoV-2 virus can cause multi-organ damage, causing a number of long-term negative health complications. Conclusions: There is evidence that the virus can cause long-term complications lasting more than six months. They mainly concern disturbances in the functioning of the nervous, circulatory and respiratory systems. However, these studies are small or short-lasting, and many are speculative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted volume, management strategies and patient outcomes of acute appendicitis. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate whether the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in higher incidence of complicated appendicitis in children presenting with acute appendicitis compared to the pre-COVID-19 period. The secondary aim was to investigate the proportion of the patients treated by non-operative management (NOM). Methods: A systematic search of four scientific databases was performed. The search terms used were (coronavirus OR SARS-CoV-2 OR COVID-19 OR novel coronavirus) AND (appendicitis). The inclusion criteria were all patients aged <18 years and diagnosed with acute appendicitis during the COVID-19 and pre-COVID-19 periods. The proportion of children presenting with complicated appendicitis and the proportion of children managed by NOM was compared between the two groups. The Downs and Black scale was used for methodological quality assessment. Results: The present meta-analysis included thirteen studies (twelve retrospective studies and one cross-sectional study). A total of 2782 patients (1239 during the COVID-19 period) were included. A significantly higher incidence of complicated appendicitis (RR = 1.63, 95% CI 1.33–2.01, p < 0.00001) and a significantly higher proportion of children managed via the NOM (RR = 1.95, 95% CI 1.45–2.61, p < 0.00001) was observed in patients during the COVID-19 pandemic when compared to the pre-COVID-19 period. Conclusion: There is a significantly higher incidence of complicated appendicitis in children during the COVID-19 pandemic than in the pre-COVID-19 period. Additionally, a significantly higher proportion of children was managed via the NOM during the pandemic in comparison to the pre-pandemic period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The main objective of this study was to use citation networks to analyze the relationship between different publications on the impact of COVID-19 at an ocular level and their authors. Furthermore, the different research areas will be identified, and the most cited publication will be determined. Materials and Methods: The publications were searched within the Web of Science database, using "ocular", "SARS-CoV-2", "ophthalmology", "eyesight", and "COVID-19" as keywords for the period between January 2020 and January 2021. The Citation Network Explorer and the CiteSpace software were used to analyze the different publications. Results: A total of 389 publications with 890 citations generated on the web were found. It must be highlighted that July was the month with the largest number of publications. The most cited ones were "Characteristics of Ocular Findings of Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Hubei Province, China" by Wu et al., which was published in May 2020. Three groups covering the different research areas in this field were found using the clustering functions: ocular manifestations, teleophthalmology, and personal protective equipment. Conclusions: The citation network has shown a comprehensive and objective analysis of the main studies on the impact of COVID-19 in ocular disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has significantly affected the dental care sector. Dental professionals are at high risk of being infected, and therefore transmitting SARS-CoV-2, due to the nature of their profession, with close proximity to the patient's oropharyngeal and nasal regions and the use of aerosol-generating procedures. The aim of this article is to provide an update on different issues regarding SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 that may be relevant for dentists. Members of the French National College of Oral Biology Lecturers ("Collège National des EnseignantS en Biologie Orale"; CNESBO-COVID19 Task Force) answered seventy-two questions related to various topics, including epidemiology, virology, immunology, diagnosis and testing, SARS-CoV-2 transmission and oral cavity, COVID-19 clinical presentation, current treatment options, vaccine strategies, as well as infection prevention and control in dental practice. The questions were selected based on their relevance for dental practitioners. Authors independently extracted and gathered scientific data related to COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 and the specific topics using scientific databases. With this review, the dental practitioners will have a general overview of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on their practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]