Publications by authors named "Amir Masoud-Afsahi"
Background: The calcaneal enthesis, an osseous footprint where the Achilles tendon seamlessly integrates with the bone, represents a complex interface crucial for effective force transmission. Bone adapts to mechanical stress and remodels based on the applied internal and external forces. This study explores the relationship between the elasticity of the Achilles tendon enthesis and the bone microstructure in the calcaneal crescent.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrevalence of COVID-19 in prison population: a meta-analysis of 35 studies.
Int J Prison Health (2024)
September 2024
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the prevalence of COVID-19 among prisoners, highlighting the increased risk due to confined spaces and close contact in prisons.
- It analyzed English-language studies published from 2019 to July 2023, using various databases and statistical methods to determine prevalence rates, finding a pooled prevalence of around 20% to 25%.
- The study suggests that by implementing better planning in prison environments, the spread of COVID-19 among inmates could be significantly reduced.
Magnetization transfer (MT) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used to estimate the fraction of water and macromolecular proton pools in tissues. MT modeling paired with ultrashort echo time acquisition (UTE-MT modeling) has been proposed to improve the evaluation of the myotendinous junction and fibrosis in muscle tissues, which the latter increases with aging. This study aimed to determine if the UTE-MT modeling technique is sensitive to age-related changes in the skeletal muscles of the lower leg.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Tendon and bone comprise a critical interrelating unit. Bone loss, including that seen with osteopenia (OPe) or osteoporosis (OPo), may be associated with a reduction in tendon quality, though this remains incompletely investigated. Clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences cannot directly detect signals from tendons because of the very short T2.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind COVID-19, has evolved into several variants since its emergence in late 2019, including the notable Omicron and Delta variants.
- A systematic review assessed the differences between these variants by analyzing 58 articles and over 10,000 pieces of evidence.
- Findings indicate that Omicron is linked to lower hospitalization and severity rates compared to Delta, highlighting the need for ongoing monitoring and updated vaccination strategies.
Introduction: COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2, commonly presents with symptoms such as fever and shortness of breath but can also affect other organs. There is growing evidence pointing to potential eye complications. In this article, we aim to systematically review the ocular manifestations of COVID-19.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: Stigmatization was reported throughout the COVID pandemic for COVID-19 patients and close contacts. The aim of this systematic review was to comprehensively examine the prevalence and impact of stigmatization during COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: English articles were searched using online databases that included PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science up to 24 August 2022.
Article Synopsis
- The study aims to identify factors influencing virologic failure in HIV treatment, emphasizing the importance of improving treatment effectiveness to tackle this public health challenge.
- A comprehensive review of 40 studies from 2015 to 2023 highlighted key contributors to HIV drug resistance and treatment failure, including medication adherence, CD4 levels, co-infections, and infection stage.
- The conclusions stress that poor treatment adherence and late diagnosis significantly impact the quality of life for HIV patients, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, suggesting a need for better interventions and further research in this area.
Patients with psoriatic arthritis commonly have abnormalities of their entheses, which are the connections between tendons and bone. There are shortcomings with the use of conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences for the evaluation of entheses and tendons, whereas ultrashort echo time (UTE) sequences are superior for the detection of high signals, and can also be used for non-invasive quantitative assessments of these structures. The combination of UTE-MRI with an adiabatic-T preparation (UTE-Adiab-T) allows for reliable assessment of entheses and tendons with decreased susceptibility to detrimental magic angle effects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- - This study systematically reviews brain MRI findings in COVID-19 patients with neurological symptoms, highlighting that over one-third experience such issues.
- - After analyzing 25 publications and 3118 cases, significant MRI findings include acute/subacute infarction, olfactory bulb abnormalities, white matter abnormalities, and cerebral microbleeds.
- - The research indicates a notable prevalence of detectable neurological abnormalities in COVID-19 patients, emphasizing the need for further exploration of these symptoms and their implications.
Background: We clinically evaluated the quality of white matter lesions (WML) of the cerebrum on 3D inversion recovery ultrashort echo time (IR-UTE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.
Methods: Forty-nine patients with MS were included in this study. A 3T MRI scanner was used.
Introduction: Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, face masks have been among the cornerstones of COVID-19 prevention. Therefore, evaluating their preventive effects against COVID-19 is crucial. This review aimed to systematically search for the systematic review articles that explored the role of various types of face masks in preventing COVID-19.
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- The study reviews late complications of COVID-19, categorized into neurological, respiratory, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal issues.
- A comprehensive search retrieved 50 studies, revealing that fatigue and neuropsychiatric symptoms are the most common long-term effects, followed by respiratory problems.
- It's crucial for healthcare providers and patients to recognize these persistent symptoms, which can impact almost all body systems after initial recovery from COVID-19.
Introduction: Smoking status appears to lead to a poor prognosis in COVID-19 patients. However, findings from the studies conducted on this topic have not been consistent, and further exploration is required.
Methods: The objective of this umbrella review was to examine the effects of smoking on COVID-19 management and mortality.
Introduction: Earlier reports described the possibility of higher SARS-CoV-2 infection and severity in patients with hematological malignancies. Given the importance and incidence of these malignancies, we aimed to systematically review SARS-CoV-2 infection and severity in patients with hematologic cancers.
Methods: We retrieved the relevant records by searching the keywords in online databases of PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane, and Scopus on December 31st, 2021.
Introduction: COVID-19 can result in an extensive range of extrapulmonary, and neurological signs and symptoms such as olfactory and/or taste dysfunction, and otologic symptoms. The aim of this study was to investigate the hearing loss manifestation from COVID-19.
Methods: The goal of this umbrella review was to examine hearing loss associated with COVID-19 disease.
Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 cause pneumonia can spread across the lung and lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in severe cases. Post-exposure prophylaxis has shown great potential to prevent the transmission of some viral infections; however, such results for COVID-19 are still inconclusive.
Methods: Therefore, the aim of this study was to systematically review the resources that utilized postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) for COVID-19 and the possible clinical benefits of such drugs.
Background And Aims: Alteration in humans' gut microbiota was reported in patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). The gut and upper respiratory tract (URT) microbiota harbor a dynamic and complex population of microorganisms and have strong interaction with host immune system homeostasis. However, our knowledge about microbiota and its association with SARS-CoV-2 is still limited.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: The accurate number of COVID-19 cases is essential knowledge to control an epidemic. Currently, one of the most important obstacles in estimating the exact number of COVID-19 patients is the absence of typical clinical symptoms in a large number of people, called asymptomatic infections. In this systematic review, we included and evaluated the studies mainly focusing on the prediction of undetected COVID-19 incidence and mortality rates as well as the reproduction numbers, utilizing various mathematical models.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Levels of Physical Activity: A Systematic Review.
Infect Disord Drug Targets
July 2023
Article Synopsis
- The COVID-19 pandemic significantly decreased physical activity (PA) across various age groups, impacting both physical and mental health.
- A systematic review analyzed 57 studies, revealing that lockdowns and COVID-19 infections contributed to a sedentary lifestyle, particularly among men and individuals with chronic diseases, leading to increased health risks and mental health issues.
- Recommendations include implementing strategies to reduce restrictions and promote exercise to combat the negative health effects caused by the pandemic.
Complications of COVID-19 Vaccines during Pregnancy; a Systematic Review.
Arch Acad Emerg Med
September 2022
Introduction: Rare serious complications have been documented after COVID-19 vaccination as clinical research proceeded and new target populations, such as children and pregnant women, were included. In this study, we attempted to review the literature relevant to pregnancy complications and maternal outcomes of COVID-19 immunization in pregnant women. .
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- C-reactive protein (CRP) and cytokine levels can change in COVID-19 patients due to the virus's inflammatory response, prompting an analysis of their relationship.
- A systematic review of 103 studies revealed that interleukin (IL)-10 shows a moderate correlation with CRP levels, with IL-10 explaining around 10% of the variability in CRP changes.
- The findings suggest that understanding these inflammatory markers may help in developing treatments and prevention strategies, leading to recommendations for further research on CRP and cytokines in relation to COVID-19 progression and severity.
In this study, the feasibility of accelerated quantitative Ultrashort Echo Time Cones (qUTE-Cones) imaging with compressed sensing (CS) reconstruction is investigated. qUTE-Cones sequences for variable flip angle-based UTE T1 mapping, UTE adiabatic T1ρ mapping, and UTE quantitative magnetization transfer modeling of macromolecular fraction (MMF) were implemented on a clinical 3T MR system. Twenty healthy volunteers were recruited and underwent whole-knee MRI using qUTE-Cones sequences.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Controversies existed regarding the duration of COVID-19 vaccines' protection and whether receiving the usual vaccine doses would be sufficient for long-term immunity. Therefore, we aimed to systematically review the studies regarding the COVID-19 vaccines' protection three months after getting fully vaccinated and assess the need for vaccine booster doses.
Methods: The relevant literature was searched using a combination of keywords on the online databases of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane on September 17th, 2021.
Articular Cartilage Assessment Using Ultrashort Echo Time MRI: A Review.
Front Endocrinol (Lausanne)
June 2022
Article Synopsis
- Articular cartilage in the knee joint is prone to degeneration from various factors, including age-related changes.
- Ultrashort echo time (UTE) MRI techniques can effectively assess cartilage by capturing signals from different water protons, allowing detailed evaluation of all cartilage layers.
- This review discusses various UTE MRI methods and their pros and cons for imaging and quantitatively assessing cartilage in the knee, including T1, T2, magnetization transfer, double echo steady state, quantitative susceptibility mapping, and inversion recovery.