Publications by authors named "Nasr J"

Objective: The aim of the study is to assess the diagnostic accuracy of 4-dimensional computed tomography (4D-CT) scans for patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) after negative or inconclusive Technetium-99m sestamibi single-photon emission computed tomography scan.

Methods: A literature search of several databases was conducted from inception to August 2023. Eligible studies reported adult patients (>18 years old) who underwent 4D-CT after negative or inconclusive sestamibi results.

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In livestock systems, clanobutin sodium (CLB) is a pivotal veterinary medication due to its appetite-stimulant features. This contribution aims to design, for the first time, a straightforward and ecological framework for quantifying CLB in various matrices. Relying on a direct mix-and-read assay, tyrosine (TS) and tryptophan (TP) biosensors were exploited as turn-off fluorescence probes for quantifying CLB using λ 274/302 nm and 272/361 nm, respectively.

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  • * The research reviewed 18 studies involving 803 patients and found in-hospital mortality and major bleeding rates were low, at 1.8% and 2.1% respectively.
  • * Results showed significant improvements in oxygen saturation and blood pressure after the procedure, suggesting that CDT offers beneficial hemodynamic outcomes and a favorable safety profile, supporting its increased use in clinical settings.
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Bepotastine (BPT), a second-generation antihistamine used for treating allergic rhinitis and pruritus, requires precise dosage calculation and accurate measurement in aqueous humor to ensure therapeutic efficacy and avoid adverse effects. This study presents a highly sensitive, cost-effective, readily-implementable, and ecologically sustainable method to detect BPT by enhancing its weak native fluorescence. This has been achieved by switching off the intramolecular photoinduced electron transfer (PET) process through phosphoric acid-induced protonation of the nitrogen in the piperidinyl ring.

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  • Gram-negative bacteremia is a severe infection that is becoming more common and harder to treat due to antibiotic resistance, particularly in Lebanon where data is scarce.* -
  • A study of 2400 patients revealed that infections were mainly caused by bacteria like E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, with increasing resistance to critical antibiotics like carbapenems.* -
  • The findings highlight the urgent need for better monitoring and data collection to improve treatment strategies for gram-negative bacteremia in Lebanon, as certain resistant strains are linked to higher mortality rates.*
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  • This study investigates the use of curcumin (CUR), a natural compound, alongside doxorubicin (DOX) in cancer treatment, highlighting CUR's ability to enhance anti-cancer effects while reducing side effects and drug resistance associated with DOX.
  • The researchers developed a novel synchronous spectrofluorimetric method to simultaneously measure both CUR and DOX, despite their overlapping emission spectra, by using specific wavelength settings (Δλ = 20 nm) and ethanol as a solvent.
  • The method demonstrated high sensitivity and accuracy with low detection and quantitation limits for both compounds, was validated according to regulatory standards, and showed effective application in testing mixtures and human samples with high
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Two rehydration protocols currently exist to treat diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in pediatric patients aged <21 years: the traditional "one-bag" system and the more recent "two-bag" system. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the newer two-bag system versus the well-established one-bag system. The CiNAHL, Cochrane Library, Embase, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were comprehensively searched from inception to June 2023 by 2 independent reviewers using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis framework.

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The rapid and accurate detection of drug molecules in pharmaceutical formulations and biological samples is of paramount importance. In this research article, we present a novel colorimetric sensor based on carbon dots decorated silver nanoparticles (CDs/AgNPs) for the rapid detection of ketotifen (KTF), a widely used antihistamine drug. The CDs were synthesized via a facile one-step microwave-assisted method and subsequently conjugated onto AgNPs through a simple adsorption process, forming a stable CDs/AgNPs composite.

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Erythrosine B (EB) is a food colorant antiviral xanthene dye that has many applications as a color additive in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. Its use as a sensor for spectrofluorimetric and spectrophotometric analysis of amine-based pharmaceuticals renders many advantages because of its availability, low cost, rapid labeling, and high sensitivity. Herein, two fast and sensitive spectrofluorimetric and spectrophotometric methods were established for the estimation of the anti-Parkinson drug, biperiden (BIP) hydrochloride (HCl), in its raw material and tablet forms.

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Acute diarrhea is a prevalent disease worldwide and a cause of mortality in low and middle-income countries. In previous studies, the causative enteropathogen is found in 38% to 58% of patients, leaving a considerable diagnostic gap. In this study, we intend to determine the pathogenic agents responsible for acute diarrhea in patients presenting to the Emergency Departments of several Lebanese hospitals.

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Background: COVID-19 infection in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) -a chronic illness in Lebanon-is not well described.

Methods: This was a single-centre retrospective observational study of 491 patients, including 152 patients with T2DM, who were hospitalised for COVID-19 between 20 August 2020 and 21 April 2021. Data on clinical characteristics, laboratory and radiological findings and outcomes were collected from the electronic medical records.

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Background: Pomegranate seed oil (PSO) contains punicic acid as well as conjugated linolenic acid isomers, including α-eleostearic and catalpic acids, along with phytosterols, especially β-sitosterol, campesterol and stigmasterol, with lipotropic impact and egg fortifying effect in laying hens.

Objectives: The present experiment was designed to examine the effects of PSO on egg production, egg quality, blood lipids and yolk fatty acid deposition in laying hens.

Methods: A total of 360 Hy-line laying hens (w-80), at 25 weeks of age, were randomly allotted to five dietary treatments in a completely randomized design during a 10-week period.

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The influence of metal complexation of two polar β-lactam antibiotics was investigated using surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) technique. SERS method was applied to track the structural changes and the degradation behaviour of the studied compounds upon Zinc (II) ions-complexation. In situ laser-induced coral reefs-like photomicroclusters have been utilized as a SERS platform.

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This study aims to describe COVID-19 patients characteristics, laboratory and imaging results, and the different outcomes of patients admitted to the Lebanese American University Medical Center-Rizk Hospital over a period of 9 months. In this observational retrospective study, data were obtained from electronic medical records of 491 male and female patients from the ages of 17 to 97. Analysis of the patients was performed in 3 periods: August 2020 to October 20 November 202020 to January 2021 and February 2021 to April 2021 corresponding with 3 waves of newly diagnosed cases during this period.

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Regimens for managing thromboembolic complications of COVID-19 are still not very well established. The present study compares the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 receiving different anticoagulation regimens with and without aspirin. This is a retrospective observational study of 491 patients hospitalized for COVID-19 from August 2020 to April 2021.

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Endoscopic ultrasound-directed transgastric ERCP (EDGE) is a safe and efficacious procedure to treat pancreaticobiliary diseases in Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). This multicenter study aimed to determine the long-term outcomes of EDGE focusing on fistula persistence rates and post-procedure weight change. Information about patients with Roux-en-Y gastric bypass anatomy who underwent EDGE between 2015 and 2021 from 10 institutions was captured in a registry.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study developed a new DNA/RNA next-generation sequencing platform called PancreaSeq Genomic Classifier to enhance the evaluation of pancreatic cysts, particularly in identifying cystic precursor neoplasms and advanced neoplasia.
  • This platform features a 74-gene targeted NGS panel that assesses various genomic alterations, and it was validated in separate cohorts, demonstrating high sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing pancreatic conditions.
  • The results show that PancreaSeq significantly increased the sensitivity of traditional pancreatic cyst guidelines by over 10% while maintaining high specificity, indicating its potential to improve clinical decision-making.
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  • Cholecystectomy (CCY) is the preferred treatment for acute cholecystitis (AC), with alternative nonsurgical options being EUS-guided and PT-guided gallbladder drainage.
  • A study compared outcomes of patients undergoing CCY after EUS-GBD vs PT-GBD, looking at demographics, procedure outcomes, and surgical details across 139 patients.
  • Results indicated that EUS-GBD led to faster surgical times, quicker symptom resolution, and shorter hospital stays than PT-GBD, while both methods had similar rates of converting to open surgery.
  • EUS-GBD is a viable option for gallbladder drainage and does not hinder follow-up CCY.
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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) initially presented as a disease that affected the lungs. Then, studies revealed that it intricately affected disparate organs in the human body, with the liver being one of the most affected organs. This review aimed to assess the association between COVID-19 and liver function, shedding light on its clinical implication.

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Novel, selective, facile, and precise spectroscopic approaches were validated to determine nilotinib hydrochloride, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor used to treat patients with chronic myeloid leukemia. These approaches depend on the reaction of the tertiary amine group of nilotinib with erythrosine B in the Britton-Robinson buffer at pH 4. Method I, depends on measuring the absorbance of the formed complex at 551 nm.

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Evidence that the gut microbiota plays a key role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease is already unravelling. The microbiota-gut-brain axis is a bidirectional communication system that is not fully understood but includes neural, immune, endocrine, and metabolic pathways. The progression of Alzheimer's disease is supported by mechanisms related to the imbalance in the gut microbiota and the development of amyloid plaques in the brain, which are at the origin of Alzheimer's disease.

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A new, rapid, selective, green, and highly sensitive method has been established to determine ivabradine and carvedilol simultaneously. The first derivative synchronous spectrofluorimetric approach was applied for the determination of the studied drugs. Assessment of the first derivative amplitude of carvedilol and ivabradine has been done at 339 nm and 298 nm respectively which are the zero crossing points of each other.

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  • This study aimed to prospectively evaluate the effectiveness of next-generation sequencing (NGS) on pancreatic cyst fluid in a multi-institutional setting, as previous research had mainly been retrospective or focused on single hospitals.
  • In total, 1933 pancreatic cyst specimens were tested, with 98% being satisfactory for NGS analysis, and findings were correlated with current guidelines and surgical outcomes.
  • Results indicated that mutations such as GNAS had high sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing mucinous cysts and that combining genomic alterations with cytopathologic evaluation significantly improved diagnostic accuracy compared to existing guidelines.
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Tranilast (TR) could be investigated as a suitable anti-inflammatory and NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor medication for the treatment of COVID-19 acute patients. Owing to its importance, our study was constructed for the determination of TR using a new, fast, sensitive, and reliable green spectrofluorimetric method. TR was quantified in this study by forming a complex with the acriflavine (AC) reagent.

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Tumor-induced osteomalacia is a rare and often misdiagnosed condition that presents with progressively worsening unexplained chronic pain and proximal muscle weakness. The osteomalacia leads to multiple stress fractures which do not heal properly, leading to progressive disability. It is caused by chronic hypophosphatemia due to inappropriate urinary phosphate wasting.

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