Recent Publications

Engulfed by the grave consequences of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a better understanding of the unique pattern of viral invasion and virulence is of utmost importance....This highlights the importance of focusing on ACE2 physiology in the evaluation and management of COVID-19 disease.

The immune system undergoes a myriad of changes with age. While it is known that antibody-secreting plasma and long-lived memory B cells change with age, it remains unclear how the binding profile of the circulating antibody repertoire is impacted.

Assesses post-operative outcomes following photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) in patients with posterior corneal steepening compared to an age, gender and refraction matched control group.

Tospoviridae is a family of enveloped RNA plant viruses that infect many field crops, inflicting a heavy global economic burden. These tripartite, single-stranded, negative-sense RNA viruses are transmitted from plant to plant by thrips as the insect vector. The medium (M) segment of the viral genome encodes two envelope glycoproteins, G_N and G_C, which together form the envelope spikes. G_C is considered the virus fusogen, while the accompanying G_N protein serves as an attachment protein that binds to a yet unknown receptor, mediating the virus acquisition by the thrips carrier. Here we present the crystal structure of glycoprotein N (G_N) from the tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), a representative member of the Tospoviridae family. 

The consumption of teff (Eragrostis tef), a gluten-free cereal grain, has increased due to its dense nutrient composition including complex carbohydrates, unsaturated fatty acids, trace minerals (especially Fe), and phytochemicals. This study utilized the clinically-validated Gallus gallus intra amniotic feeding model to assess the effects of intra-amniotic administration of teff extracts versus controls using seven groups: (1) non-injected; (2) 18Ω H₂O injected; (3) 5% inulin; (4) teff extract 1%; (5) teff extract 2.5%; (6) teff extract 5%; and (7) teff extract 7.5%. 

Calculates the fragility of survival data in randomized clinical trials (RCTs) evaluating immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs).

A 29-year-old female presented with fever, headache, and epigastric pain. Though her initial presentation was benign and nonspecific, she soon developed a full-blown cytokine storm with disseminated intravascular coagulation. She was diagnosed with hemophagocytosis secondary to Rickettsia conorii infection. A good outcome was achieved thanks to prompt diagnosis and proper treatment.

We describe, to the best of our knowledge, the first case of a body builder with an intradeltoid abscess due to , probably because he licked the needle to clean it prior to injection of steroids. This report highlights the potential harms of illegally used muscle-building products and of incorrect and non-sterile injection techniques with potential infectious complications and muscle damage.

To investigate whether pre-treatment platelet counts correlated with clinical outcomes of patients with breast cancer

Symbiotic microbial colonization through the establishment of the intestinal microbiome is critical to many intestinal functions including nutrient metabolism, intestinal barrier integrity and immune regulation. Recent studies suggest that education of the intestinal immunity maybe ongoing in utero. However, the drivers of this process are unknown. The microbiome and its byproducts are one potential source. Whether a fetal intestinal microbiome exists is controversial and if microbially derived metabolites are present in utero is unknown. Here, we aimed to determine whether bacterial DNA and microbially-derived metabolites can be detected in second trimester human intestinal samples. 

Identifies risk factors for dehiscence of cesarean section (CS) scars in patients undergoing repeated cesarean section.

Glycosylation patterns commonly change in cancer, resulting in expression of tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens (TACA). While promising, currently available anti-glycan antibodies are not useful for clinical cancer therapy. Here, we show that potent anti-glycan antibodies can be engineered to acquire cancer therapeutic efficacy.

oth extrinsic and intrinsic factors predispose older people to fall. We performed a genome-wide association analysis to investigate how much of an individual's fall susceptibility can be attributed to genetics in 89,076 cases and 362,103 controls from the UK Biobank Study.

Vacuum-assisted vaginal delivery (VAVD) is considered a major risk factor for obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASIS). However, it is difficult to estimate its true contribution to the occurrence of OASIS, as its performance may be confounded by other determinants. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the association of VAVD with OASIS among primiparous women compared to SVD.

Human Cytomegalovirus has been implicated as a probable cause for the development of hepatic cholestasis among neonates. Our study tried to ascertain the exact demographic, biochemical and immunological markers to differentially diagnose patients with HCMV associated intrahepatic and extrahepatic cholestasis and also decipher the phylogenetic variability among the viral strains infecting the two groups.