Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection

Arabinoxylan-Based Particles: In Vitro Antioxidant Capacity and Cytotoxicity on a Human Colon Cell Line

Background and objectives: Arabinoxylans (AX) can gel and exhibit antioxidant capacity. Previous studies have demonstrated the potential application of AX microspheres as colon-targeted drug carriers. However, the cytotoxicity of AX gels has not been investigated so far. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to prepare AX-based particles (AXM) by coaxial electrospraying method and to investigate their antioxidant potential and cytotoxicity on human colon cells. Materials and Methods: The gelation of AX was studied by monitoring the storage (G&prime;) and loss (G&prime;&prime;) moduli. The morphology of AXM was evaluated using optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The in vitro antioxidant activity of AX before and after gelation was measured using the 2,2&prime;-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS+), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) methods. In addition, the effect of AX and AXM on the proliferation of human colon cells (CCD 841 CoN) was evaluated using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Results: The final G&prime; and G&prime;&prime; values for AX gels were 293 and 0.31 Pa, respectively. AXM presented spherical shape and rough surface with a three-dimensional and porous network. The swelling ratio and mesh size of AXM were 35 g water/g AX and 27 nm, respectively. Gelation decreased the antioxidant activity of AX by 61&ndash;64 %. AX and AXM did not affect proliferation or show any toxic effect on the normal human colon cell line CCD 841 CoN. Conclusion: The results indicate that AXM could be promising biocompatible materials with antioxidant activity

Effect of Ultrasound-Treated Arabinoxylans on the Oxidative Stability of Soybean Oil

Arabinoxylans (AX) are polysaccharides with antioxidant activity and emulsifying properties, which make them an attractive alternative for its potential application as a natural antioxidant in oils. Therefore, this work aimed to investigate the effect of ultrasonic treatment of AX on their antioxidant capacity and its ability to improve the oxidative stability of soybean oil. For this purpose, AX were exposed to ultrasonic treatment at 25% (100 W, AX-1) and 50% (200 W, AX-2) power and an operating frequency of 20 KHz during 15 min, and their macromolecular properties (weight average molecular weight (Mw), polydispersity index and intrinsic viscosity) were evaluated. The antioxidant capacity of AX was determined by the DPPH assay and Rancimat test. Results showed that ultrasonic treatment did not affect the molecular identity of the polysaccharide but modified its Mw distribution. AX-1 showed the highest antioxidant activity (75% inhibition) at 533 &micro;g/mL by the DPPH method compared to AX and AX-2. AX at 0.25% (w/v) and AX-1 at 0.01% (w/v) exerted the highest protective effects on oxidative stability of soybean oil with induction periods of 7.69 and 5.54 h, respectively. The results indicate that AX could be a good alternative for the potential application as a natural antioxidant in oils

Prevalence of Antibiotic-Resistant E. coli Strains in a Local Farm and Packing Facilities of Honeydew Melon in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico

Pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli threaten public health due to their virulence factors and antibiotic resistance. Additionally, the virulence of this bacterium varies by region depending on environmental conditions, agricultural practices, and the use of antibiotics and disinfectants. However, there is limited research on the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant E. coli in agriculture. Therefore, this research aimed to determine the antibiotic resistance of E. coli isolated from the Honeydew melon production system in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. Thirty-two E. coli strains were isolated from 445 samples obtained from irrigation water, harvested melons, the hands of packaging workers, boxes, and discarded melons. The resistance profile of the E. coli strains was carried out to 12 antibiotics used in antimicrobial therapeutics against this bacterium; a high level of resistance to ertapenem (100%) was detected, followed by meropenem (97%), and ampicillin (94%); 47% of the strains were classified as multidrug-resistant. It was possible to identify the prevalence of the extended-spectrum &beta;-lactamase (ESBLs) gene blaTEM (15.6%), as well as the non-ESBL genes qepA (3.1%) and aac(6&prime;)lb-cr (3.1%). The E. coli strains isolated from irrigation water were significantly associated with resistance to aztreonam, cefuroxime, amikacin, and sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim. Irrigation water, packing workers&rsquo; hands, and discarded melons showed a higher prevalence of antibiotic-resistant, ESBL, and non-ESBL genes of E. coli strains in a farm and packing facility of Honeydew melon in Hermosillo, Sonora

A multi-ethnic genome-wide association study identifies novel loci for non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate on 2p24.2, 17q23 and 19q13

Orofacial clefts (OFCs), which include non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL/P), are among the most common birth defects in humans, affecting approximately 1 in 700 newborns. CL/P is phenotypically heterogeneous and has a complex etiology caused by genetic and environmental factors. Previous genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified at least 15 risk loci for CL/P. As these loci do not account for all of the genetic variance of CL/P, we hypothesized the existence of additional risk loci. We conducted am ultiethnic GWAS in 6480 participants (823 unrelated cases, 1700 unrelated controls and 1319 case-parent trios) with European, Asian, African and Central and South American ancestry. Our GWAS revealed novel associations on 2p24 near FAM49A, a gene of unknown function (P = 4.22 x 10(-8)), and 19q13 near RHPN2, a gene involved in organizing the actin cytoskeleton (P = 4.17 x 10(-8)). Other regions reaching genome-wide significance were 1p36 (PAX7), 1p22 (ARHGAP29), 1q32 (IRF6), 8q24 and 17p13 (NTN1), all reported in previous GWASs. Stratification by ancestry group revealed a novel association with a region on 17q23 (P = 2.92 x 10(-8)) among individuals with European ancestry. This region included several promising candidates including TANC2, an oncogene required for development, and DCAF7, a scaffolding protein required for craniofacial development. In the Central and South American ancestry group, significant associations with loci previously identified in Asian or European ancestry groups reflected their admixed ancestry. In summary, we have identified novel CL/P risk loci and suggest new genes involved in craniofacial development, confirming the highly heterogeneous etiology of OFCs.National Institutes of Health [X01-HG007485, R01-DE016148, U01-DE024425, R37-DE008559, R01-DE009886, R01-DE014667, R21-DE016930, R01-DE012472, R01-DE011931, R01-DE011948, R01-DD000295, U54-MD007587]; Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, AMFDP [72429]; Research Institute of the Children&apos;s Hospital of Colorado (FWD); Institute of Human Genetics, National Institutes of Health, University of the Philippines, Manila; Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil [E-26/102.797/2012, E-26/110.140/2013]; CNPq, Brazil [481069/2012-7, 306396/2013-0, 400427/2013-3]; Danish National Research Foundation; Pharmacy Foundation; Egmont Foundation; March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation; Augustinus Foundation; Health Foundation; National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences/National Institutes of Health Intramural Research Program; Norwegian Research Council; The National Institutes of Health [R25-MD007607, K99-DE024571, K99/R00-DE022378, K99-DE025060, R01-DE020895, HHSN268201200008I]SCI(E)[email protected]

A Genome-wide Association Study of Nonsyndromic Cleft Palate Identifies an Etiologic Missense Variant in <i>GRHL3</i>

Cleft palate (CP) is a common birth defect occurring in 1 in 2,500 live births. Approximately half of infants with CP have a syndromic form, exhibiting other physical and cognitive disabilities. The other half have nonsyndromic CP, and to date, few genes associated with risk for nonsyndromic CP have been characterized. To identify such risk factors, we performed a genome-wide association study of this disorder. We discovered a genome-wide significant association with a missense variant in GRHL3 (p.Thr454Met [c.1361C>T]; rs41268753; p = 4.08 × 10−9) and replicated the result in an independent sample of case and control subjects. In both the discovery and replication samples, rs41268753 conferred increased risk for CP (OR = 8.3, 95% CI 4.1–16.8; OR = 2.16, 95% CI 1.43–3.27, respectively). In luciferase transactivation assays, p.Thr454Met had about one-third of the activity of wild-type GRHL3, and in zebrafish embryos, perturbed periderm development. We conclude that this mutation is an etiologic variant for nonsyndromic CP and is one of few functional variants identified to date for nonsyndromic orofacial clefting. This finding advances our understanding of the genetic basis of craniofacial development and might ultimately lead to improvements in recurrence risk prediction, treatment, and prognosis

FOXE1 association with both isolated cleft lip with or without cleft palate, and isolated cleft palate

Nonsyndromic orofacial clefts are a common complex birth defect caused by genetic and environmental factors and/or their interactions. A previous genome-wide linkage scan discovered a novel locus for cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL/P) at 9q22–q33. To identify the etiologic gene, we undertook an iterative and complementary fine mapping strategy using family-based CL/P samples from Colombia, USA and the Philippines. Candidate genes within 9q22–q33 were sequenced, revealing 32 new variants. Concurrently, 397 SNPs spanning the 9q22–q33 2-LOD-unit interval were tested for association. Significant SNP and haplotype association signals (P = 1.45E − 08) narrowed the interval to a 200 kb region containing: FOXE1, C9ORF156 and HEMGN. Association results were replicated in CL/P families of European descent and when all populations were combined the two most associated SNPs, rs3758249 (P = 5.01E − 13) and rs4460498 (P = 6.51E − 12), were located inside a 70 kb high linkage disequilibrium block containing FOXE1. Association signals for Caucasians and Asians clustered 5′ and 3′ of FOXE1, respectively. Isolated cleft palate (CP) was also associated, indicating that FOXE1 plays a role in two phenotypes thought to be genetically distinct. Foxe1 expression was found in the epithelium undergoing fusion between the medial nasal and maxillary processes. Mutation screens of FOXE1 identified two family-specific missense mutations at highly conserved amino acids. These data indicate that FOXE1 is a major gene for CL/P and provides new insights for improved counseling and genetic interaction studies