Salvageable Food Losses from Vermont Farms

For a variety of reasons, farms cannot sell or donate all the food they produce, and some food crops are lost from the food supply. Food lost at the farm level represents a substantial environ­mental, economic, and nutritional cost to the food system. Few studies have estimated amounts of food lost at the farm level in the U.S. We present a survey-based method for estimating crop loss quantities based on four estimates by farmers: percent available crops that are harvested, percent unharvested crops they would consider edible, percent harvested produce sold, and percent harvested produce donated. We applied the method in an online survey administered to 58 Vermont vegetable and berry farms. Within the sample, an estimated 16% of vegetables and 15% of berries were considered lost but salvageable in 2015. If these farms are representative of farms across the state, this would amount to approxi­mately 13,684,000 lbs. (6,207,000 kg) of salvageable vegetables and 589,000 lbs. (267,000 kg) of salvage­able berries. This lost produce contains substantial nutrients. For example, the amount of lost fiber is equivalent to the gap between actual and recom­mended fiber intake for 36,000 adult U.S. women. Most estimates are based on recall. While many farmers reported keeping records of crops har­vested (67%) and sold (69%), few had records of other quantities needed for tracking losses. Sixty percent of farmers expressed interest in a state program that would compensate farmers for dona­tions and nearly half expressed interest in one or more strategies to involve community groups in reducing losses. While not all produce that is lost can realistically be provided to consumers in a timely and cost-effective manner, this research highlights a high magnitude of loss and potentially, a considerable nutritional and economic opportu­nity. Further research is needed to confirm and add depth to these estimates and to evaluate potential solutions

Manufacture and Characterization of Good Manufacturing Practice-Compliant SARS-COV-2 Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). SARS-CoV-2 virus-specific cytotoxic T-cell lymphocytes (vCTLs) could provide a promising modality in COVID-19 treatment. We aimed to screen, manufacture, and characterize SARS-CoV-2-vCTLs generated from convalescent COVID-19 donors using the CliniMACS Cytokine Capture System (CCS). METHODS: Donor screening was done by stimulation of convalescent COVID-19 donor peripheral blood mononuclear cells with viral peptides and identification of interferonγ (IFN-γ)+ CD4 and CD8 T cells using flow cytometry. Clinical-grade SARS-CoV-2-vCTLs were manufactured using the CliniMACS CCS. The enriched SARS-CoV-2-vCTLs were characterized by T-cell receptor sequencing, mass cytometry, and transcriptome analysis. RESULTS: Of the convalescent donor blood samples, 93% passed the screening criteria for clinical manufacture. Three validation runs resulted in enriched T cells that were 79% (standard error of the mean 21%) IFN-γ+ T cells. SARS-CoV-2-vCTLs displayed a highly diverse T-cell receptor repertoire with enhancement of both memory CD8 and CD4 T cells, especially in CD8 TEM, CD4 TCM, and CD4 TEMRA cell subsets. SARS-CoV-2-vCTLs were polyfunctional with increased gene expression in T-cell function, interleukin, pathogen defense, and tumor necrosis factor superfamily pathways. CONCLUSIONS: Highly functional SARS-CoV-2-vCTLs can be rapidly generated by direct cytokine enrichment (12 hours) from convalescent donors. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: NCT04896606

Acute flaccid myelitis: cause, diagnosis, and management

Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) is a disabling, polio-like illness mainly affecting children. Outbreaks of AFM have occurred across multiple global regions since 2012, and the disease appears to be caused by non-polio enterovirus infection, posing a major public health challenge. The clinical presentation of flaccid and often profound muscle weakness (which can invoke respiratory failure and other critical complications) can mimic several other acute neurological illnesses. There is no single sensitive and specific test for AFM, and the diagnosis relies on identification of several important clinical, neuroimaging, and cerebrospinal fluid characteristics. Following the acute phase of AFM, patients typically have substantial residual disability and unique long-term rehabilitation needs. In this Review we describe the epidemiology, clinical features, course, and outcomes of AFM to help to guide diagnosis, management, and rehabilitation. Future research directions include further studies evaluating host and pathogen factors, including investigations into genetic, viral, and immunological features of affected patients, host-virus interactions, and investigations of targeted therapeutic approaches to improve the long-term outcomes in this population