In silico identification of epitopes from house cat and dog proteins as peptide immunotherapy candidates based on human leukocyte antigen binding affinity

Summary The objective of this descriptive study was to determine Felis domesticus (cat) and Canis familiaris (dog) protein epitopes that bind strongly to selected HLA class II alleles to identify synthetic vaccine candidate epitopes and to identify individuals/populations who are likely to respond to vaccines. FASTA amino acid sequences of experimentally validated allergenic proteins of house cat and dog were identified using International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS) allergen nomenclature database. NetMHCII 2.2 server was used to determine binding affinities in the form of 1-log 50 k and in nM with commonly found HLA II alleles. Screening of house cat and dog allergenic proteins identified 4 (with 2 isoforms for chain 1 and 3 isoforms for chain 2 for fel d 1) and 6 proteins, respectively. Number of strong binders from each protein against each HLA type was determined as potential candidate for allergen immunotherapy. HLA-DRB1 * 0101 bound maximum number of epitopes (207 and 275 from house cat and dog, respectively) while HLA-DRB1 * 0802 bound none. We conclude that HLA specific epitope prediction can help identify synthetic peptide vaccine candidates and predict response as well

Thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome after administration of AZD1222 or Ad26.COV2.S vaccine for COVID-19: A systematic review

Background: Cases of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) have been reported following vaccination with AZD1222 or Ad26.COV2.S. This review aimed to explore the pathophysiology, epidemiology, diagnosis, management, and prognosis of TTS.Methods: A systematic review was conducted to identify evidence on TTS till 4th September 2021. Case reports and series reporting patient-level data were included. Descriptive statistics were reported and compared across patients with different sexes, age groups, vaccines, types of thrombosis, and outcomes.Findings: Sixty-two studies reporting 160 cases were included from 16 countries. Patients were predominantly females with a median age of 42.50 (22) years. AZD1222 was administered to 140 patients (87·5%). TTS onset occurred in a median of 9 (4) days after vaccination. Venous thrombosis was most common (61.0%). Most patients developed cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST; 66.3%). CVST was significantly more common in female vs male patients (p = 0·001) and in patients aged \u3c45 years vs ≥45 years (p = 0·004). The mortality rate was 36.2%, and patients with suspected TTS, venous thrombosis, CVST, pulmonary embolism, or intraneural complications, patients not managed with non-heparin anticoagulants or IVIG, patients receiving platelet transfusions, and patients requiring intensive care unit admission, mechanical ventilation, or inpatient neurosurgery were more likely to expire than recover.Interpretation: These findings help to understand the pathophysiology of TTS while also recommending diagnostic and management approaches to improve prognosis in patients.Funding: This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors

Aplicación de un índice de calidad del agua (ICA) en la cuenca del río Ayuquila-Armería en México

Background. The water quality index (ICA) is a practical and useful tool to estimate the quality of water bodies, this method has been used in many countries. Goals. Evaluate the water quality of the Ayuquila-Armería river basin, based on two categories of possible use of the water resource, use in agricultural irrigation, protection of aquatic life and drinking use. Methods. The analysis of physical and chemical variables, analysis of heavy metals and nutrients and the characterization of anions and cations were carried out; In addition, the variables were complemented with the use of a biotic integrity index based on families of aquatic macroinvertebrates, to estimate organic contamination and the determination of fecal coliforms, in the forty sampling sites along the upper, middle, and lower part. of the basin. Results. Of the forty sites, the quality of the water for use in agricultural irrigation presented ICA ranges of regular (35%), good (27.5%) and excellent (37.5%) conditions. Regarding the comparison made for the quality of water for the protection of aquatic life and drinking use, it was found that eight sites (44.4%) present poor-quality conditions, another eight sites (44.4%) present good quality and only two sites (11.11%) an excellent quality condition. Conclusions. For the use of water in agricultural irrigation, there is no site that presents poor quality of the resource, in addition, by using different parameters related to agriculture, it can be ensured that there is no risk of loss or damage to crops by using water for irrigation. In the case of water quality in terms of the protection of aquatic life and potable use, in general the basin presents poor conditions. In this sense, aquatic organisms are sufferingAntecedentes. El índice de calidad del agua (ICA) es una herramienta práctica y útil para estimar la calidad de los cuerpos de agua, este método se ha utilizado en muchos países. Objetivos. Evaluar la calidad del agua de la cuenca del río Ayuquila-Armería, con base en dos categorías de posible uso del recurso agua, uso en riego agrícola, protección de la vida acuática y uso potable. Métodos. Se realizó el análisis de variables físicas y químicas, análisis de metales pesados y nutrientes y la caracterización de aniones y cationes; además se complementaron las variables con la utilización de un índice de integridad biótica basado en familias de macroinvertebrados acuáticos, para estimar la contaminación orgánica y la determinación de coliformes fecales, en los cuarenta sitios de muestreo a lo largo de la parte alta, media y baja de la cuenca. Resultados. De los cuarenta sitios, la calidad del agua para uso en riego agrícola presento rangos del ICA de condiciones regulares (35%), buenas (27.5%) y excelentes (37.5 %). En cuanto a la comparación realizada para la calidad del agua para protección de la vida acuática y uso potable, se encontró que ocho sitios (44.4%) presenta condiciones de mala calidad, otros ocho sitios (44.4%) presentan buena calidad y solo dos sitios (11.11%) una condición de calidad excelente. Conclusiones. Para el uso de agua en riego agrícola no se encuentra ningún sitio que presente mala calidad del recurso, además mediante la utilización de diferentes parámetros relacionados con la agricultura se puede asegurar que no existe riesgo de pérdida o daño en cultivos por utilizar el agua para irrigación. Para el caso de la calidad del agua en cuanto a la protección de la vida acuática y uso potable, en general la cuenca presenta malas condiciones. En este sentido los organismos acuáticos están sufriendo afectaciones tanto en su hábitat como en las condiciones fisicoquímicas que pueden menguar sus poblaciones, por otra parte, las comunidades humanas cercanas a los cauces hídricos serán más susceptibles a tener problemas relacionados con la salud

A genome-wide association study in Europeans and South Asians identifies five new loci for coronary artery disease

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Genome-wide association identifies nine common variants associated with fasting proinsulin levels and provides new insights into the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: Proinsulin is a precursor of mature insulin and C-peptide. Higher circulating proinsulin levels are associated with impaired β-cell function, raised glucose levels, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Studies of the insulin processing pathway could provide new insights about T2D pathophysiology. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We have conducted a meta-analysis of genome-wide association tests of ∼2.5 million genotyped or imputed single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and fasting proinsulin levels in 10,701 nondiabetic adults of European ancestry, with follow-up of 23 loci in up to 16,378 individuals, using additive genetic models adjusted for age, sex, fasting insulin, and study-specific covariates. RESULTS: Nine SNPs at eight loci were associated with proinsulin levels (P < 5 × 10(-8)). Two loci (LARP6 and SGSM2) have not been previously related to metabolic traits, one (MADD) has been associated with fasting glucose, one (PCSK1) has been implicated in obesity, and four (TCF7L2, SLC30A8, VPS13C/C2CD4A/B, and ARAP1, formerly CENTD2) increase T2D risk. The proinsulin-raising allele of ARAP1 was associated with a lower fasting glucose (P = 1.7 × 10(-4)), improved β-cell function (P = 1.1 × 10(-5)), and lower risk of T2D (odds ratio 0.88; P = 7.8 × 10(-6)). Notably, PCSK1 encodes the protein prohormone convertase 1/3, the first enzyme in the insulin processing pathway. A genotype score composed of the nine proinsulin-raising alleles was not associated with coronary disease in two large case-control datasets. CONCLUSIONS: We have identified nine genetic variants associated with fasting proinsulin. Our findings illuminate the biology underlying glucose homeostasis and T2D development in humans and argue against a direct role of proinsulin in coronary artery disease pathogenesis

Effect of Catalyst Preparation Conditions on the Performance of Eggshell Cobalt/SiO\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3e Catalysts for Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis

A highly selective eggshell Fischer-Tropsch catalyst has been fabricated via interaction of hydrophobic and hydrophilic molecules on thermally treated silica gel. The physical interactions of the mesoporous silica support and the effect of catalyst preparation conditions on the performance of the cobalt/SiO2 were explored. It was found that dispersion and performance of the FT cobalt/SiO2 catalyst were significantly affected by the preparation technique used. In this study we focus on two key variables: the solvent used during the precursor loading and the calcination atmosphere. Silanol groups on the silica surface and near-surface regions can alter morphology and dispersion of the supported active metals. Solvents used for precursor such as water or alcohol attach to these silanol sites in specific configurations and compete with metal salts during ion exchange and adsorption. By fine tuning the solvent attachments on heat treated silica we have fabricated a cobalt/silica catalyst with high dispersion and low metal loads. Additionally, since silica has affinity for both polar and non-polar molecule depending on the surface conditions; this property has been exploited in preparing an engineered eggshell profile. This together with simultaneous calcination/ reduction in a dynamic hydrogen environment has been shown to further enhance dispersion and reducibility. Characterization techniques including BET, XPS, XRD, H-chemisorption and FTIR were employed. Catalyst activity, product selectivity, distribution and conversion were studied using a bench scale fixed bed reactor fitted with a GC/MS instrument

Effect of Catalyst Preparation Conditions on the Performance of Eggshell Cobalt/SiO\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3e Catalysts for Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis

A highly selective eggshell Fischer-Tropsch catalyst has been fabricated via interaction of hydrophobic and hydrophilic molecules on thermally treated silica gel. The physical interactions of the mesoporous silica support and the effect of catalyst preparation conditions on the performance of the cobalt/SiO2 were explored. It was found that dispersion and performance of the FT cobalt/SiO2 catalyst were significantly affected by the preparation technique used. In this study we focus on two key variables: the solvent used during the precursor loading and the calcination atmosphere. Silanol groups on the silica surface and near-surface regions can alter morphology and dispersion of the supported active metals. Solvents used for precursor such as water or alcohol attach to these silanol sites in specific configurations and compete with metal salts during ion exchange and adsorption. By fine tuning the solvent attachments on heat treated silica we have fabricated a cobalt/silica catalyst with high dispersion and low metal loads. Additionally, since silica has affinity for both polar and non-polar molecule depending on the surface conditions; this property has been exploited in preparing an engineered eggshell profile. This together with simultaneous calcination/ reduction in a dynamic hydrogen environment has been shown to further enhance dispersion and reducibility. Characterization techniques including BET, XPS, XRD, H-chemisorption and FTIR were employed. Catalyst activity, product selectivity, distribution and conversion were studied using a bench scale fixed bed reactor fitted with a GC/MS instrument

Security and privacy issues in medical internet of things: Overview, countermeasures, challenges and future directions

The rapid development and the expansion of Internet of Things (IoT)‐powered technologies have strengthened the way we live and the quality of our lives in many ways by combining Internet and communication technologies through its ubiquitous nature. As a novel technological paradigm, this IoT is being served in many application domains including healthcare, surveillance, manufacturing, industrial automation, smart homes, the military, etc. Medical Internet of Things (MIoT), or the use of IoT in healthcare, is becoming a booming trend towards improving the health and wellbeing of billions of people by offering smooth and seamless medical facilities and by enhancing the services provided by medical practitioners, nurses, pharmaceutical companies, and other related government and non‐government organizations. In recent times, this MIoT has gained higher attention for its potential to alleviate the massive burden on global healthcare, which has been caused by the rise of chronic diseases, the aging population, and emergency situations such as the recent COVID‐19 global pandemic, where many government and non‐government medical resources were challenged, owing to the rising demand for medical resources. It is evident that with this recent growing demand for MIoT, the associated technologies and its interconnected, heterogeneous nature adds new concerns as it becomes accessible to confidential patient data, often without patient or the medical staff consciousness, as the security and privacy of MIoT devices and technologies are often overlooked and undermined by relevant stakeholders. Hence, the growing security breaches that target the MIoT in healthcare are making the security and privacy of Medical IoT a crucial topic that is worth scrutinizing. In this study, we examined the current state of security and privacy of the MIoT, which has become of utmost concern among many security experts and researchers due to its rapid demand in recent times. Nevertheless, pertaining to the current state of security and privacy, we also examine and discuss a number of attack use cases, countermeasures and solutions, recent challenges, and anticipated future directions where further attention is re-quired through this study