Potential Antiviral Options against SARS-CoV-2 Infection

As of June 2020, the number of people infected with severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to skyrocket, with more than 6.7 million cases worldwide. Both the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations (UN) has highlighted the need for better control of SARS-CoV-2 infections. However, developing novel virus-specific vaccines, monoclonal antibodies and antiviral drugs against SARS-CoV-2 can be time-consuming and costly. Convalescent sera and safe-in-man broad-spectrum antivirals (BSAAs) are readily available treatment options. Here, we developed a neutralization assay using SARS-CoV-2 strain and Vero-E6 cells. We identified the most potent sera from recovered patients for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2-infected patients. We also screened 136 safe-in-man broad-spectrum antivirals against the SARS-CoV-2 infection in Vero-E6 cells and identified nelfinavir, salinomycin, amodiaquine, obatoclax, emetine and homoharringtonine. We found that a combination of orally available virus-directed nelfinavir and host-directed amodiaquine exhibited the highest synergy. Finally, we developed a website to disseminate the knowledge on available and emerging treatments of COVID-19

Clinical utility of tibial motor and sensory nerve conduction studies with motor recording from the flexor hallucis brevis: a methodological and reliability study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Standard tibial motor nerve conduction measures are established with recording from the abductor hallucis. This technique is often technically challenging and clinicians have difficulty interpreting the information particularly in the short segment needed to assess focal tibial nerve entrapment at the medial ankle as occurs in posterior tarsal tunnel syndrome. The flexor hallucis brevis (FHB) has been described as an alternative site for recording tibial nerve function in those with posterior tarsal tunnel syndrome. Normative data has not been established for this technique. This pilot study describes the technique in detail. In addition we provide reference values for medial and lateral plantar orthodromic sensory measures and assessed intrarater reliability for all measures.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Eighty healthy female participants took part, and 39 returned for serial testing at 4 time points. Mean values ± SD were recorded for nerve conduction measures, and coefficient of variation as well as intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Motor latency, amplitude and velocity values for the FHB were 4.1 ± 0.9 msec, 8.0 ± 3.0 mV and 45.6 ± 3.4 m/s, respectively. Sensory latencies, amplitudes, and velocities, respectively, were 2.8 ± 0.3 msec, 26.7 ± 10.1 μV, and 41.4 ± 3.5 m/s for the medial plantar nerve and 3.2 ± 0.5 msec, 13.3 ± 4.7 μV, and 44.3 ± 4.0 msec for the lateral plantar nerve. All values demonstrated significant ICC values (<it>P </it>≤ 0.007).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Motor recording from the FHB provides technically clear waveforms that allow for an improved ability to assess tibial nerve function in the short segments used to assess tarsal tunnel syndrome. The reported means will begin to establish normal values for this technique.</p

Interaction of hyperalgesia and sensory loss in complex regional pain syndrome type I (CRPS I)

Sensory abnormalities are a key feature of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). In order to characterise these changes in patients suffering from acute or chronic CRPS I, we used Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST) in comparison to an age and gender matched control group

Source rocks in foreland basins: a preferential context for the development of natural hydraulic fractures

International audienceBedding-parallel veins of fibrous calcite (also called BPV or ‘beef’) occur in many sedimentary basins, especially those containing low-permeability strata with organic source material for petroleum.The formation of such veins is often linked with fluid overpressure in these source rocks. In thisreview, we demonstrate that beef veins are most commonly present in foreland basins worldwide or inbasins that recorded a compressive tectonic period. The formation of beef veins is related to two main phases: (1) the initiation of bedding-parallel fracture and (2) the infilling of the fracture.Previous structural studies have shown that formation of beef veins occurred during a period ofcompressive stress activity. This is especially the case for the Wessex Basin (UK) and the NeuquénBasin (Argentina). Here we provide more observations for other basins: the Cordillera Oriental(Colombia), the Paris Basin (France), the northern Pyrenees (France), the Uinta Basin (US), the Tian Shan Mountains (central Asia) and the Appalachian Mountains (US). In the Paris Basin, beef veinformation is dated at 155 Ma (U/Pb calcite method) and is coeval with the compressional deformation in the eastern part of the basin.Because of the timing of generation for such veins and even if the theory and the experiments offracturing demonstrate that bedding-parallel fractures can be generated only with a distributed fluidoverpressure, the formation of beef veins seems to be a consequence of both fluid overpressures and acompressional tectonic stress

Structural restoration of Cretaceous-Cenozoic (post-rift) palaeobathymetry in the northern North Sea

Palaeobathymetric variations and palaeobasin shape are important for recognition of tectonic phases and distribution of sediment. We present an approach for restoring palaeobathymetry from interpreted, depth-converted seismic sections. The method involves section balancing / restoration techniques for extensional regimes and seismic sequence stratigraphy. The method is based on regional profiles that cover the entire basin using fixed water-depth points such as coal layers, shallow marine sand and subaerial unconformities, which are used to calibrate areas along the profile. Geometric information in the under- and overlying seismic sequences is used to shape the palaeobasin. The palaeowater-depths and basin gradients of the Cretaceous and Tertiary post-rift interval in the northern North Sea have been restored. The results show a highly segmented basin with high gradients and locally large water-depths in the earliest Cretaceous. A shallowing and a lowering of the basin gradients occurred in the early Cretaceous. A deepening and widening of the basin was initiated in the middle Cretaceous. During the late Cretaceous the water-depth and the basin gradients decreased. A deepening occurred in the Palaeogene resulting in high gradients on the flanks of the basin. The basin became shallower and the relief became smaller in the early Neogene. The basin deepened in the late Neogene and then became shallower to the present day. The palaeobathymetric trends correlate well with results obtained from micropalaeontological analysis of palaeowater-depth in the same area