Ultrastructural examination of lung "cryobiopsies" from a series of fatal COVID-19 cases hardly revealed infected cells

Ultrastructural analysis of autopsy samples from COVID-19 patients usually suffers from significant structural impairment possibly caused by the rather long latency between death of the patient and an appropriate sample fixation. To improve structural preservation of the tissue, we obtained samples from ventilated patients using a trans-bronchial "cryobiopsy" within 30 min after their death and fixed them immediately for electron microscopy. Samples of six COVID-19 patients with a documented histopathology were systematically investigated by thin section electron microscopy. The different samples and areas inspected revealed the ultrastructural correlates of the different phases of diffuse alveolar damage, including detachment of the alveolar epithelium, hyperplasia of type 2 cells, exudates, and accumulation of extracellular material, such as the hyaline membranes and fibrin. Macrophages and neutrophilic granulocytes were regularly detected. Structural integrity of endothelium was intact in regions where the alveolar epithelium was already detached. Aggregates of erythrocytes, leukocytes with fibrin, and thrombocytes were not observed. Coronavirus particles were only found in and around very few cells in one of the six patient samples. The type and origin of these cells could not be assessed although the overall structural preservation of the samples allowed the identification of pulmonary cell types. Hence, the observed alveolar damage is not associated with virus presence or structural impairment due to ongoing replication at later stages of the disease in fatal cases, which implies that the lung damage in these patients is at least propagated by alternative mechanisms, perhaps, an inappropriate immune or stress response

The impact of zeolites during co-combustion of municipal sewage sludge with alkali and chlorine rich fuels

Municipal sewage sludge has proven to eliminate alkali metals and chlorine related problems during combustion of straw and refuse derived fuels (RDF). However, the mechanisms involved have not been clarified. The aim of this work was to gain more knowledge about the behaviour of sewage sludge and detergent zeolites in combustion and about their effects on alkali metal chemistry. Co-combustion tests with combinations of municipal sewage sludge, wood and straw were carried out in a 12 MW fluidised bed (FB) boiler. In addition, a detergent zeolite, Doucil A24, was used as additive during co-combustion of wood and straw. The chemical characteristics of fuels and fly ashes were studied using several methods, such as chemical fractionation and scanning electron microscopy with element analysis by energy dispersive fluorescence detection (SEM-EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). In the co-combustion tests involving sewage sludge no KCl was found in the flue gas prior to the convection pass. The zeolite addition was less effective but the KCl concentration was reduced to some degree in favour of HCl compared to the reference case. Both SEM-EDX and XRD confirmed the presence of potassium-aluminium-silicates in the fly ash fraction in all cases. In addition, the laboratory study showed that Doucil A24 had the ability to capture potassium and KCl at temperatures in the range of 700-900\ub0C

The impact of zeolites during co-combustion of municipal sewage sludge with alkali and chlorine rich fuels

Municipal sewage sludge has proven to eliminate alkali metals and chlorine related problems during combustion of straw and refuse derived fuels (RDF). However, the mechanisms involved have not been clarified. The aim of this work was to gain more knowledge about the behaviour of sewage sludge and detergent zeolites in combustion and about their effects on alkali metal chemistry. Co-combustion tests with combinations of municipal sewage sludge, wood and straw were carried out in a 12 MW fluidised bed (FB) boiler. In addition, a detergent zeolite, Doucil A24, was used as additive during co-combustion of wood and straw. The chemical characteristics of fuels and fly ashes were studied using several methods, such as chemical fractionation and scanning electron microscopy with element analysis by energy dispersive fluorescence detection (SEM-EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). In the co-combustion tests involving sewage sludge no KCl was found in the flue gas prior to the convection pass. The zeolite addition was less effective but the KCl concentration was reduced to some degree in favour of HCl compared to the reference case. Both SEM-EDX and XRD confirmed the presence of potassium-aluminium-silicates in the fly ash fraction in all cases. In addition, the laboratory study showed that Doucil A24 had the ability to capture potassium and KCl at temperatures in the range of 700-900\ub0C

In Vivo Chondrogenesis in 3D Bioprinted Human Cell-laden Hydrogel Constructs

Background: The three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting technology allows creation of 3D constructs in a layer-by-layer fashion utilizing biologically relevant materials such as biopolymers and cells. The aim of this study is to investigate the use of 3D bioprinting in a clinically relevant setting to evaluate the potential of this technique for in vivo chondrogenesis. Methods: Thirty-six nude mice (Balb-C, female) received a 5-x 5-x 1-mm piece of bioprinted cell-laden nanofibrillated cellulose/alginate construct in a subcutaneous pocket. Four groups of printed constructs were used: (1) human (male) nasal chondrocytes (hNCs), (2) human (female) bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs), (3) coculture of hNCs and hBMSCs in a 20/80 ratio, and (4) Cell-free scaffolds (blank). After 14, 30, and 60 days, the scaffolds were harvested for histological, immunohistochemical, and mechanical analysis. Results: The constructs had good mechanical properties and keep their structural integrity after 60 days of implantation. For both the hNC constructs and the cocultured constructs, a gradual increase of glycosaminoglycan production and hNC proliferation was observed. However, the cocultured group showed a more pronounced cell proliferation and enhanced deposition of human collagen II demonstrated by immunohistochemical analysis. Conclusions: In vivo chondrogenesis in a 3D bioprinted human cell-laden hydrogel construct has been demonstrated. The trophic role of the hBMSCs in stimulating hNC proliferation and matrix deposition in the coculture group suggests the potential of 3D bioprinting of human cartilage for future application in reconstructive surgery

SNIC Science Cloud (SSC): A national-scale cloud infrastructure for Swedish academia

The cloud computing paradigm have fundamentally changed the way computational resources are being offered. Although the number of large-scale providers in academia is still relatively small, there is a rapidly increasing interest and adoption of cloud Infrastructure-as-a-Service in the scientific community. The added flexibility in how applications can be implemented compared to traditional batch computing systems is one of the key success factors for the paradigm, and scientific cloud computing promises to increase adoption of simulation and data analysis in scientific communities not traditionally users of large scale e-Infrastructure, the so called long tail of science. In 2014, the Swedish National Infrastructure for Computing (SNIC) initiated a project to investigate the cost and constraints of offering cloud infrastructure for Swedish academia. The aim was to build a platform where academics could evaluate cloud computing for their use-cases. SNIC Science Cloud (SSC) has since then evolved into a national-scale cloud infrastructure based on three geographically distributed regions. In this article we present the SSC vision, architectural details and user stories. We summarize the experiences gained from running a nationalscale cloud facility into ten simple rules for starting up a science cloud project based on OpenStack. We also highlight some key areas that require careful attention in order to offer cloud infrastructure for ubiquitous academic needs and in particular scientific workloads

Reduced Cancer Incidence in Huntington's Disease: Analysis in the Registry Study

Background: People with Huntington's disease (HD) have been observed to have lower rates of cancers. Objective: To investigate the relationship between age of onset of HD, CAG repeat length, and cancer diagnosis. Methods: Data were obtained from the European Huntington's disease network REGISTRY study for 6540 subjects. Population cancer incidence was ascertained from the GLOBOCAN database to obtain standardised incidence ratios of cancers in the REGISTRY subjects. Results: 173/6528 HD REGISTRY subjects had had a cancer diagnosis. The age-standardised incidence rate of all cancers in the REGISTRY HD population was 0.26 (CI 0.22-0.30). Individual cancers showed a lower age-standardised incidence rate compared with the control population with prostate and colorectal cancers showing the lowest rates. There was no effect of CAG length on the likelihood of cancer, but a cancer diagnosis within the last year was associated with a greatly increased rate of HD onset (Hazard Ratio 18.94, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Cancer is less common than expected in the HD population, confirming previous reports. However, this does not appear to be related to CAG length in HTT. A recent diagnosis of cancer increases the risk of HD onset at any age, likely due to increased investigation following a cancer diagnosis