Postural stress and risk conditions in manual load handling of Chilean industrial workers

Introduction: Although, there is a current regulatory framework for optimal manual handling of loads to preserve health conditions in the industrial sector, technical assessment and the use of certain instruments are still required for the diagnosis of occupational hazards. This study aimed to identify the occupational hazards associated with manual load handling in industry workers and estimate those resulting from postural stress. Methods:  Fifty-two (52) industry workers took part in this cross-sectional study. All participants were evaluated using the Manual Handling Guide and the Reba assessment tool.  Subjects were characterized, and risks associated with different tasks were detected. Results: 59.6% of workers were between 18 and 45 years old. Lifting, lowering, and transporting loads activities had a repetitive task risk of 94%, exceeding the weight limit in 85.7% of cases. Pushing and pulling activities, mostly showed a working postural risk of 82% and a high perception of initial effort (Borg> 8). Reba score warned to intervene immediately in both types of tasks. Conclusion: Risk from the manual handling of loads found in this study constitutes an alert that suggests reviewing compliance with the current regulation, as well as effective use of working pauses and the improvement of strategies to minimize physical efforts used by workers

X-linked recessive TLR7 deficiency in ~1% of men under 60 years old with life-threatening COVID-19

Publisher Copyright: Copyright © 2021Autosomal inborn errors of type I IFN immunity and autoantibodies against these cytokines underlie at least 10% of critical COVID-19 pneumonia cases. We report very rare, biochemically deleterious X-linked TLR7 variants in 16 unrelated male individuals aged 7 to 71 years (mean, 36.7 years) from a cohort of 1202 male patients aged 0.5 to 99 years (mean, 52.9 years) with unexplained critical COVID-19 pneumonia. None of the 331 asymptomatically or mildly infected male individuals aged 1.3 to 102 years (mean, 38.7 years) tested carry such TLR7 variants (P = 3.5 × 10−5). The phenotypes of five hemizygous relatives of index cases infected with SARS-CoV-2 include asymptomatic or mild infection (n = 2) or moderate (n = 1), severe (n = 1), or critical (n = 1) pneumonia. Two patients from a cohort of 262 male patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia (mean, 51.0 years) are hemizygous for a deleterious TLR7 variant. The cumulative allele frequency for deleterious TLR7 variants in the male general population is <6.5 × 10−4. We show that blood B cell lines and myeloid cell subsets from the patients do not respond to TLR7 stimulation, a phenotype rescued by wild-type TLR7. The patients’ blood plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) produce low levels of type I IFNs in response to SARS-CoV-2. Overall, X-linked recessive TLR7 deficiency is a highly penetrant genetic etiology of critical COVID-19 pneumonia, in about 1.8% of male patients below the age of 60 years. Human TLR7 and pDCs are essential for protective type I IFN immunity against SARS-CoV-2 in the respiratory tract.Peer reviewe

New Algorithms Improving PML Risk Stratification in MS Patients Treated With Natalizumab

Overview: We assessed the role of age and disease activity as new factors contributing to establish the risk of progressive multifocal leucoencephalopathy in multiple sclerosis patients treated with natalizumab in 36 University Hospitals in Europe. We performed the study in 1,307 multiple sclerosis patients (70.8% anti-John Cunninghan virus positive antibodies) treated with natalizumab for a median time of 3.28 years. Epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory variables were collected. Lipid-specific IgM oligoclonal band status was available in 277 patients. Factors associated with progressive multifocal leucoencephalopathy onset were explored by uni- and multivariate logistic regression. Results: Thirty-five patients developed progressive multifocal leucoencephalopathy. The multivariate analysis identified anti-John Cunninghan virus antibody indices and relapse rate as the best predictors for the onset of this serious opportunistic infection in the whole cohort. They allowed to stratify progressive multifocal leucoencephalopathy risk before natalizumab initiation in individual patients [area under the curve (AUC) = 0.85]. The risk ranged from 0.5, to 1/50 in the opposite case. In patients with lipid-specific IgM oligoclonal bands assessment, age at natalizumab onset, anti-John Cunninghan virus antibody indices, and lipid-specific IgM oligoclonal band status predicted progressive multifocal leucoencephalopathy risk (AUC = 0.92). The absence of lipid-specific IgM oligoclonal bands was the best individual predictor (OR = 40.94). The individual risk ranged from <1/10,000 in patients younger than 45 years at natalizumab initiation, who showed anti John Cunningham virus antibody indices <0.9 and lipid-specific IgM oligoclonal bands to 1/33 in the opposite case. Conclusions: In a perspective of personalized medicine, disease activity, anti-lipid specific IgM oligoclonal bands, anti Jonh Cunninghan virus antibody levels, and age can help tailor natalizumab therapy in multiple sclerosis patients, as predictors of progressive multifocal leucoencephalopath

New Algorithms Improving PML Risk Stratification in MS Patients Treated With Natalizumab

none60siOverview: We assessed the role of age and disease activity as new factors contributing to establish the risk of progressive multifocal leucoencephalopathy in multiple sclerosis patients treated with natalizumab in 36 University Hospitals in Europe. We performed the study in 1,307 multiple sclerosis patients (70.8% anti-John Cunninghan virus positive antibodies) treated with natalizumab for a median time of 3.28 years. Epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory variables were collected. Lipid-specific IgM oligoclonal band status was available in 277 patients. Factors associated with progressive multifocal leucoencephalopathy onset were explored by uni- and multivariate logistic regression. Results: Thirty-five patients developed progressive multifocal leucoencephalopathy. The multivariate analysis identified anti-John Cunninghan virus antibody indices and relapse rate as the best predictors for the onset of this serious opportunistic infection in the whole cohort. They allowed to stratify progressive multifocal leucoencephalopathy risk before natalizumab initiation in individual patients [area under the curve (AUC) = 0.85]. The risk ranged from &lt;1/3,300 in patients with anti-John Cunninghan virus antibody indices &lt;0.9 and relapse rate &gt;0.5, to 1/50 in the opposite case. In patients with lipid-specific IgM oligoclonal bands assessment, age at natalizumab onset, anti-John Cunninghan virus antibody indices, and lipid-specific IgM oligoclonal band status predicted progressive multifocal leucoencephalopathy risk (AUC = 0.92). The absence of lipid-specific IgM oligoclonal bands was the best individual predictor (OR = 40.94). The individual risk ranged from &lt;1/10,000 in patients younger than 45 years at natalizumab initiation, who showed anti John Cunningham virus antibody indices &lt;0.9 and lipid-specific IgM oligoclonal bands to 1/33 in the opposite case. Conclusions: In a perspective of personalized medicine, disease activity, anti-lipid specific IgM oligoclonal bands, anti Jonh Cunninghan virus antibody levels, and age can help tailor natalizumab therapy in multiple sclerosis patients, as predictors of progressive multifocal leucoencephalopathy.mixedToboso, Inmaculada; Tejeda-Velarde, Amalia; Alvarez-Lafuente, Roberto; Arroyo, Rafael; Hegen, Harald; Deisenhammer, Florian; Sainz de la Maza, Susana; Alvarez-Cermeño, José C; Izquierdo, Guillermo; Paramo, Dolores; Oliva, Pedro; Casanova, Bonaventura; Agüera-Morales, Eduardo; Franciotta, Diego; Gastaldi, Matteo; Fernández, Oscar; Urbaneja, Patricia; Garcia-Dominguez, José M; Romero, Fernando; Laroni, Alice; Uccelli, Antonio; Perez-Sempere, Angel; Saiz, Albert; Blanco, Yolanda; Galimberti, Daniela; Scarpini, Elio; Espejo, Carmen; Montalban, Xavier; Rasche, Ludwig; Paul, Friedemann; González, Inés; Álvarez, Elena; Ramo, Cristina; Caminero, Ana B; Aladro, Yolanda; Calles, Carmen; Eguía, Pablo; Belenguer-Benavides, Antonio; Ramió-Torrentà, Lluis; Quintana, Ester; Martínez-Rodríguez, José E; Oterino, Agustín; López de Silanes, Carlos; Casanova, Luis I; Landete, Lamberto; Frederiksen, Jette; Bsteh, Gabriel; Mulero, Patricia; Comabella, Manuel; Hernández, Miguel A; Espiño, Mercedes; Prieto, José M; Pérez, Domingo; Otano, María; Padilla, Francisco; García-Merino, Juan A; Navarro, Laura; Muriel, Alfonso; Frossard, Lucienne Costa; Villar, Luisa MToboso, Inmaculada; Tejeda-Velarde, Amalia; Alvarez-Lafuente, Roberto; Arroyo, Rafael; Hegen, Harald; Deisenhammer, Florian; Sainz de la Maza, Susana; Alvarez-Cermeño, José C; Izquierdo, Guillermo; Paramo, Dolores; Oliva, Pedro; Casanova, Bonaventura; Agüera-Morales, Eduardo; Franciotta, Diego; Gastaldi, Matteo; Fernández, Oscar; Urbaneja, Patricia; Garcia-Dominguez, José M; Romero, Fernando; Laroni, Alice; Uccelli, Antonio; Perez-Sempere, Angel; Saiz, Albert; Blanco, Yolanda; Galimberti, Daniela; Scarpini, Elio; Espejo, Carmen; Montalban, Xavier; Rasche, Ludwig; Paul, Friedemann; González, Inés; Álvarez, Elena; Ramo, Cristina; Caminero, Ana B; Aladro, Yolanda; Calles, Carmen; Eguía, Pablo; Belenguer-Benavides, Antonio; Ramió-Torrentà, Lluis; Quintana, Ester; Martínez-Rodríguez, José E; Oterino, Agustín; López de Silanes, Carlos; Casanova, Luis I; Landete, Lamberto; Frederiksen, Jette; Bsteh, Gabriel; Mulero, Patricia; Comabella, Manuel; Hernández, Miguel A; Espiño, Mercedes; Prieto, José M; Pérez, Domingo; Otano, María; Padilla, Francisco; García-Merino, Juan A; Navarro, Laura; Muriel, Alfonso; Frossard, Lucienne Costa; Villar, Luisa

Rare predicted loss-of-function variants of type I IFN immunity genes are associated with life-threatening COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: We previously reported that impaired type I IFN activity, due to inborn errors of TLR3- and TLR7-dependent type I interferon (IFN) immunity or to autoantibodies against type I IFN, account for 15-20% of cases of life-threatening COVID-19 in unvaccinated patients. Therefore, the determinants of life-threatening COVID-19 remain to be identified in ~ 80% of cases. METHODS: We report here a genome-wide rare variant burden association analysis in 3269 unvaccinated patients with life-threatening COVID-19, and 1373 unvaccinated SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals without pneumonia. Among the 928 patients tested for autoantibodies against type I IFN, a quarter (234) were positive and were excluded. RESULTS: No gene reached genome-wide significance. Under a recessive model, the most significant gene with at-risk variants was TLR7, with an OR of 27.68 (95%CI 1.5-528.7, P = 1.1 × 10 CONCLUSIONS: Rare variants of TLR3- and TLR7-dependent type I IFN immunity genes can underlie life-threatening COVID-19, particularly with recessive inheritance, in patients under 60 years old

Rare predicted loss-of-function variants of type I IFN immunity genes are associated with life-threatening COVID-19

Abstract Background We previously reported that impaired type I IFN activity, due to inborn errors of TLR3- and TLR7-dependent type I interferon (IFN) immunity or to autoantibodies against type I IFN, account for 15–20% of cases of life-threatening COVID-19 in unvaccinated patients. Therefore, the determinants of life-threatening COVID-19 remain to be identified in ~ 80% of cases. Methods We report here a genome-wide rare variant burden association analysis in 3269 unvaccinated patients with life-threatening COVID-19, and 1373 unvaccinated SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals without pneumonia. Among the 928 patients tested for autoantibodies against type I IFN, a quarter (234) were positive and were excluded. Results No gene reached genome-wide significance. Under a recessive model, the most significant gene with at-risk variants was TLR7, with an OR of 27.68 (95%CI 1.5–528.7, P = 1.1 × 10−4) for biochemically loss-of-function (bLOF) variants. We replicated the enrichment in rare predicted LOF (pLOF) variants at 13 influenza susceptibility loci involved in TLR3-dependent type I IFN immunity (OR = 3.70[95%CI 1.3–8.2], P = 2.1 × 10−4). This enrichment was further strengthened by (1) adding the recently reported TYK2 and TLR7 COVID-19 loci, particularly under a recessive model (OR = 19.65[95%CI 2.1–2635.4], P = 3.4 × 10−3), and (2) considering as pLOF branchpoint variants with potentially strong impacts on splicing among the 15 loci (OR = 4.40[9%CI 2.3–8.4], P = 7.7 × 10−8). Finally, the patients with pLOF/bLOF variants at these 15 loci were significantly younger (mean age [SD] = 43.3 [20.3] years) than the other patients (56.0 [17.3] years; P = 1.68 × 10−5). Conclusions Rare variants of TLR3- and TLR7-dependent type I IFN immunity genes can underlie life-threatening COVID-19, particularly with recessive inheritance, in patients under 60 years old

Neutral pion and η meson production in proton–proton collisions at √s=0.9 TeV and s=√7 TeV

he first measurements of the invariant differential cross sections of inclusive π0 and η meson production at mid-rapidity in proton–proton collisions at s=0.9 TeV and s=7 TeV are reported. The π0 measurement covers the ranges 0.4<pT<7 GeV/c and 0.3<pT<25 GeV/c for these two energies, respectively. The production of η mesons was measured at s=√7 TeV in the range 0.4<pT<15 GeV/c. Next-to-Leading Order perturbative QCD calculations, which are consistent with the π0 spectrum at s=0.9 TeV, overestimate those of π0 and η mesons at s=√7 TeV, but agree with the measured η/π0 ratio at s=√7 TeV

Heavy flavour decay muon production at forward rapidity in proton–proton collisions at √s=7 TeV

The production of muons from heavy flavour decays is measured at forward rapidity in proton–proton collisions at √s=7 TeV collected with the ALICE experiment at the LHC. The analysis is carried out on a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity Lint=16.5 nb−1. The transverse momentum and rapidity differential production cross sections of muons from heavy flavour decays are measured in the rapidity range 2.5<y<4, over the transverse momentum range 2<pt<12 GeV/c. The results are compared to predictions based on perturbative QCD calculations