COVID and the Kidney:An Update

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, has led to a global pandemic that continues to be responsible for ongoing health issues for people worldwide. Immunocompromised individuals such as kidney transplant recipients and dialysis patients have been and continue to be among the most affected, with poorer outcomes after infection, impaired response to COVID-19 vaccines, and protracted infection. The pandemic also has had a significant impact on patients with underlying chronic kidney disease (CKD), with CKD increasing susceptibility to COVID-19, risk of hospital admission, and mortality. COVID-19 also has been shown to lead to acute kidney injury (AKI) through both direct and indirect mechanisms. The incidence of COVID-19 AKI has been decreasing as the pandemic has evolved, but continues to be associated with adverse patient outcomes correlating with the severity of AKI. There is also increasing evidence examining the longer-term effect of COVID-19 on the kidney demonstrating continued decline in kidney function several months after infection. This review summarizes the current evidence examining the impact of COVID-19 on the kidney, covering both the impact on patients with CKD, including patients receiving kidney replacement therapy, in addition to discussing COVID-19 AKI.<br/

COVID and the Kidney:An Update

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, has led to a global pandemic that continues to be responsible for ongoing health issues for people worldwide. Immunocompromised individuals such as kidney transplant recipients and dialysis patients have been and continue to be among the most affected, with poorer outcomes after infection, impaired response to COVID-19 vaccines, and protracted infection. The pandemic also has had a significant impact on patients with underlying chronic kidney disease (CKD), with CKD increasing susceptibility to COVID-19, risk of hospital admission, and mortality. COVID-19 also has been shown to lead to acute kidney injury (AKI) through both direct and indirect mechanisms. The incidence of COVID-19 AKI has been decreasing as the pandemic has evolved, but continues to be associated with adverse patient outcomes correlating with the severity of AKI. There is also increasing evidence examining the longer-term effect of COVID-19 on the kidney demonstrating continued decline in kidney function several months after infection. This review summarizes the current evidence examining the impact of COVID-19 on the kidney, covering both the impact on patients with CKD, including patients receiving kidney replacement therapy, in addition to discussing COVID-19 AKI.<br/

Fertility and Childbearing Among American Female Physicians

Background: Female physicians may experience unique challenges regarding fertility and family planning. We sought to determine childbearing patterns and decision-making among American female physicians. Materials and Methods: In 2012?2013, we surveyed a random sample of 600 female physicians who graduated medical school between 1995 and 2000. Primary outcome measures included fertility and childbearing history, reflections regarding decision-making, perceptions of workplace support, and estimations of childbearing potential. Results: Response rate was 54.5% (327/600). A majority (82.0%) of the sample were parents, 77.4% had biological children with an average of 2.3 children. Average age at medical school graduation was 27.5 years, at completion of training (completion of medical school, residency, and/or fellowship) was 31.6 years, and at first pregnancy was 30.4 years. Nearly one quarter (24.1%) of respondents who had attempted conception were diagnosed with infertility, with an average age at diagnosis of 33.7 years. Among those with infertility, 29.3% reported diminished ovarian reserve. When asked what they would do differently in retrospect, most respondents (56.8%) would do nothing differently regarding fertility/conception/childbearing, 28.6% would have attempted conception earlier, 17.1% would have gone into a different specialty, and 7.0% would have used cryopreservation to extend fertility. Fewer of those whose first pregnancy was in medical school perceived substantial workplace support (68.2%) than those whose first pregnancies followed training (88.6%). Conclusions: A substantial proportion of female physicians have faced infertility or have regrets about family planning decisions and career decision-making. Combining a medical career with motherhood continues to pose challenges, meriting further investigation and targeted support.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/140144/1/jwh.2015.5638.pd

Black Box 2019

The Black Box is a student based creative publication serving the Embry-Riddle Prescott campus. It is our goal to provide a showcase for the creativity and talent of the Embry-Riddle students. Creative works by members of Embry-Riddle\u27s faculty and staff are included

Mycobacterium abscessus Glycopeptidolipid Prevents Respiratory Epithelial TLR2 Signaling as Measured by HβD2 Gene Expression and IL-8 Release

Mycobacterium abscessus has emerged as an important cause of lung infection, particularly in patients with bronchiectasis. Innate immune responses must be highly effective at preventing infection with M. abscessus because it is a ubiquitous environmental saprophyte and normal hosts are not commonly infected. M. abscessus exists as either a glycopeptidolipid (GPL) expressing variant (smooth phenotype) in which GPL masks underlying bioactive cell wall lipids, or as a variant lacking GPL which is immunostimulatory and invasive in macrophage infection models. Respiratory epithelium has been increasingly recognized as playing an important role in the innate immune response to pulmonary pathogens. Respiratory epithelial cells express toll-like receptors (TLRs) which mediate the innate immune response to pulmonary pathogens. Both interleukin-8 (IL-8) and human β-defensin 2 (HβD2) are expressed by respiratory epithelial cells in response to toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) receptor stimulation. In this study, we demonstrate that respiratory epithelial cells respond to M. abscessus variants lacking GPL with expression of IL-8 and HβD2. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this interaction is mediated through TLR2. Conversely, M. abscessus expressing GPL does not stimulate expression of IL-8 or HβD2 by respiratory epithelial cells which is consistent with “masking” of underlying bioactive cell wall lipids by GPL. Because GPL-expressing smooth variants are the predominant phenotype existing in the environment, this provides an explanation whereby initial M. abscessus colonization of abnormal lung airways escapes detection by the innate immune system

Possible interactions between bacterial diversity, microbial activity and supraglacial hydrology of cryoconite holes in Svalbard

The diversity of highly active bacterial communities in cryoconite holes on three Arctic glaciers in Svalbard was investigated using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) of the 16S rRNA locus. Construction and sequencing of clone libraries allowed several members of these communities to be identified, with Proteobacteria being the dominant one, followed by Cyanobacteria and Bacteroidetes. T-RFLP data revealed significantly different communities in holes on the (cold) valley glacier Austre Brøggerbreen relative to two adjacent (polythermal) valley glaciers, Midtre Lovénbreen and Vestre Brøggerbreen. These population compositions correlate with differences in organic matter content, temperature and the metabolic activity of microbial communities concerned. No within-glacier spatial patterns were observed in the communities identified over the 2-year period and with the 1 km-spaced sampling. We infer that surface hydrology is an important factor in the development of cryoconite bacterial communities

Systems Biology of the qa Gene Cluster in Neurospora crassa

An ensemble of genetic networks that describe how the model fungal system, Neurospora crassa, utilizes quinic acid (QA) as a sole carbon source has been identified previously. A genetic network for QA metabolism involves the genes, qa-1F and qa-1S, that encode a transcriptional activator and repressor, respectively and structural genes, qa-2, qa-3, qa-4, qa-x, and qa-y. By a series of 4 separate and independent, model-guided, microarray experiments a total of 50 genes are identified as QA-responsive and hypothesized to be under QA-1F control and/or the control of a second QA-responsive transcription factor (NCU03643) both in the fungal binuclear Zn(II)2Cys6 cluster family. QA-1F regulation is not sufficient to explain the quantitative variation in expression profiles of the 50 QA-responsive genes. QA-responsive genes include genes with products in 8 mutually connected metabolic pathways with 7 of them one step removed from the tricarboxylic (TCA) Cycle and with 7 of them one step removed from glycolysis: (1) starch and sucrose metabolism; (2) glycolysis/glucanogenesis; (3) TCA Cycle; (4) butanoate metabolism; (5) pyruvate metabolism; (6) aromatic amino acid and QA metabolism; (7) valine, leucine, and isoleucine degradation; and (8) transport of sugars and amino acids. Gene products both in aromatic amino acid and QA metabolism and transport show an immediate response to shift to QA, while genes with products in the remaining 7 metabolic modules generally show a delayed response to shift to QA. The additional QA-responsive cutinase transcription factor-1β (NCU03643) is found to have a delayed response to shift to QA. The series of microarray experiments are used to expand the previously identified genetic network describing the qa gene cluster to include all 50 QA-responsive genes including the second transcription factor (NCU03643). These studies illustrate new methodologies from systems biology to guide model-driven discoveries about a core metabolic network involving carbon and amino acid metabolism in N. crassa

Overexpression of LASP-1 mediates migration and proliferation of human ovarian cancer cells and influences zyxin localisation

LIM and SH3 protein 1 (LASP-1), initially identified from human breast cancer, is a specific focal adhesion protein involved in cell proliferation and migration. In the present work, we analysed the effect of LASP-1 on biology and function of human ovarian cancer cell line SKOV-3 using small interfering RNA technique (siRNA).Transfection with LASP-1-specific siRNA resulted in a reduced protein level of LASP-1 in SKOV-3 cells. The siRNA-treated cells were arrested in G2/M phase of the cell cycle and proliferation of the tumour cells was suppressed by 60–90% corresponding to around 70% of the cells being transfected successfully as seen by immunofluorescence. Moreover, transfected tumour cells showed a 40% reduced migration. LASP-1 silencing is accompanied by a reduced binding of the LASP-1-binding partner zyxin to focal contacts without changes in actin stress fibre and microtubule organisation or focal adhesion morphology as observed by immunofluorescence. In contrast, silencing of zyxin is not influencing cell migration and had neither influence on LASP-1 expression nor actin cytoskeleton and focal contact morphology suggesting that LASP-1 is necessary and sufficient for recruiting zyxin to focal contacts.The data provide evidence for an essential role of LASP-1 in tumour cell growth and migration, possibly through influencing zyxin localization