Respiratory issues in patients with multiple sclerosis as a risk factor during SARS-CoV-2 infection: a potential role for exercise

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is associated with cytokine storm and is characterized by acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and pneumonia problems. The respiratory system is a place of inappropriate activation of the immune system in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), and this may cause damage to the lung and worsen both MS and infections.The concerns for patients with multiple sclerosis are because of an enhance risk of infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The MS patients pose challenges in this pandemic situation, because of the regulatory defect of autoreactivity of the immune system and neurological and respiratory tract symptoms. In this review, we first indicate respiratory issues associated with both diseases. Then, the main mechanisms inducing lung damages and also impairing the respiratory muscles in individuals with both diseases is discussed. At the end, the leading role of physical exercise on mitigating respiratory issues inducing mechanisms is meticulously evaluated. Keywords: COVID-19; Exercise training; Immune system; Multiple sclerosis; Renin–angiotensin system; Respiratory system

Analysis of gene expression patterns by microarray hybridization in blood mononuclear cells of SLA-DRB1 defined Canadian Yorkshire pigs

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Swine Leukocyte Antigen (SLA) system encodes molecules for self-nonself discrimination and is associated with immune responses and disease resistance. Three lines of pigs defined by their SLA-DRB1 alleles were developed at the University of Guelph for xenotransplantation and immune response studies. The aim of this project was to explore the potential association between defined SLA-DRB1 alleles and gene transcriptional patterns of other immune-related genes in blood mononuclear cells.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>Three SLA-DRB1 alleles were characterized using a RT-PCR-based sequencing method. The loci represented included a new allele, DRB1*04ns01. Next, microarray heterologous (bovine-porcine) hybridization together with qPCR were used to explore differential gene expression between SLA-DRB1-defined groups. Microarray analysis showed significant (p < 0.01) differential expression for 5 genes, mostly related to inflammation. Genes varied according to the comparison analyzed. Further testing with qPCR revealed the same trend of differential expression for 4 of the genes, although statistical significance was reached for only one.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>A new SLA-DRB1 allele was characterized. A potential association was found between SLA-DRB1 alleles and inflammation-related genes. However, the influence of other genes cannot be ruled out. These preliminary findings agree with other studies linking MHC haplotypes and inflammation processes, including autoimmune disease. The study provides an initial view of the biological interactions between the SLA complex and other immune-related genes. Future studies will focus on characterization of SLA-haplotypes associated with these particular alleles and the dynamics of the immune response to antigenic challenges.</p

First record of the recently described Cyrtodactylus tripuraensis Agarwal, Mahony, Giri, Chaitanya &amp;amp; Bauer, 2018 (Squamata, Gekkonidae) in Bangladesh

Cyrtodactylus tripuraensis (Agarwal, Mahony, Giri, Chaitanya &amp;amp; Bauer, 2018) was recently described from Tripura state of northeast India. In June 2018, we found a subadult and an adult male individual in Lawachara National Park, &amp;lrm;Maulvibazar District, Sylhet Division, Bangladesh. We identify the individuals as C. tripuraensis based on morphological study. Though the new locality of C. tripuraensis is approximately only 40 km away from the nearest locality in Tripura state, India, this is the first record of this species in Bangladesh

Mortality of primates due to roads and power lines in two forest patches in Bangladesh

Primates are in imminent risk of extinction due to different types of anthropogenic activities. Mortality due to road accidents and electrocution from power lines are among the major direct anthropogenic threats to the survival of primates. We collected primate mortality data from 2015 to 2017 at Lawachara National Park and Satchari National Park in northeastern Bangladesh. We recorded 27 fatalities in five species of primates caused by road accidents (n = 15) and electrocution (n = 12). Most mortality records were for Trachypithecus phayrei (Blyth, 1847) (n = 8) while the lowest recorded mortality was for Macaca mulatta (Zimmermann, 1780) (n = 3). Ninety percent of primates in Bangladesh are threatened and populations are gradually declining. Our results suggest that roads and power supply lines are major sources of primate mortality that should be managed in these two forests. We strongly suggest avoiding construction of roads and power supply lines inside forests. Furthermore, control of the speed limit of vehicles inside the forests, use of insulated power lines, maintenance of natural canopy bridges and preparation of artificial canopy bridges are strongly recommended

Influence of agricultural expansion and human disturbance on the encounter rates of nocturnal mammals in tropical hill forests in Bangladesh

Agricultural expansion has had a detrimental effect on tropical forests and the animal communities that depend on them. Agroforestry systems, however, with their more complex tree and plant communities, have been shown to be important habitats for a range of globally threatened species, including nocturnal animals. Here, we present novel data on the encounter rates of seven species of nocturnal mammals in relation to agroforestry systems within four national parks and associated plantations in Bangladesh to examine if encounter rates were influenced by the human population density, presence of plantations, and human access as represented by a Human Influence Index of anthropogenic disturbance. We walked 70.3 km of transects with only semi-natural forest, 26.9 km of transects with semi-natural forest and gardens, and 21.7 km of transects with semi-natural forest and monocultures over 55 nights from 2017–2019. Of the seven species of nocturnal mammals we detected, all were present in Satachari National Park, whereas six occurred in Lawachara National Park, Rajkandi Forest Range, and Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary. Within these national parks, three species (Bengal slow loris, large Indian civet, particolored flying squirrel) were more frequently recorded in areas with human disturbance, especially agroforestry plantations. With declining forest cover in Bangladesh, we highlight here the potential of agroforestry systems as emerging important habitats for these species. We encourage long-term studies of these lesser-studied taxa to understand fully the capacity of agroforestry systems in order to support their long-term conservation

Effect of transplantation media on Pocillopora coral growth rate at TWAL Pulau Weh

Coral reef ecosystems have a vital role in waters so that damage to coral reef ecosystems can reduce ecological and socio-economic functions that can impact environmental imbalances, such as reef fish and benthic communities. This study aims to determine the effect of transplant media on the growth rate of the genus Pocillopora coral and see whether it has a significant effect on the rate of coral growth in TWAL Pulau Weh, Aceh Province. The method used is a purposive sampling method in determining stations, analysis using the ImageJ 1.52 application. The results showed that the effect of transplant media on the growth rate of Pocillopora corals were significant differences between structures given an electric current and those not given an electric current with a 95% confidence interval. The average growth value of Pocillopora corals given an electric current is 25.06 mm/month. While the Pocillopora corals that were not given an electric current average growth value was 16.50 mm/month.Keywords:Coral reefCoral transplantElectrical stimulationPocilloporaImage

On the retrofitting and repowering of coal power plants with post-combustion carbon capture: An advanced integration option with a gas turbine windbox

Retrofitting a significant fraction of existing coal-fired power plants is likely to be an important part of a global rollout of carbon capture and storage. For plants suited for a retrofit, the energy penalty for post-combustion carbon capture can be minimised by effective integration of the capture system with the power cycle. Previous work on effective integration options has typically been focused on either steam extraction from the power cycle with a reduction of the site power output, or the supply of heat and electricity to the capture system via the combustion of natural gas, with little consideration for the associated carbon emissions. This article proposes an advanced integration concept between the gas turbine, the existing coal plant and post-combustion capture processes with capture of carbon emissions from both fuels. The exhaust gas of the gas turbine enters the existing coal boiler via the windbox for sequential combustion to allow capture in a single dedicated capture plant, with a lower flow rate and a higher CO2 concentration of the resulting flue gas. With effective integration of the heat recovery steam generator with the boiler, the existing steam cycle and the carbon capture process, the reference subcritical unit used in this study can be repowered with an electricity output penalty of 295 kWh/tCO2 – 5% lower than a conventional steam extraction retrofit of the same unit – and marginal thermal efficiency of natural gas combustion of 50% LHV – 5% point higher than in a configuration where the gas turbine has a dedicated capture unit

Validation of Sentinel-5P TROPOMI tropospheric NO2 products by comparison with NO2 measurements from airborne imaging, ground-based stationary, and mobile car DOAS measurements during the S5P-VAL-DE-Ruhr campaign

Airborne imaging differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS), ground-based stationary and car DOAS measurements were conducted during the S5P-VAL-DE-Ruhr campaign in September 2020. The campaign area is located in the Rhine-Ruhr region of North Rhine-Westphalia, Western Germany, which is a pollution hotspot in Europe comprising urban and large industrial emitters. The measurements are used to validate space-borne NO2 tropospheric vertical column density data products from the Sentinel-5 Precursor (S5P) TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI). Seven flights were performed with the airborne imaging DOAS instrument for measurements of atmospheric pollution (AirMAP), providing measurements which were used to create continuous maps of NO2 in the layer below the aircraft. These flights cover many S5P ground pixels within an area of 30 km x 35 km and were accompanied by ground-based stationary measurements and three mobile car DOAS instruments. Stationary measurements were conducted by two Pandora, two zenith-sky and two MAX-DOAS instruments distributed over three target areas. Ground-based stationary and car DOAS measurements are used to evaluate the AirMAP tropospheric NO2 vertical column densities and show high Pearson correlation coefficients of 0.87 and 0.89 and slopes of 0.93 &plusmn; 0.09 and 0.98 &plusmn; 0.02 for the stationary and car DOAS, respectively. Having a spatial resolution of about 100 m x 30 m, the AirMAP tropospheric NO2 vertical column density (VCD) data creates a link between the ground-based and the TROPOMI measurements with a resolution of 3.5 km x 5.5 km and is therefore well suited to validate the TROPOMI tropospheric NO2 VCD. The measurements on the seven flight days show strong NO2 variability, which is dependent on the different target areas, the weekday, and the meteorological conditions. The AirMAP campaign dataset is compared to the TROPOMI NO2 operational off-line (OFFL) V01.03.02 data product, the reprocessed NO2 data, using the V02.03.01 of the official L2 processor, provided by the Product Algorithm Laboratory (PAL), and several scientific TROPOMI NO2 data products. The TROPOMI data products and the AirMAP data are highly correlated with correlation coefficients between 0.72 and 0.87, and slopes of 0.38 &plusmn; 0.02 to 1.02 &plusmn; 0.07. On average, TROPOMI tropospheric NO2 VCDs are lower than the AirMAP NO2 results. The slope increased from 0.38 &plusmn; 0.02 for the operational OFFL V01.03.02 product to 0.83 &plusmn; 0.06 after the improvements in the retrieval of the PAL V02.03.01 product were implemented. Different auxiliary data, such as spatially higher resolved a priori NO2 vertical profiles, surface reflectivity and the cloud treatment, are investigated using scientific TROPOMI tropospheric NO2 VCD data products to evaluate their impact on the operational TROPOMI NO2 VCD data product. The comparison of the AirMAP campaign dataset to the scientific data products shows that the choice of surface reflectivity data base has a minor impact on the tropospheric NO2 VCD retrieval in the campaign region and season. In comparison, the replacement of the a priori NO2 profile in combination with the improvements in the retrieval of the PAL V02.03.01 product regarding cloud heights has a major impact on the tropospheric NO2 VCD retrieval and increases the slope from 0.88 &plusmn; 0.06 to 1.00 &plusmn; 0.07. This study demonstrates that the underestimation of the TROPOMI tropospheric NO2 VCD product with respect to the validation dataset has been and can be further significantly improved.</p

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London