Selenium Deficiency Is Associated with Mortality Risk from COVID-19

SARS-CoV-2 infections underlie the current coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and are causative for a high death toll particularly among elderly subjects and those with comorbidities. Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element of high importance for human health and particularly for a well-balanced immune response. The mortality risk from a severe disease like sepsis or polytrauma is inversely related to Se status. We hypothesized that this relation also applies to COVID-19. Serum samples (n = 166) from COVID-19 patients (n = 33) were collected consecutively and analyzed for total Se by X-ray fluorescence and selenoprotein P (SELENOP) by a validated ELISA. Both biomarkers showed the expected strong correlation (r = 0.7758, p < 0.001), pointing to an insufficient Se availability for optimal selenoprotein expression. In comparison with reference data from a European cross-sectional analysis (EPIC, n = 1915), the patients showed a pronounced deficit in total serum Se (mean ± SD, 50.8 ± 15.7 vs. 84.4 ± 23.4 µg/L) and SELENOP (3.0 ± 1.4 vs. 4.3 ± 1.0 mg/L) concentrations. A Se status below the 2.5th percentile of the reference population, i.e., [Se] < 45.7 µg/L and [SELENOP] < 2.56 mg/L, was present in 43.4% and 39.2% of COVID samples, respectively. The Se status was significantly higher in samples from surviving COVID patients as compared with non-survivors (Se; 53.3 ± 16.2 vs. 40.8 ± 8.1 µg/L, SELENOP; 3.3 ± 1.3 vs. 2.1 ± 0.9 mg/L), recovering with time in survivors while remaining low or even declining in non-survivors. We conclude that Se status analysis in COVID patients provides diagnostic information. However, causality remains unknown due to the observational nature of this study. Nevertheless, the findings strengthen the notion of a relevant role of Se for COVID convalescence and support the discussion on adjuvant Se supplementation in severely diseased and Se-deficient patients

Diversity Within Spatial Cognition: Memory Processes Underlying Place Recognition

We conducted three experiments to explore distinct memory processes involved in remembering places in spatial environments. The results of all three experiments demonstrated the viability of the process-dissociation procedure for studying spatial cognition; that procedure yielded separate measures of the role of familiarity (implicit memory) and conscious recollection (explicit memory) in recognizing scenes along a previously viewed route of travel. Those measures were not affected by whether the participants viewed videotapes or also physically walked the route of travel. Increasing the delay between encoding and retrieval led to comparable effects for familiarity and conscious recollection (Experiment 1). In contrast, the adverse consequences of dividing attention during encoding were specific to conscious recollection; familiarity estimates were unaffected (Experiments 2 and 3). Overall, the results reinforced the viability of process dissociation as a vehicle for exploring diverse memory processes underlying place recognition

Effects of Emotional Mood States in Recognizing Places: Disentangling Conscious and Unconscious Retrieval

The effects of emotional mood states on remembering scenes along a route of travel were examined in two experiments. For Experiment 1, 48 participants were exposed to a route of travel following a sad, happy, or neutral mood-induction procedure. Process dissociation (Jacoby, 1991) was used to derive separate estimates of the relative roles of conscious recollection and sense of familiarity (unconscious retrieval) in recognizing scenes. Conscious recollection, but not familiarity, was adversely affected by being in an emotional mood state during exposure. For Experiment 2, 24 participants given neutral mood induction were divided according to self-reports of induced mood. Participants in the sad mood group selected more old frames such as looking sad in a later test of implicit memory (unconscious retrieval) than did those in the happy mood group. These results reinforced that researchers must address diverse memory processes to understand the role of emotional mood states in spatial cognition

Conscious and Unconscious Retrieval in Picture Recognition: A Framework for Exploring Gender Differences

The authors explored gender differences by examining 2 distinct memory processes involved in recognizing pictures that were scenes captured from videotapes. For Study 1, the authors used a process dissociation procedure (L. J. Anooshian & P. S. Seibert, 1995; L. L. Jacoby, 1991) to obtain separate estimates of the contributions of recollection (conscious retrieval) and sense of familiarity (unconscious retrieval) in recognizing scenes along previously viewed routes of travel. Women obtained higher familiarity scores than did men, whereas no gender difference emerged for conscious recollection. In Study 2, the authors tested both preschool children and adults and found results similar to those in Study 1 for a task with pictures captured from children\u27s cartoons, regardless of age. The results from these studies illustrated the need for greater attention to diverse memory processes when investigating individual differences, including gender differences, in diverse task domains

Indirect Expression of Preference in Sketch Maps

First graders, fifth graders, university students, and older adults drew sketch maps of familiar environments. Not until after the sketch maps were collected did subjects have any idea that the study had anything to do with expression of preferences. At that time, subjects were asked to identify (recall) objects located in the environment drawn that they liked most, disliked most, and about which they felt neutral These items were compared with other items on the sketch maps to determine whether they were drawn on the same scale, were emphasized, or were absent. A similar pattern of results was found across age groups; most of the subjects did not draw items they disliked on their sketch maps. These results suggested a dissociation between indirect (map drawing) and direct (specific recall) approaches to expressing preferences

Somatic Testing: Implications for Targeted Treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To provide an overview of key considerations for somatic testing for the purpose of targeting cancer treatment. DATA SOURCES: Literature; research reports. CONCLUSION: Genomic testing of cancer cells to identify variants that drive the carcinogenic process is becoming common in clinical settings. Providers and patients need to weigh the potential benefits of testing with technologic and logistic issues. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Testing is available for thousands of genomic variants to identify one or more to guide targeted treatment. Oncology nurses need to understand the benefits and limitations of participating in patient-centered implementation of this testing

Abnormalities in hippocampal volume of glioma patients prior to radiotherapy.

BackgroundRadiation-induced cognitive impairment may be mediated by hippocampal damage, but the structural integrity of this region in tumor patients at baseline is unclear. Hippocampal volumes of 31 glioma patients prior to receiving radiotherapy were compared to a group of 34 healthy controls.Materials and methodsLeft and right hippocampi on T1-weighted pre-contrast magnetic resonance images were automatically segmented using Freesurfer, and visually inspected for segmentation errors. Normalized hippocampal volume for each subject was calculated as the sum of left and right hippocampal volumes divided by the estimated total intracranial volume. The normalized amygdala volume was similarly analyzed as a reference structure.ResultsA Wilcoxon rank-sum test showed a significant difference in normalized hippocampal volumes between patients and controls (mean value 0.499 vs. 0.524, p = .01). No statistically significant difference was found for the amygdala. A post-hoc analysis revealed a significant difference in normalized hippocampal volumes between patients who had experienced seizures (mean value: 0.480, p &lt; .05) and controls. No difference was noted between patients without seizures (mean value: 0.513) and controls.ConclusionsHippocampi of glioma patients prior to radiotherapy were significantly smaller than those of age-matched controls. Group differences were larger in patients with tumor-associated seizures. This may be secondary to other processes such as tumor biology and inflammation

Laser velocimetry measurements of vortex flows on a delta wing at Mach 1.9 /

Off-body flow visualizations and fluid velocity measurements are conducted in a supersonic vortex flow. Three-dimensional laser velocimetry measurements are made in the leeward flowfield over a simple sharp-edged delta wing with 75 degree sweep angle. Tests are conducted at Mach 1.9 and Reynolds number of 2.4 x 10(exp 6) based on model root chord. Measurements are made at 40% and 80% chord positions for 20 and 30 degree angles of attack and at 40% chord for 35 degrees. Mean velocities and turbulence intensities are measured on the five planes. Measurement accuracy is discussed in detail. The measurements define the location of the vortex core and provide the flowfield velocities surrounding the vortex. The difficulties inherent with seeding high velocity vortex flows are discussed ... Laser Velocimetry Measurement of Vortical Flowfields."Final Report for Period August 1990 - September 1992.""January 1993."Includes bibliographical references (pages 38-40).Off-body flow visualizations and fluid velocity measurements are conducted in a supersonic vortex flow. Three-dimensional laser velocimetry measurements are made in the leeward flowfield over a simple sharp-edged delta wing with 75 degree sweep angle. Tests are conducted at Mach 1.9 and Reynolds number of 2.4 x 10(exp 6) based on model root chord. Measurements are made at 40% and 80% chord positions for 20 and 30 degree angles of attack and at 40% chord for 35 degrees. Mean velocities and turbulence intensities are measured on the five planes. Measurement accuracy is discussed in detail. The measurements define the location of the vortex core and provide the flowfield velocities surrounding the vortex. The difficulties inherent with seeding high velocity vortex flows are discussed ... Laser Velocimetry Measurement of Vortical Flowfields.Mode of access: Internet