Investigation of hospital discharge cases and SARS-CoV-2 introduction into Lothian care homes

Background The first epidemic wave of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Scotland resulted in high case numbers and mortality in care homes. In Lothian, over one-third of care homes reported an outbreak, while there was limited testing of hospital patients discharged to care homes. Aim To investigate patients discharged from hospitals as a source of SARS-CoV-2 introduction into care homes during the first epidemic wave. Methods A clinical review was performed for all patients discharges from hospitals to care homes from 1st March 2020 to 31st May 2020. Episodes were ruled out based on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) test history, clinical assessment at discharge, whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data and an infectious period of 14 days. Clinical samples were processed for WGS, and consensus genomes generated were used for analysis using Cluster Investigation and Virus Epidemiological Tool software. Patient timelines were obtained using electronic hospital records. Findings In total, 787 patients discharged from hospitals to care homes were identified. Of these, 776 (99%) were ruled out for subsequent introduction of SARS-CoV-2 into care homes. However, for 10 episodes, the results were inconclusive as there was low genomic diversity in consensus genomes or no sequencing data were available. Only one discharge episode had a genomic, time and location link to positive cases during hospital admission, leading to 10 positive cases in their care home. Conclusion The majority of patients discharged from hospitals were ruled out for introduction of SARS-CoV-2 into care homes, highlighting the importance of screening all new admissions when faced with a novel emerging virus and no available vaccine

SARS-CoV-2 Omicron is an immune escape variant with an altered cell entry pathway

Vaccines based on the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 are a cornerstone of the public health response to COVID-19. The emergence of hypermutated, increasingly transmissible variants of concern (VOCs) threaten this strategy. Omicron (B.1.1.529), the fifth VOC to be described, harbours multiple amino acid mutations in spike, half of which lie within the receptor-binding domain. Here we demonstrate substantial evasion of neutralization by Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 variants in vitro using sera from individuals vaccinated with ChAdOx1, BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273. These data were mirrored by a substantial reduction in real-world vaccine effectiveness that was partially restored by booster vaccination. The Omicron variants BA.1 and BA.2 did not induce cell syncytia in vitro and favoured a TMPRSS2-independent endosomal entry pathway, these phenotypes mapping to distinct regions of the spike protein. Impaired cell fusion was determined by the receptor-binding domain, while endosomal entry mapped to the S2 domain. Such marked changes in antigenicity and replicative biology may underlie the rapid global spread and altered pathogenicity of the Omicron variant

Dehydration of Pollock Skin Prior to Gelatin Production

Alaska pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) is the U.S.A.’s largest commercial fishery, with an annual catch of over 1 million tons. During pollock processing, the skins are discarded ormade into fish meal, despite their value for gelatin production. The absence of gelatin-processing facilities in Alaska necessitates drying of the skins before transport to decrease the moisture content, but conventional hot-air drying is expensive. This study evaluated a less energy-intensive technology, the use of desiccants for reducing water weight in pollock skins prior to shipment. To ensure that the functional properties of gelatin obtained from dried pollock skins were not affected during desiccation, gelatins were prepared from each skin-drying treatment and compared with gelatin extracted from air-dried pollock skins. None of the desiccation treatments decreased the gel strength of pollock skin gelatin, nor were there major differences in gelling temperature or viscosity among the gelatin solutions. This suggests that pollock skins can be economically stabilized for transport to a gelatin-processing facility through the use of regenerable desiccants that are already common in the food industry. Practical Application: Pollock skins destined for gelatin production can be stabilized using chemical desiccants prior to shipment. The dehydration process does not harmthe functional properties of gelatin, such as gel strength, gelling temperature, and viscosity. This research suggests that fish skins can be economically stabilized for transport to a gelatin-processing facility through the use of regenerable desiccants that are already common in the food industry

Athletes and parents coping with deselection in competitive youth sport: A communal coping perspective

Objective The purpose of this study was to examine how female adolescent athletes and their parents cope with deselection from provincial sport teams using a communal coping perspective. Method Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 female adolescent athletes (M age = 15.0 years; SD = 1.4) and 14 of their parents (5 fathers, 9 mothers; M age = 45.2 years; SD = 5.4). Participants were deselected from provincial soccer (n = 4), basketball (n = 5), volleyball (n = 2), and ice hockey (n = 3) teams. Data were analyzed using a descriptive phenomenological approach (Giorgi, 2009) guided by a framework of communal coping (Lyons, Mickelson, Sullivan, & Coyne, 1998). Results Participants appraised deselection from a shared perspective (i.e., athletes and parents viewed deselection as ‘our problem’) and the responsibility for coping with deselection changed as time progressed. Initially, parents protected their daughters from the negative emotions arising from deselection (an ‘our problem, my responsibility’ orientation). Athletes and parents then engaged in cooperative actions to manage their reactions to the stressor (an ‘our problem, our responsibility’ orientation). Finally, athletes and parents engaged in individual coping strategies, again reflecting an ‘our problem, my responsibility’ orientation but with athletes taking more responsibility for coping. Conclusion This study demonstrated the value of using a communal coping perspective to understand interpersonal dimensions of coping in sport, and revealed forms and processes of communal coping used by athletes and their parents

The Deselection Process in Competitive Female Youth Sport

The overall purpose of this study was to examine coaches’ views on deselecting athletes from competitive female adolescent sport teams. Individual semistructured interviews were conducted with 22 head coaches of Canadian provincial level soccer, basketball, volleyball, and ice hockey teams. Interpretive description methodology (Thorne, 2008) was used. Results revealed deselection was a process that involved four phases: pre-tryout meeting, evaluation and decision-making, communication of deselection, and post deselection reflections. Within the evaluation and decision-making phase coaches made programmed and nonprogrammed decisions under conditions of certainty and uncertainty. When faced with uncertainty coaches relied on intuition

A multicomponent nutrient bar promotes weight loss and improves dyslipidemia and insulin resistance in the overweight/obese: chronic inflammation blunts these improvements

This study determined if twice-daily consumption of a nutrient-dense bar intended to fill gaps in Western diets, without other dietary/lifestyle requirements, favorably shifted metabolic/anthropometric indicators of dysregulation in a healthy direction. Three 8-wk clinical trials in 43 healthy lean and overweight/obese (OW/OB) adults, who served as their own controls, were pooled for analysis. In less inflamed OW/OB [highsensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) \u3c1.5], statistically significant decreases occurred in weight (-1.1 ± 0.5 kg), waist circumference (-3.1 ± 1.4 cm), diastolic blood pressure (-4.1 ± 1.6 mmHg), heart rate [HR;-4.0 ± 1.7 beats per minute (bpm)], triglycerides (272638.2mg/dl), insulin resistance (homeostatic model of insulin resistance) (-0.72 ± 0.3), and insulin (-2.8 ± 1.3 mU/L); an increase in HDL-2b (+303 ± 116 nM) and realignment of LDL lipid subfractions toward a less atherogenic profile [decreased small LDL IIIb (-44 ± 23.5 nM), LDL IIIa (299643.7nM),andincreased largeLDLI (+66±28.0nM)]. In the more inflamed OW/OB (hsCRP \u3e1.5), inflammation was reduced at 2 wk (20.66 mg/L), and HR at 8 wk (-3.4 ± 1.3 bpm). The large HDL subfraction (10.5–14.5 nm) increased at 8 wk (+346 ± 126 nM). Metabolic improvements were also observed in lean participants. Thus, favorable changes in measures of cardiovascular health, insulin resistance, inflammation, and obesity were initiated within 8 wk in the OW/OB by replacing deficiencies in Western diets without requiring other dietary or lifestyle modifications; chronic inflammation blunted most improvements.—McCann, J. C., Shigenaga, M. K., Mietus-Snyder, M. L., Lal, A., Suh, J. H., Krauss, R. M., Gildengorin, G. L., Goldrich, A. M., Block, D. S., Shenvi, S. V.,McHugh, T. H.,Olson,D. A., Ames, B.N. A multicomponent nutrient bar promotes weight loss and improves dyslipidemia and insulin resistance in the overweight/obese: chronic inflammation blunts these improvements

Increasing strawberry shelf-life with carvacrol and methyl cinnamate antimicrobial vapors released from edible films

The effect of carvacrol and methyl cinnamate vapors incorporated into strawberry puree edible films on the postharvest quality of strawberry fruit (Fragaria x ananassa) was investigated. Fresh strawberries were packed in clamshells and kept at 10 degrees C for 10 days with 90% RH. Strawberry puree edible films, applied in the clamshell, served as carriers for the controlled release of natural antimicrobial compounds without direct contact with the fruit. Changes in weight loss, visible decay, firmness, surface color, total soluble solids content, total soluble phenolics content and antioxidant capacity of strawberries during storage were evaluated. A significant delay and reduction in the severity of visible decay was observed in fruit exposed to antimicrobial vapors. Carvacrol and methyl cinnamate vapors released from the films helped to maintain firmness and brightness of strawberries as compare to the untreated strawberries. The natural antimicrobial vapors also increased the total soluble phenolics content and antioxidant activity of fruit at the end of the storage period. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved