Cultural sources of strength and resilience: A case study of holistic wellness boxes for COVID-19 response in Indigenous communities

The COVID-19 pandemic has had disproportionately severe impacts on Indigenous peoples in the United States compared to non-Indigenous populations. In addition to the threat of viral infection, COVID-19 poses increased risk for psychosocial stress that may widen already existing physical, mental, and behavioral health inequities experienced by Indigenous communities. In recognition of the impact of COVID-19 related psychosocial stressors on our tribal community partners, the Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health Great Lakes Hub began sending holistic wellness boxes to our community partners in 11 tribal communities in the Midwestern United States and Canada in summer of 2020. Designed specifically to draw on culturally relevant sources of strength and resilience, these boxes contained a variety of items to support mental, emotional, cultural, and physical wellbeing. Feedback from recipients suggest that these wellness boxes provided a unique form of COVID-19 relief. Additional Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health offices have begun to adapt wellness boxes for the cultural context of their regions. This case study describes the conceptualization, creation, and contents of these wellness boxes and orients this intervention within a reflection on foundations of community-based participatory research, holistic relief, and drawing on cultural strengths in responding to COVID-19.Peer reviewedSociolog

SARS-CoV-2 infects the human kidney and drives fibrosis in kidney organoids

Kidney failure is frequently observed during and after COVID-19, but it remains elusive whether this is a direct effect of the virus. Here, we report that SARS-CoV-2 directly infects kidney cells and is associated with increased tubule-interstitial kidney fibrosis in patient autopsy samples. To study direct effects of the virus on the kidney independent of systemic effects of COVID-19, we infected human-induced pluripotent stem-cell-derived kidney organoids with SARS-CoV-2. Single-cell RNA sequencing indicated injury and dedifferentiation of infected cells with activation of profibrotic signaling pathways. Importantly, SARS-CoV-2 infection also led to increased collagen 1 protein expression in organoids. A SARS-CoV-2 protease inhibitor was able to ameliorate the infection of kidney cells by SARS-CoV-2. Our results suggest that SARS-CoV-2 can directly infect kidney cells and induce cell injury with subsequent fibrosis. These data could explain both acute kidney injury in COVID-19 patients and the development of chronic kidney disease in long COVID

Characterization of the mechanical and thermal interface of copper films on carbon substrates modified by boron based interlayers

The manipulation of mechanical and thermal interfaces is essential for the design of modern composites. Amongst these are copper carbon composites which can exhibit excellent heat conductivities if the Cu/C interface is affected by a suitable interlayer to minimize the Thermal Contact Resistance (TCR) and to maximize the adhesion strength between Cu and C

Percepções de um grupo de mulheres sobre a doença hipertensiva específica da gestação

Objetivou-se identificar o conhecimento das puérperas em relação à doença hipertensiva específica da gestação(DHEG), conhecer suas percepções quanto ao risco e gravidade da doença e conhecer as repercussões da DHEGpara estas mulheres e suas famílias. Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa na perspectiva de um estudo exploratóriodescritivo. A coleta de informações ocorreu com dez puérperas com diagnóstico de DHEG por meio de entrevistasindividuais semi-estruturadas, analisadas conforme referencial da Análise de Conteúdo. Assim, emergiram categoriastemáticas abordando o conhecimento sobre DHEG, percepções sobre o diagnóstico e o cuidado profissional,e repercussões da DHEG para as mulheres e suas famílias. O estudo aponta a necessidade de se repensar e reorganizaro modelo de assistência perinatal, não apenas a nível terciário, mas nas unidades básicas de saúde