At the stroke of the New Year 2020, COVID-19, a zoonotic disease that would turn into a global pandemic, was identified in the Chinese city of Wuhan. Although unique in its transmission and ...virulence, COVID-19 is similar to zoonotic diseases, including other SARS variants (e.g., SARS-CoV) and MERS, in exhibiting severe flu-like symptoms and acute respiratory distress. Even at the molecular level, many parallels have been identified between SARS and COVID-19 so much so that the COVID-19 virus has been named SARS-CoV-2. These similarities have provided several opportunities to treat COVID-19 patients using clinical approaches that were proven to be effective against SARS. Importantly, the identification of similarities in how SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 access the host, replicate, and trigger life-threatening pathological conditions have revealed opportunities to repurpose drugs that were proven to be effective against SARS. In this article, we first provided an overview of COVID-19 etiology vis-à-vis other zoonotic diseases, particularly SARS and MERS. Then, we summarized the characteristics of droplets/aerosols emitted by COVID-19 patients and how they aid in the transmission of the virus among people. Moreover, we discussed the molecular mechanisms that enable SARS-CoV-2 to access the host and become more contagious than other betacoronaviruses such as SARS-CoV. Further, we outlined various approaches that are currently being employed to diagnose and symptomatically treat COVID-19 in the clinic. Finally, we reviewed various approaches and technologies employed to develop vaccines against COVID-19 and summarized the attempts to repurpose various classes of drugs and novel therapeutic approaches.
COVID‐19 can occasionally be associated with cranial nerve involvement, but facial palsy, particularly if bilateral, is exceptional. We here report a patient who presented with severe bilateral ...facial palsy and evidence of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection preceded by upper respiratory symptoms. He also had serological evidence of coinfection with Epstein‐Barr virus, which could have also played a role in his neurological manifestations. PCR in the cerebrospinal fluid was negative for both EBV and SARS‐CoV‐2, which suggests an indirect, immune‐mediated mechanism rather than direct, viral‐induced damage. The patient was treated with prednisone 60 mg/24h with a tapering schedule and had a favorable outcome, with an almost complete recovery in 3 weeks. SARS‐CoV‐2 adds to the list of infectious agents causative of bilateral facial palsy. Coinfection with SARS‐CoV‐2 is not rare and should be considered in the differential diagnosis.
Bilateral facial palsy is a rare entity, accounting for 0.3 to 2% of all peripheral facial palsies. It can be caused by infections, inflammatory disorders (sarcoidosis), brainstem neoplasias, or can be idiopathic (bilateral Bell's palsy). SARS‐CoV‐2 adds to the list of infectious agents causative of bilateral facial palsy. Coinfection with SARS‐CoV‐2 is not rare (in this patient there was evidence of Epstein‐Barr virus coinfection) and should be considered in the differential diagnosis.
BornAgain is a free and open‐source multi‐platform software framework for simulating and fitting X‐ray and neutron reflectometry, off‐specular scattering, and grazing‐incidence small‐angle scattering ...(GISAS). This paper concentrates on GISAS. Support for reflectometry and off‐specular scattering has been added more recently, is still under intense development and will be described in a later publication. BornAgain supports neutron polarization and magnetic scattering. Users can define sample and instrument models through Python scripting. A large subset of the functionality is also available through a graphical user interface. This paper describes the software in terms of the realized non‐functional and functional requirements. The web site https://www.bornagainproject.org/ provides further documentation.
BornAgain is a free and open‐source multi‐platform software framework for simulating and fitting X‐ray and neutron reflectometry, off‐specular scattering, and grazing‐incidence small‐angle scattering (GISAS). This paper concentrates on GISAS.
A novel singlet-oxygen sensitive drug delivery nanocarrier able to release its cargo after exposure to visible (Vis) light from a common lamp is presented. This nanodevice is based on mesoporous ...silica nanoparticles (MSN) decorated with porphyrin-caps grafted via reactive oxygen species (ROS)-cleavable linkages. In the presence of Vis light porphyrin-nanocaps produce singlet oxygen molecules that break the sensitive-linker, which triggers pore uncapping and therefore allows the release of the entrapped cargo (topotecan, TOP). This new system takes advantage of the non-toxicity and greater penetration capacity of Vis radiation and a double antitumor effect due to the drug release and the ROS production. In vitro tests with HOS osteosarcoma cancer cells reveal that TOP is able to be released in a controlled fashion inside the tumor cells. This research work constitutes a proof of concept that opens up promising expectations in the search for new alternatives for the treatment of cancer.
The occurrence of nitrate is the most significant type of pollution affecting groundwater globally, being a major contributor to the poor condition of water bodies. This pollution is related to ...livestock-agricultural and urban activities, and the nitrate presence in drinking water has a clear impact on human health. For example, it causes the blue child syndrome. Moreover, the high nitrate content in aquifers and surface waters significantly affects aquatic ecosystems since it is responsible for the eutrophication of surface water bodies. A treatability test was performed in the laboratory to study the decrease of nitrate in the capture zone of water supply wells. For this purpose, two boreholes were drilled from which groundwater and sediments were collected to conduct the test. The goal was to demonstrate that nitrate in groundwater can be decreased much more efficiently using combined abiotic and biotic methods with micro-zero valent iron and biostimulation with lactic acid, respectively, than when both strategies are used separately. The broader implications of this goal derive from the fact that the separate use of these reagents decreases the efficiency of nitrate removal. Thus, while nitrate is removed using micro-valent iron, high concentrations of harmful ammonium are also generated. Furthermore, biostimulation alone leads to overgrowth of other microorganisms that do not result in denitrification, therefore complete denitrification requires more time to occur. In contrast, the combined strategy couples abiotic denitrification of nitrate with biostimulation of microorganisms capable of biotically transforming the abiotically generated harmful ammonium. The treatability test shows that the remediation strategy combining in situ chemical reduction using micro-zero valent iron and biostimulation with lactic acid could be a viable strategy for the creation of a reactive zone around supply wells located in regions where groundwater and porewater in low permeability layers are affected by diffuse nitrate contamination.
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•A new nitrate removal method to solve issues raised by usual methods was developed.•The use of ZVI as the sole reagent to remove nitrate produces the harmful ammonium.•Ammonium is eliminated when ZVI combines with lactic acid causing the anammox process.•Coupling ZVI and biostimulation of denitrifying flora effectively remove nitrate.
The potential toxic and carcinogenic effects of chlorinated solvents in groundwater on human health and aquatic ecosystems require very effective remediation strategies of contaminated groundwater to ...achieve the low legal cleanup targets required. The transition zones between aquifers and bottom aquitards occur mainly in prograding alluvial fan geological contexts. Hence, they are very frequent from a hydrogeological point of view. The transition zone consists of numerous thin layers of fine to coarse-grained clastic fragments (e.g., medium sands and gravels), which alternate with fine-grained materials (clays and silts). When the transition zones are affected by DNAPL spills, free-phase pools accumulate on the less conductive layers. Owing to the low overall conductivity of this zone, the pools are very recalcitrant. Little field research has been done on transition zone remediation techniques. Injection of iron microparticles has the disadvantage of the limited accessibility of this reagent to reach the entire source of contamination. Biostimulation of indigenous microorganisms in the medium has the disadvantage that few of the microorganisms are capable of complete biodegradation to total mineralization of the parent contaminant and metabolites. A field pilot test was conducted at a site where a transition zone existed in which DNAPL pools of PCE had accumulated. In particular, the interface with the bottom aquitard was where PCE concentrations were the highest. In this pilot test, a combined strategy using ZVI in microparticles and biostimulation with lactate in the form of lactic acid was conducted. Throughout the test it was found that the interdependence of the coupled biotic and abiotic processes generated synergies between these processes. This resulted in a greater degradation of the PCE and its transformation products. With the combination of the two techniques, the mobilization of the contaminant source of PCE was extremely effective.
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•A new PCE pool removal strategy was developed for transition zones to bottom aquitards.•Oxidative bacteria removed harmful metabolites from incomplete reductive biodegradation.•mZVI abiotically degraded PCE and its metabolites to harmless acetylene.•Coupling mZVI and biostimulation with lactate was very effective in the pool removal.
Abstract
Angiotensin II receptor 1(AT1) antagonists are beneficial in focal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). However, in cases of global I/R, such as cardiac arrest (CA), AT1 blocker's potential benefits ...are still unknown. Wistar male rats were allocated into four groups: Control group (CG)—animals submitted to CA by ventricular fibrillation induced by direct electrical stimulation for 3 min, and anoxia for 5 min; Group AT1 (GAT1)—animals subjected to CA and treated with 0.2 mg/kg of candesartan diluted in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) (0.1%); Vehicle Group (VG): animals subjected to CA and treated with 0.2 ml/kg of DMSO and Sham group (SG)—animals submitted to surgical interventions, without CA. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation consisted of group medications, chest compressions, ventilation, epinephrine (20 mcg/kg) and defibrillation. The animals were observed up to 4 h after spontaneous circulation (ROSC) return, and survival rates, hemodynamic variables, histopathology, and markers of tissue injury were analyzed. GAT1 group had a higher rate of ROSC (62.5% vs. 42.1%,
p
< 0.0001), survival (100% vs. 62.5%,
p
= 0.027), lower incidence of arrhythmia after 10 min of ROSC (10% vs. 62.5%,
p
= 0.000), and lower neuronal and cardiac injury scores on histology evaluation (
p
= 0.025 and
p
= 0.0052, respectively) than GC group. The groups did not differ regarding CA duration, number of adrenaline doses, or number of defibrillations. AT1 receptor blockade with candesartan yielded higher rates of ROSC and survival, in addition to neuronal and myocardial protection.
In recent decades, the use of molecular techniques in rotifers has revealed the existence of many cryptic species. Although strong competition is expected among cryptic species, these species are ...often sympatric. Here, we present a review of sympatric cryptic rotifer species, focusing on those cases in which niche differentiation has been investigated. There are at least 42 cryptic rotifer species complexes, and species coexistence is commonly reported. Ecological differentiation among cryptic species has been detected in several complexes. However, the only available information regarding mechanisms that allow cryptic species coexistence is for several species of the
Brachionus plicatilis
complex:
B. plicatilis
,
B. ibericus
,
B. rotundiformis
and
B. manjavacas
. According to these studies, when species differ in body size, niche differentiation is related to abiotic and biotic factors (e.g. the differential use of resources and vulnerability to predation). In contrast, if species are almost identical in body size, their biotic niches and competitive abilities are very similar, and niche differentiation is facilitated by the differences in the species responses to fluctuating, physical environment in combination with the divergence in life-history traits related to diapause. Further studies of additional cryptic rotifer species are essential to know the generality of these conclusions.
Fungal infections are of increasing incidence and importance in immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients. Timely diagnosis relies on appropriate use of laboratory testing in susceptible ...patients.
The relevant literature related to diagnosis of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, invasive candidiasis, and the common endemic mycoses was systematically reviewed. Meta-analysis was performed when appropriate. Recommendations were developed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach.
This guideline includes specific recommendations on the use of galactomannan testing in serum and BAL and for the diagnosis of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, the role of PCR in the diagnosis of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, the role of β-d-glucan assays in the diagnosis of invasive candidiasis, and the application of serology and antigen testing in the diagnosis of the endemic mycoses.
Rapid, accurate diagnosis of fungal infections relies on appropriate application of laboratory testing, including antigen testing, serological testing, and PCR-based assays.
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