We already know what patients valuethe trick will be to provide that experience both physically and virtually.

Bariatric surgery is the most effective method for promoting dramatic and durable weight loss in morbidly obese subjects. Furthermore, type 2 diabetes is resolved in over 80% of patients. The mechanisms behind the amelioration in metabolic abnormalities are largely unknown but may be due to changes in energy metabolism, gut peptides and food preference. The goal of this meeting was to review the latest research to better understand the mechanisms behind the 'magic' of bariatric surgery. Replication of these effects in a non-surgical manner remains one of the ultimate challenges for the treatment of obesity and diabetes. Promising data on energy metabolism, gastrointestinal physiology, hedonic response and food intake were reviewed and discussed.

The house fly Musca domestica L. is one of the medical and veterinary pests that can develop resistance to different insecticides. Mixing insecticides is a new strategy for accelerating pest control; furthermore, it can overcome insect resistance to insecticides. This study aims to evaluate three insecticides, chlorfenapyr, abamectin, and lambda-cyhalothrin, individually and their binary mixtures against 2nd instar larvae of M. domestica laboratory strain. Chlorfenapyr exhibited the most toxic effect on larvae, followed by abamectin then the lambda-cyhalothrin. The half-lethal concentrations (LC(50)) values were 3.65, 30.6, and 94.89 ppm, respectively. These results revealed that the high potentiation effect was the mixture of abamectin/chlorfenapyr in all the mixing ratios. In contrast, the tested combination of lambda-cyhalothrin/abamectin showed an antagonism effect at all mixing ratios against house fly larvae. The total protein, esterases, glutathione-S-transferase (GST), and cytochrome P-450 activity were also measured in the current investigation in the larvae treated with chlorfenapyr. Our results indicate that GST may play a role in detoxifying chlorfenapyr in M. domestica larvae. The highest activity of glutathione-S-transferase was achieved in treated larvae with chlorfenapyr, and an increase in cytochrome P-450 activity in the larvae was observed post-treatment with Abamectin/chlorfenapyr.

The essential component of studying how humans and robots relate is to observe how they interact with each other. This fact has been taken for granted until the COVID-19 pandemic made all such HRI study-based interactions verboten. We address the question of how HRI research can continue in an environment where physical distancing is the most effective approach to containing the spread of the disease. In this paper we present a pilot study that indicates that Remote-HRI (R-HRI) studies can be a feasible alternative. The results suggest, importantly, that whether the participant interacts with the robot in-person (but physically-distanced) or remotely, their perception of the robots is unaffected. We observed increased effort and frustration by participants when interacting remotely with the robot - for which there may be an underlying cultural cause. However, all participants completed their tasks with the robot and had a neutral to positive experience using it. ? 2021 IEEE Computer Society. All rights reserved.

Phylogenetic trees from real-world data often include short edges with very few substitutions per site, which can lead to partially resolved trees and poor accuracy. Theory indicates that the number of sites needed to accurately reconstruct a fully resolved tree grows at a rate proportional to the inverse square of the length of the shortest edge. However, when inferred trees are partially resolved due to short edges, accuracy should be defined as the rate of discovering false splits (clades on a rooted tree) relative to the actual number found. Thus, accuracy can be high even if short edges are common. Specifically, in a near-perfect parameter space in which trees are large, the tree length (the sum of all edge lengths), is small, and rate variation is minimal, the expected false positive rate is less than /3; the exact value depends on tree shape and sequence length. This expected false positive rate is far below the false negative rate for small and often well below 5% even when some assumptions are relaxed. We show this result analytically for maximum parsimony and explore its extension to maximum likelihood using theory and simulations. For hypothesis testing, we show that measures of split support that rely on bootstrap resampling consistently imply weaker support than that implied by the false positive rates in near-perfect trees. The near-perfect parameter space closely fits several empirical studies of human virus diversification during outbreaks and epidemics, including Ebolavirus, Zika virus, and SARS-CoV-2, reflecting low substitution rates relative to high transmission/sampling rates in these viruses.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have utilized MRI to determine the extent to which COVID\19 survivors may experience cardiac sequels after recovery. PURPOSE: To systematically review the main cardiac MRI findings in COVID\19 adult survivors. STUDY TYPE: Systematic review. SUBJECTS: A total of 2954 COVID\19 adult survivors from 16 studies. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE), parametric mapping (T1\native, T2, T1\post (extracellular volume fraction [ECV]), T2\weighted sequences (myocardium/pericardium), at 1.5 T and 3 T. ASSESSMENT: A systematic search was performed on PubMed, Embase, and Google scholar databases using Boolean operators and the relevant key terms covering COVID\19, cardiac injury, CMR, and follow\up. MRI data, including (if available) T1, T2, extra cellular volume, presence of myocardial or pericardial late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) and left and right ventricular ejection fraction were extracted. STATISTICAL TESTS: The main results of the included studies are summarized. No additional statistical analysis was performed. RESULTS: Of 1601 articles retrieved from the initial search, 12 cohorts and 10 case series met our eligibility criteria. The rate of raised T1 in COVID\19 adult survivors varied across studies from 0% to 73%. Raised T2 was detected in none of patients in 4 out of 15 studies, and in the remaining studies, its rate ranged from 2% to 60%. In most studies, LGE (myocardial or pericardial) was observed in COVID\19 survivors, the rate ranging from 4% to 100%. Myocardial LGE mainly had nonischemic patterns. None of the cohort studies observed myocardial LGE in healthy controls. Most studies found that patients who recovered from COVID\19 had a significantly greater T1 and T2 compared to participants in the corresponding control group. DATA CONCLUSION: Findings of MRI studies suggest the presence of myocardial and pericardial involvement in a notable number of patients recovered from COVID\19. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 TECHNICAL EFFICACY STAGE: 3

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Acute statin therapy improves neurologic outcome and diminishes infarct growth in animal models of stroke. Clinical studies suggest that premorbid and early statin use is associated with improved outcome after major stroke. We studied the association between statin therapy and radiographic and clinical outcomes in patients with high-risk TIA and minor stroke. MATERIALS AND METHODS Patients with high-risk TIA and minor stroke (NIHSS 3) were prospectively enrolled within 24 hours of symptom onset. Patients were followed clinically for 3 months, and a subset had a repeat MR imaging at 90 days. RESULTS Of 418 patients, 23% were prescribed statins before their stroke. Statins were continued in 20% and initiated in 42%. Patients on prior statin therapy were older and more hypertensive, treated with aspirin, and more likely to have symptomatic carotid disease compared with those not on statin. Adjusting for these differences, prior statin treatment was not associated with DWI positivity (adjusted OR = 1.3; 95% CI, 0.77-2.1; P = .32) or smaller median baseline infarct volume, 1.1 mL (interquartile range = 4) versus 1 mL (interquartile range = 2.5; P = .56). Early or continued treatment with statins did not improve the risk of clinical deterioration (adjusted OR = 0.66; 95% CI, 0.27-1.6; P = .35) or poor functional outcome at 3 months (adjusted OR = 0.66; 95% CI, 0.35-1.24; P = .19). CONCLUSIONS Prestroke or early-stroke statin therapy was not associated with a reduction in the number of DWI lesions, infarct volume, or improved clinical or functional outcome at 3 months. The effect of acute statin treatment in patients with ischemic stroke/TIA remains unclear and needs further investigation.

Background: It is crucial for the frontline force such as health care workers to be up-to-date with the knowledge of the trend of COVID-19 pandemic and its epidemiology We conducted this study to assess the knowledge, awareness and perception of health care workers towards the COVID-19 pandemic Methods: We performed a cross-sectional survey in the hospitals of coastal Karnataka among health care workers from February to May 2020 Results: A total of 197 Health care workers responded Most of them were females (64%), physicians (45%), with a working experience of 1-10 years (77%) Five percent had a prior experience of the outbreak The survey showed that the study participants had knowledge about treatment and precautions to be taken However, some of them were not aware of the recent updates on quarantine and sample testing Most of them perceived this pandemic as an important public health issue and were concerned that they might get infected in the course Conclusion: There is a partial knowledge among HCWs regarding recent updates on COVID-19 pandemic and its related epidemiology Hence, frequent sessions with the help of virtual media may be utilized to provide updates, and counseling sessions by experts may be arranged to reduce the fear of the pandemic ? 2021 Unnikrishnan et al

Background: The use of angiotensin II (ANGII) in invasively ventilated COVID-19 patients is controversial. Its effect on markers of organ function is unknown. Methods: We used ANGII either as rescue vasopressor agent or as low dose vasopressor support. Patients treated before ANGII availability or in an adjacent COVID-19 ICU served as controls. For data analysis, we applied Bayesian modelling as appropriate. We assessed the effects of ANG on markers of organ function. Results: We compared 46 ANGII patients with 53 controls. Compared with controls, ANGII increased MAP (median difference, 9.05 mmHg [95% confidence interval, 1.87 to 16.22];p = 0.013) and PaO 2 /FiO 2 ratio (median difference, 23.17 [95% confidence interval, 3.46 to 42.88];p = 0.021). ANGII had no effect on lactate, urinary output, serum creatinine, C-Reactive protein, platelet count, or thromboembolic complications. However, it significantly decreased the odd ratio of liver dysfunction (odds ratio: 0.32;0.09 to 0.94) and, on Bayesian modelling, in patients with abnormal baseline serum creatinine, ANGII carried a 95.7% probability of decreasing renal replacement therapy use. Conclusions: In ventilated COVID-19 patients, ANGII therapy was associated with increased blood pressure and PaO 2 /FiO 2 ratios, decreased odds ratio of liver dysfunction, and a high probability of decreasing renal replacement therapy use in patients with abnormal baseline serum creatinine.

The leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) was listed as an endangered species under the Wildlife Conservation Act in Taiwan in 2009. However, no study has evaluated the possible direct or indirect effects of pathogens on the Taiwanese leopard cat population. Here, we targeted viral pathogens, including carnivore protoparvovirus 1 (genus Protoparvovirus), feline leukemia virus (FeLV), feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), coronaviruses (CoVs), and canine distemper virus (CDV), through molecular screening. The spatial and temporal dynamics of the target pathogens were evaluated. Through sequencing and phylogenetic analysis, we clarified the phylogenetic relationship of viral pathogens isolated from leopard cats and domestic carnivores. Samples from 23 live-trapped leopard cats and 29 that were found dead were collected from 2015 to 2019 in Miaoli County in northwestern Taiwan. Protoparvoviruses and CoVs were detected in leopard cats, and their prevalence (95% confidence interval) was 63.5% (50.4%C76.6%) and 8.8% (0%C18.4%), respectively. Most of the protoparvovirus sequences amplified from Taiwanese leopard cats and domestic carnivores were identical. All of the CoV sequences amplified from leopard cats were identified as feline CoV. No spatial or temporal aggregation of protoparvovirus infection in leopard cats was found in the sampling area, indicating a wide distribution of protoparvoviruses in the leopard cat habitat. We consider sympatric domestic carnivores to be the probable primary reservoir for the identified pathogens. We strongly recommend management of protoparvoviruses and feline CoV in the leopard cat habitat, particularly vaccination programs and population control measures for free-roaming dogs and cats. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00705-020-04904-z.

BACKGROUND: Eating plenty of vegetables and fruits on a daily basis is the foundation of a healthy diet This study investigated patterns in Canadians'vegetable and fruit consumption in 2015 and compared these with 2004 data DATA AND METHODS: The 2015 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) - Nutrition and the 2004 CCHS - Nutrition (Cycle 2 2) provided nationally representative 24-hour dietary recall data on Canadians'vegetable and fruit intakes The frequency of consumption and the average quantity of daily intake for total vegetables, fruits and subgroups were calculated overall and by age and sex group for each survey year The National Cancer Institute's methodology was used to assess the distribution of usual total vegetable and fruit intake and how it relates to recommendations in the 2007 Canada's Food Guide RESULTS: Overall, Canadians reported consuming fewer total servings of vegetables and fruits in 2015 (4 5 average daily servings) than in 2004 (5 3 average daily servings) Lower total fruit intakes were explained by significantly lower intakes of fruit juice across nearly all age and sex groups, resulting in a decline of 0 3 average total daily fruit servings in the overall population Lower vegetable consumption was largely driven by lower intakes of potatoes and, to a lesser extent, lettuce Intakes of whole fruits and other vegetables remained largely unchanged In both years, the majority of Canadians did not usually consume the number of total vegetable and fruit servings recommended for their age and sex group in the 2007 Canada's Food Guide DISCUSSION: Canadians reported consuming fewer vegetables and fruits in 2015 compared with 2004 This was largely driven by substantially lower consumption of fruit juice and, to a lesser extent, potatoes These findings can serve as valuable baseline data to assess any changes in patterns of vegetable and fruit consumption in Canada

BACKGROUND: Environmental cadmium exposure is widespread. In humans, cadmium is poorly excreted, triggers pulmonary inflammation, reduces pulmonary function, and enhances lung injury by respiratory syncytial virus. OBJECTIVES: We examined the association of cadmium burden with mortality related to influenza or pneumonia. METHODS: This prospective analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) included 7,173 and 8,678 participants [Formula: see text] years of age enrolled in NHANES-III and NHANES 1999C2006, respectively. Associations were evaluated between cadmium and mortality from influenza or pneumonia during a median follow-up of 17.3 y (NHANES-III, based on creatinine-corrected urine cadmium) and 11.4 y (NHANES 1999C2006, based on blood cadmium). Survey-weighted Cox proportional hazard models were used to compute hazard ratios (HRs) comparing the mortality of individuals at the 80th vs. the 20th percentile of cadmium concentrations. RESULTS: In NHANES-III, after adjustment for sex, race/ethnicity, education, body mass index, serum cholesterol, hypertension, and NHANES phase (or cycle), the HR comparing influenza or pneumonia mortality among participants with creatinine-corrected urinary cadmium in the 80th vs. 20th percentile was 1.15 (95% CI: 1.05, 1.26; [Formula: see text]) in the population as a whole and 1.27 (95% CI: 1.12, 1.43; [Formula: see text]) among never smokers. In NHANES 1999C2006, adjusted HRs for the 80th vs. 20th percentile of blood cadmium were 1.14 (95% CI: 0.96, 1.36; [Formula: see text]) for the overall population and 1.71 (95% CI: 0.95, 3.09; [Formula: see text]) in never smokers. DISCUSSION: Among middle-aged and older adults in the United States, higher cadmium burdens are associated with higher mortality from influenza or pneumonia. This raises the possibility that cadmium may worsen outcomes from COVID-19 infections. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP7598

This study focuses on examining the relationship between fiscal and debt sustainability indicators in EU Member States, based on the multidimensional approach to estimating and forecasting different time horizons applied by the European Commission The relationship between fiscal sustainability and the numerical fiscal rules applied at national and supranational level in the context of the Stability and Growth Pact has been established The dynamics of medium-term risks in the Member States of the European Union for the period 2015 - 2019 is traced The main challenges to fiscal sustainability in the European space in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic are outlined

Early in the pandemic, in the North American epicenter, we investigated associations between sociodemographic factors and rates of pediatric COVID-19 diagnoses in a non-clinical setting and whether symptoms varied by child age. From 20 AprilC31 August 2020, COVID-19-related data were collected on 2694 children aged 18 years living in households participating in the New York University Childrens Health and Environment Study. We examined differences in rates of subjective and objective diagnoses according to sociodemographic characteristics and differences in reported symptoms by child age. Children of women who were non-Hispanic White, had private health insurance, higher income, or more education were more likely to be diagnosed via WHO criteria or healthcare provider. Children of women who were Hispanic or Asian, reported low income, had less education, or were/lived with an essential worker were more likely to test positive. Older children were less likely to experience cough or runny nose and more likely to experience muscle/body aches, sore throat, headache, and loss of smell or taste than younger children. In conclusion, relying on subjective disease ascertainment methods, especially in the early stage of an outbreak when testing is not universally available, may misrepresent the true prevalence of disease among sociodemographic subgroups. Variations in symptoms by child age should be considered when determining diagnostic criteria.

BACKGROUND: As mental illness continues to affect 1 in 5 individuals, and the need for support has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, the promise of digital mental health tools remains largely unrealized due to a lack of uptake by patients and providers. Currently, most efforts on supporting the uptake of digital mental health tools remain fragmented across organizations and geography. There is a critical need to synthesize these efforts in order to provide a coordinated strategy of supporting the adoption of digital mental health tools. OBJECTIVE: The specific aim of this project is to develop a web-based resource document to support the engagement of mental health providers and patients in the use of digital mental health tools. METHODS: The web-based resource was developed using a multimethod approach. A grey literature review was conducted in 2019 to identify relevant toolkits that are available in the public domain. This was supplemented with an environmental scan where individuals with expertise in the development, acquisition, implementation, and evaluation of digital mental health tools were invited to contribute additional tools or documents not identified in the grey literature search. An engagement workshop was held with stakeholders to explore how the resource document should be developed and delivered. These findings were collectively used to develop the final iteration of the resource document. RESULTS: Based on a gray literature review and environmental scan with 27 experts, 25 resources were identified and included in the resource guide. These resources were developed for patients and providers by organizations from 5 countries. An engagement workshop was held with 14 stakeholders, and barriers related to cultural sensitivity, sustainability, and accessibility of the toolkit were identified. The final iteration of the resource document was developed by the research team using findings from the gray literature review, environmental scan, and engagement workshop. The contents of the 45-page resource guide are directed at mental health care providers, administrators, and patients (inclusive of families and caregivers). CONCLUSIONS: The use of a multimethod approach led to the development of a resource guide that builds on existing evidence on digital mental health tools and was co-designed with stakeholders and end-users. The resource guide is now publicly available online for free and is being promoted through digital health and mental health websites. Future work should explore how this document can be integrated into clinical care delivery and pathways.

Chronic stress refers to nonspecific systemic reactions under the over-stimulation of different external and internal factors for a long time. Previous studies confirmed that chronic psychological stress had a negative effect on almost all tissues and organs. We intended to further identify potential gene targets related to the pathogenesis of chronic stress-induced consequences involved in different diseases. In our study, mice in the model group lived under the condition of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) until they expressed behaviors like depression which were supposed to undergo chronic stress. We applied high-throughput RNA sequencing to assess mRNA expression and obtained transcription profiles in lung tissue from CUMS mice and control mice for analysis. In view of the prediction of high-throughput RNA sequences and bioinformatics software, and mRNA regulatory network was constructed. First, we conducted differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and obtained 282 DEGs between CUMS (group A) and the control model (group B). Then, we conducted functional and pathway enrichment analyses. In general, the function of upregulated regulated DEGs is related to immune and inflammatory responses. PPI network identified several essential genes, of which ten hub genes were related to the T cell receptor signaling pathway. qRT-PCR results verified the regulatory network of mRNA. The expressions of CD28, CD3e, and CD247 increased in mice with CUMS compared with that in control. This illustrated immune pathways are related to the pathological molecular mechanism of chronic stress and may provide information for identifying potential biomarkers and early detection of chronic stress.

Recent reports show that there is resistance in certain countries in regard with receiving COVID-19 vaccination. Different factors contribute to this resistance. With this, if we are to promote COVID-19 vaccination, government officials must build public trust so that the hesitancy among the citizens will be lessened. Thus, this paper proposes that in building public trust, the true essence of common good and public service must be seen from the officials so that their constituents will trust them with their decisions.

The pandemic caused by novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in over 452 822 deaths in the first 20 days of June 2020 due to the coronavirus virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) The SARS-CoV-2 uses the host angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor to gain entry inside the human cells where it replicates by using the cell protein synthesis mechanisms The knowledge of the tissue distribution of ACE2 in human organs is therefore important to predict the clinical course of the COVID-19 Also important is the understanding of the viral receptor-binding domain (RBD), a region within the spike (S) proteins, that enables the entry of the virus into the host cells to synthesize vaccine and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) We performed an exhaustive search of human protein databases to establish the tissues that express ACE2 and performed an in-depth analysis like sequence alignments and homology modeling of the spike protein (S) of the SARS-CoV-2 to identify antigenic regions in the RBD that can be exploited to synthesize vaccine and mAbs Our results show that ACE2 is widely expressed in human organs that may explain the pulmonary, systemic, and neurological deficits seen in COVID-19 patients We show that though the S protein of the SARS-CoV-2 is a homolog of S protein of SARS-CoV-1, it has regions of dissimilarities in the RBD and transmembrane segments We show peptide sequences in the RBD of SARS-CoV-2 that can bind to the major histocompatibility complex alleles and serve as effective epitopes for vaccine and mAbs synthesis

Lysosomes are acidic cell compartments containing a large set of hydrolytic enzymes. These lysosomal hydrolases degrade proteins, lipids, polysaccharides, and nucleic acids into their constituents. Materials to be degraded can reach lysosomes either from inside the cell, by autophagy, or from outside the cell, by different forms of endocytosis. In addition to their degradative functions, lysosomes are also able to extracellularly release their contents by lysosomal exocytosis. These organelles move from the perinuclear region along microtubules towards the proximity of the plasma membrane, then the lysosomal and plasma membrane fuse together via a Ca(2+)-dependent process. The fusion of the lysosomal membrane with plasma membrane plays an important role in plasma membrane repair, while the secretion of lysosomal content is relevant for the remodelling of extracellular matrix and release of functional substrates. Lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs) and age-related neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinsons and Alzheimers diseases, share as a pathological feature the accumulation of undigested material within organelles of the endolysosomal system. Recent studies suggest that lysosomal exocytosis stimulation may have beneficial effects on the accumulation of these unprocessed aggregates, leading to their extracellular elimination. However, many details of the molecular machinery required for lysosomal exocytosis are only beginning to be unravelled. Here, we are going to review the current literature on molecular mechanisms and biological functions underlying lysosomal exocytosis, to shed light on the potential of lysosomal exocytosis stimulation as a therapeutic approach.

BACKGROUND: autoimmune patients can be more susceptible to infection. Proper knowledge, perception, and practices towards COVID-19 are essential for these patients during pandemic. This study aimed to know their knowledge, perception, and practices regarding COVID-19. METHODS: cross sectional study using online survey was conducted from April to May 2020. Patients with autoimmune disease were asked about demographic characteristics, diagnosis, history of treatment, knowledge, perception, and practice regarding COVID-19. RESULTS: there were 685 respondents. Most of them were female and had systemic lupus erythematosus with median age of 37 years old. Almost all respondents had good knowledge regarding transmission of COVID-19 and did proper prevention practices. Adequacy of information and steroid or mycophenolate mofetil/mycophenolic acid (MMF/MPA) use were related to perception of the effect of pandemic to their own health. Visiting private clinic and receiving hydroxychloroquine/chloroquine sulfate or sulfasalazine were related to perception that autoimmune conditions would make them more prone to COVID-19. Work from home was related to perception that when contracting COVID-19, the symptoms would be more severe. Living in Sumatra region and getting hydroxychloroquine/chloroquine sulfate or MMF/MPA were related to perception that autoimmune medications could reduce risk of getting COVID-19. Adequate information, university education, private clinic visit, and hydroxychloroquine/chloroquine sulfate use were related to perception that COVID-19 pandemic would cause difficulties in getting medications. CONCLUSION: almost all respondents had good knowledge and practices regarding COVID-19. Adequacy of information, autoimmune treatment, work from home, educational background, area of living, and health care facilities contributed to perception regarding COVID-19 pandemic.