Mortality of people over working age in the context of COVID-19 pandemic

Проанализирована смертность лиц старше трудоспособного возраста (женщины 55+ и мужчины 60+) в условиях пандемии COVID-19 для определения потенциальной возможности её предотвращения. Использовали информацию базы данных РФС-ЕМИАС Москвы за 2019, 2020 и 2021 гг. (за периоды до 15 июня). Сделано заключение, что на фоне более корректного учета причин смерти в 2021 г., связанных с инфицированием вирусом SARS-CoV-2, вклад психических расстройств и болезней эндокринной системы в структуру причин смерти лиц старше трудоспособного возраста без учета случаев смерти от COVID-19 превышает показатели 2019 г. Рост смертности от заболеваний этих классов в значительной степени является следствием экзогенного стресса, связанного с пандемией, изоляцией лиц 65 лет и старше в начале пандемии, снижением эффективности их медико-социальной поддержки. Недостатки в организации социальной помощи лицам старших возрастных групп, слабое внедрение новых информационных технологий и носимых электронных устройств в практическую работу здравоохранения, малые масштабы общественных инициатив в области социальной помощи привели к потерям населения, которые могли бы быть предотвращены в период пандемии. The mortality of people over working age (women 55+ and men 60+) was analyzed in the context of COVID-19 pandemic in order to determine the potential for its prevention. The information from the Moscow mortality database for 2019, 2020 and 2021 (up to June 15) was used. Against the background of more correct accounting of death causes associated with SARS-CoV-2 virus infection in 2021, the contributions of mental disorders and endocrine diseases to the structure of death causes (excluding deaths from COVID-19) for people over working age are more than in 2019. The increase in mortality from diseases of these classes is largely a consequence of exogenous stress associated with a pandemic, isolation of people older 64 years and a decrease in the effectiveness of medical care. It was concluded that indirect losses from COVID-19 include avoidable mortality of elderly caused by shortcomings in organization of social assistance for them, the weak introduction of new information technologies and wearable electronic devices into the practical work of health care, small scale of public initiatives in the field of social assistance.

The First Thousand Days: Kidney Health and Beyond

The global burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is rising. A superior strategy to advance global kidney health is required to prevent and treat CKD early. Kidney development can be impacted during the first 1000 days of life by numerous factors, including malnutrition, maternal illness, exposure to chemicals, substance abuse, medication use, infection, and exogenous stress. In the current review, we summarize environmental risk factors reported thus far in clinical and experimental studies relating to the programming of kidney disease, and systematize the knowledge on common mechanisms underlying renal programming. The aim of this review is to discuss the primary and secondary prevention actions for enhancing kidney health from pregnancy to age 2. The final task is to address the potential interventions to target renal programming through updating animal studies. Together, we can enhance the future of global kidney health in the first 1000 days of life.

In Vitro Study of Antioxidant Activity of Serum and Plasma Samples As Well As Glutathione Exposed to Various Exogenous Stress Factors

The imbalance between the production of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and their sequestration promotes the formation of so-called oxidative stress conditions which are considered crucial in the aging process and development of many human diseases. Glutathione plays an essential role in the antioxidative barricade against ROS. Its role in the detoxification process of xenobiotics and carcinogen is also known. However, there are no comparative studies on the antioxidant properties of both biological samples and glutathione as well as the change in these properties as a result of exposure to various stress factors. This paper fills this gap comparing the antioxidant activity of serum and plasma samples of the known glutathione content with the activity of glutathione itself assessed by the different methods. In addition, it reveals a significant role of environmental xenobiotics in oxidative stress and differentiates the stress induced by different groups of drugs, among which the greatest one has been demonstrated for antiarrhythmic drugs and cytostatics. More importantly, it proves that human plasma is more resistant to stress factors and N-acetylcysteine clearly promotes the extension of antioxidant properties of both the plasma and serum samples. The latter conclusion is consistent with the implied preventive and/or supportive action of this drug against SARS-CoV-2.

Carbon monoxide exposure activates ULK1 via AMPK phosphorylation in murine embryonic fibroblasts

Carbon monoxide (CO) is endogenously produced upon degradation of heme by heme oxygenases (HOs) and is suggested to act as a gaseous signaling molecule. The expression of HO-1 is triggered by the Nrf2-Keap1 signaling pathway which responds to exogenous stress signals and dietary constituents such as flavonoids and glucosinolates or reactive metabolic intermediates like 4-hydroxynonenal. Endogenous CO affects energy metabolism, regulates the utilization of glucose and addresses CYP450 enzymes. Using the CO releasing molecule-401 (CORM-401), we studied the effect of endogenous CO on ATP synthesis, AMP-signaling and activation of the AMPK pathway in cell culture. Upon exposure of cells to CORM-401, the mitochondrial ATP production rate was significantly decreased (P=0.007) to about 50%, while glycolytic ATP synthesis was unchanged (P=0.489). Total ATP levels were less affected as determined by mass spectrometry. Instead, levels of ADP and AMP were elevated following CORM-401 exposure by about two- (P=0.022) and four-fold (P=0.012) compared to control, respectively. Increased concentrations of AMP activate AMPK which was demonstrated by a 10 to 15-fold increased phosphorylation of Thr172 of the α-subunit of AMPK (P=0.025). A downstream target of AMPK is the kinase ULK1 which triggers autophagic and mitophagic processes. Activation of ULK1 after CO exposure was proven by a 3 to 5-fold elevated phosphorylation of ULK1 at Ser555 (P=0.004). The present data suggest that production of endogenous CO leads to increasing amounts of AMP which mediates AMPK-dependent downstream effects and likely triggers autophagic processes. Since dietary constituents and their metabolites induce the expression of the CO producing enzyme HO-1, CO signaling may also be involved in the cellular response to nutritional factors.

Updated Mechanisms of GCN5—The Monkey King of the Plant Kingdom in Plant Development and Resistance to Abiotic Stresses

Histone modifications are the main epigenetic mechanisms that regulate gene expression, chromatin structure, and plant development, among which histone acetylation is one of the most important and studied epigenetic modifications. Histone acetylation is believed to enhance DNA access and promote transcription. GENERAL CONTROL NON-REPRESSIBLE 5 (GCN5), a well-known enzymatic protein responsible for the lysine acetylation of histone H3 and H4, is a universal and crucial histone acetyltransferase involved in gene transcription and plant development. Many studies have found that GCN5 plays important roles in the different development stages of Arabidopsis. In terms of exogenous stress conditions, GCN5 is also involved in the responses to heat stress, cold stress, and nutrient element deficiency by regulating the related gene expression to maintain the homeostasis of some key metabolites (e.g., cellulose) or ions (e.g., phosphate, iron); in addition, GCN5 is involved in the phytohormone pathways such as ethylene, auxin, and salicylic acid to play various roles during the plant lifecycle. Some of the pathways involved by GCN5 also interwind to regulate specific physiological processes or developmental stages. Here, interactions between various developmental events and stress-resistant pathways mediated by GCN5 are comprehensively addressed and the underlying mechanisms are discussed in the plant. Studies with some interacting factors such as ADA2b provided valuable information for the complicated histone acetylation mechanisms. We also suggest the future focuses for GCN5 functions and mechanisms such as functions in seed development/germination stages, exploration of novel interaction factors, identification of more protein substrates, and application of advanced biotechnology-CRISPR in crop genetic improvement, which would be helpful for the complete illumination of roles and mechanisms of GCN5.

Bioelectric characteristics of Chara fragilis (Characeae) cells

For the first time the data on the distribution of the potential (ϕm) and resistance (Rm) in the plasma membrane and cell wall (R0) of Chara fragilis cells were obtained using the Hogg method by the number of C. fragilis cells in standard conditions. The Hogg method allows simultaneous measurement of electrophysiological parameters, such as ϕm and Rm. The stationary values of the membrane potential and resistance varied in a rather wide range: –90...–300 mV and 1.0–32.6 Ohm·m2, respectively. The average values of ϕm were –183.0 ± 4.9 mV, Rm –9.0 ± 1.2 Ohm·m2. Using standard modifiers of membrane transport, the electrogenic activity of the cells was differentiated into two types: K+-channels and H+-membrane pumps. The activation ranges of the K+-inward rectifying channels and K+-outward rectifying channels are –130...–50 and –300...–162 mV, respectively. The cytosolic activity of K+-ions was 61.6 mmol/L. Since in our research, C. fragilis cells were studied for the first time, their electrogenic activity and ionic conductivity were tested using ammonium metavanadate (VO3ˉ) – a proton pump inhibitor and tetraethylammonium (TEA+) – a universal blocker of K+-channels of plasma membranes. Chara fragilis cells can be recommended as a test object for establishing the mechanisms of changes in plasma membrane transport under exogenous stress factors influence.

Simple Assay, Kinetics, and Biochemical Trends for Soil Microbial Catalases

In this report, we expand upon the enzymology and biochemical ecology of soil catalases through development and application of a simple kinetic model and assay based upon volume displacement. Through this approach, we (A) directly relate apparent Michaelis-Menten terms to the catalase reaction mechanism, (B) obtain upper estimates of the intrinsic rate constants for the catalase community and moles of catalase per 16S rRNA gene copy number, (C) utilize catalase specific activities (SAs) to obtain biomass estimates of soil and permafrost communities (LOD, ~104 copy number gdw−1), and (D) relate kinetic trends to changes in bacterial community structure. This model represents a novel approach to the kinetic treatment of soil catalases, while simultaneously incorporating barometric adjustments to afford comparisons across field measurements. As per our model, and when compared to garden soils, biological soil crusts exhibited ~2-fold lower values for , ≥105-fold higher catalase moles per biomass (250-1200 zmol copy number−1), and ~104-fold higher SAs per biomass (74-230 fkat copy number−1). However, the highest SAs were obtained from permafrost and high-elevation soil communities (5900-6700 fkat copy number−1). In sum, these total trends suggest that microbial communities which experience higher degrees of native oxidative stress possess higher basal intracellular catalase concentrations and SAs per biomass, and that differing kinetic profiles across catalase communities are indicative of phylum and/or genus-level changes in community structure. For microbial ecology, therefore, these measures effectively serve as markers for microbial activity and abundance, and additionally provide insights into the community responses to exogenous stress.ImportanceThe efficient management of oxidative stresses arising from environmental pressures are central to the homeostasis of soil microbial communities. Among the enzymes that manage oxidative stress are catalases, which degrade hydrogen peroxide into oxygen gas and water. In this report, we detail the development and application of a simple kinetic model and assay to measure catalase reaction rates and estimate soil biomass. Our assay is based upon volume displacement, and is low-cost, field-amenable, and suitable for scientists and educators from all disciplines. Our results suggest that microbial communities that experience higher degrees of native oxidative stress possess higher basal intracellular catalase concentrations and specific activities when expressed per biomass. For microbial ecology, therefore, these measures serve as biochemical markers for microbial activity and abundance, and provide insights into the community responses to exogenous stress; thereby providing a novel means to study active microbial communities in soils and permafrost.

Stress and productivity patterns of interrupted, synergistic, and antagonistic office activities

We describe a controlled experiment, aiming to study productivity and stress effects of email interruptions and activity interactions in the modern office. The measurement set includes multimodal data for n = 63 knowledge workers who volunteered for this experiment and were randomly assigned into four groups: (G1/G2) Batch email interruptions with/without exogenous stress. (G3/G4) Continual email interruptions with/without exogenous stress. To provide context, the experiment’s email treatments were surrounded by typical office tasks. The captured variables include physiological indicators of stress, measures of report writing quality and keystroke dynamics, as well as psychometric scores and biographic information detailing participants’ profiles. Investigations powered by this dataset are expected to lead to personalized recommendations for handling email interruptions and a deeper understanding of synergistic and antagonistic office activities. Given the centrality of email in the modern office, and the importance of office work to people’s lives and the economy, the present data have a valuable role to play.