Obesity considerations during the COVID-19 outbreak

The worldwide population is facing a double burden of epidemic, the COVID-19 and obesity. This is even more alarming as obesity increases the COVID-19 severity. However, the relationship between obesity and COVID-19 severity is more complex than a simple association with BMI. In particular, obesity has been associated with low death rates in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome, a fatal comorbidity to COVID-19, possibly due to the obesity paradox. Also, visceral adiposity could be a major risk factor for COVID-19 severity, due to its immune activation component, release of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 and involvement in the cytokine storm, hypercoagulability and embolism. A poor antioxidant nutritional status also weakens the immune system, increasing inflammation and infection risk. Moreover, the COVID-19 lockdown might impact lifestyle patterns, mental health and weight bias, worsening the obesity then COIVD-19 situation. On the other hand, health care expenses and productivity loss are expected to increase during the concomitant epidemics. The co-occurrence of obesity and COVID-19 is a major challenge at both public health and economic levels that should urgently be taken into consideration. The identification of COVID-19 weight related risk factors and the development of appropriate weight management programs are needed to tackle the concomitant epidemics.

Associação entre obesidade e resultados graves do tratamento em pacientes com COVID-19

The worldwide population is facing a double burden of epidemic, the COVID-19and obesity. This is even more alarming as obesity increases the COVID-19 severity. However, the relationship between obesity and COVID-19 severity is more complex than a simple association with BMI. In particular, obesity has been associated with low death rates in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome, a fatal comorbidity to COVID-19, possibly due to the obesity paradox. Also, visceral adiposity could be a major risk factor for COVID- -19severity, due to its immune activation component, release of ACE2 and involvement in the cytokine storm, It is also known to correlate with metabolic disorders, low-grade inflammation and higher mortality rates.

Refinement of the Peroxidase Peptide Reactivity Assay and Prediction Model for Assessing Skin Sensitization Potential

A peptide reactivity assay with an activation component was developed for use in screening chemicals for skin sensitization potential. A horseradish peroxidase-hydrogen peroxide (HRP/P) oxidation system was incorporated into the assay for characterizing reactivity of hapten and pre-/prohapten sensitizers. The assay, named the Peroxidase Peptide Reactivity Assay (PPRA) had a predictive accuracy of 83% (relative to the local lymph node assay) with the original protocol and prediction model. However, apparent false positives attributed to cysteine depletion at relatively high chemical concentrations and, for some chemicals expected to react with the −NH2 group of lysine, little to no depletion of the lysine peptide were observed. To improve the PPRA, cysteine peptide reactions with and without HRP/P were modified by increasing the number of test concentrations and refining their range. In addition, removal of DL-dithiothreitol from the reaction without HRP/P increased cysteine depletion and improved detection of reactive aldehydes and thiazolines without compromising the assay’s ability to detect prohaptens. Modification of the lysine reaction mixture by changing the buffer from 0.1 M ammonium acetate buffer (pH 10.2) to 0.1 M phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) and increasing the level of organic solvent from 1% to 25% resulted in increased lysine depletion for known lysine reactive chemicals. Refinement of the prediction model improved the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for hazard identification. These changes resulted in significant improvement of the PPRA making it is a reliable method for predicting the skin sensitization potential of all chemicals, including pre-/prohaptens and directly reactive haptens.

Tracking Keystroke Sequences at the Cortical Level Reveals the Dynamics of Serial Order Production

Response selection is often studied by examining single responses, although most actions are performed within an overarching sequence. Understanding processes that order and execute items in a sequence is thus essential to give a complete picture of response selection. In this study, we investigate response selection by comparing single responses and response sequences as well as unimanual and bimanual sequences. We recorded EEG while participants were typing one- or two-keystroke sequences. Irrespective of stimulus modality (visual or auditory), response-locked analysis revealed distinct contralateral and ipsilateral components previously associated with activation and inhibition of alternative responses. Unimanual sequences exhibited a similar activation/inhibition pattern as single responses, but with the activation component of the pattern expressed more strongly, reflecting the fact that the hand will be used for two strokes. In contrast, bimanual sequences were associated with successive activation of each of the corresponding motor cortices controlling each keystroke and no traceable inhibitory component. In short, the activation component of the two-keystroke sequence EEG pattern can be understood from the addition of activation components of single-stroke sequences; the inhibition of the hand not being used is only evidenced when that hand is not planned for the next stroke.

Group behavioural activation and mindfulness therapy for the well-being of non-clinical adults: a preliminary open trial

Using 16 non-clinical adults from the community, this study examined the effects on well-being of a group intervention consisting of a 4-week behavioural activation component followed by a 3-week mindfulness component, finishing with an integrating closure session. Results from intention-to-treat analyses showed moderate and significant improvements in psychological distress and several indices of well-being after the behavioural activation component. These improvements continued through the mindfulness component of the intervention such that effects were greater after participants had received the complete intervention. Half of the participants reported reliable and clinically significant improvement in the amount of time they felt happy after the intervention and a quarter of participants reported improvement at follow-up. Behavioural activation and mindfulness interventions may provide a useful framework for further research with non-clinical populations who wish to enhance their well-being and learn skills that may protect them against depression and other mental health problems.

The Membrane Components of Crustacean Neuromuscular Systems

Axon spikes in crayfish and lobster neuromuscular preparations were blocked by tetrodotoxin or saxitoxin (concentration 10−9 to 10−8 g/ml). Responses evoked in the excitatory synaptic membrane by ionophoretically applied glutamate, or in the inhibitory by GABA were unaffected by concentrations of the poisons up to 10−5 g/ml. These confirm other findings that the poisons do not affect electrically inexcitable membrane components. “Miniature” p.s.p.’s, which indicate local secretory activity in the presynaptic terminals were unaffected by the poisons. Electrical stimuli applied to the axon terminals elicited localized p.s.p.’s after spike electrogenesis of the axons was blocked. Thus, persistence of secretory activity may be linked to persistence of depolarizing K activation in the axons. Spikes induced in the muscle fibers by procaine were not affected by the poisons. In correlation with other data this finding indicates that the depolarizing electrogenic element, which does not depend upon Na activation in the normally gradedly responsive muscles, differs chemically from the Na activation component which is present in the conductile membrane of various cells. Three other varieties of electrically excitable response which are present in crayfish muscle fibers (hyperpolarizing Cl activation, depolarizing K inactivation, and K activation) were, likewise, immune to the toxin.