Culture

What The Study Did: Researchers investigated the association between race and COVID-19 after accounting for age, sex, socioeconomic status and comorbidities.

Authors: L. Silvia Muñoz-Price, M.D., Ph.D., of the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, is the corresponding author.

To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/

(doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.21892)

Editor's Note: The article includes conflict of interest disclosures. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.

Sharing a home with a pet appeared to act as a buffer against psychological stress during lockdown, a new survey shows.

Most people who took part in the research perceived their pets to be a source of considerable support during the lockdown period. (23 March - 1 June, 2020)

The study - from the University of York and the University of Lincoln - found that having a pet was linked to maintaining better mental health and reducing loneliness. Around 90 per cent of the 6,000 participants who were from the UK had at least one pet. The strength of the human-animal bond did not differ significantly between species with the most common pets being cats and dogs followed by small mammals and fish.

More than 90 per cent of respondents said their pet helped them cope emotionally with the lockdown and 96 per cent said their pet helped keep them fit and active.

However, 68 per cent of pet owners reported having been worried about their animals during lockdown, for example due to restrictions on access to veterinary care and exercise or because they wouldn't know who would look after their pet if they fell ill.

Lead author, Dr Elena Ratschen from the Department of Health Sciences University of York said: "Findings from this study also demonstrated potential links between people's mental health and the emotional bonds they form with their pets: measures of the strength of the human-animal bond were higher among people who reported lower scores for mental health-related outcomes at baseline.

"We also discovered that in this study, the strength of the emotional bond with pets did not statistically differ by animal species, meaning that people in our sample felt on average as emotionally close to, for example, their guinea pig as they felt to their dog.

"It will be important to ensure that pet owners are appropriately supported in caring for their pet during the pandemic."

Co-author, Professor Daniel Mills from the School of Life Sciences at the University of Lincoln said: "This work is particularly important at the current time as it indicates how having a companion animal in your home can buffer against some of the psychological stress associated with lockdown. However, it is important that everyone appreciates their pet's needs too, as our other work shows failing to meet these can have a detrimental effect for both people and their pets."

Dr Ratschen added: "While our study showed that having a pet may mitigate some of the detrimental psychological effects of the Covid-19 lockdown, it is important to understand that this finding is unlikely to be of clinical significance and does not warrant any suggestion that people should acquire pets to protect their mental health during the pandemic."

More than 40% of UK households are estimated to own at least one pet.

The study also showed that the most popular interaction with animals that were not pets was birdwatching. Almost 55 per cent of people surveyed reported watching and feeding birds in their garden.

(Boston)--Hospitalized COVID-19 patients who were vitamin D sufficient, with a blood level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D of at least 30 ng/mL (a measure of vitamin D status), had a significant decreased risk for adverse clinical outcomes including becoming unconscious, hypoxia (body starved for oxygen) and death. In addition, they had lower blood levels of an inflammatory marker (C-reactive protein) and higher blood levels of lymphocytes (a type of immune cell to help fight infection).

"This study provides direct evidence that vitamin D sufficiency can reduce the complications, including the cytokine storm (release of too many proteins into the blood too quickly) and ultimately death from COVID-19," explained corresponding author Michael F. Holick, PhD, MD, professor of medicine, physiology and biophysics and molecular medicine at Boston University School of Medicine.

A blood sample to measure vitamin D status (measured serum level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D) was taken from 235 patients were admitted to the hospital with COVID-19. These patients were followed for clinical outcomes including clinical severity of the infection, becoming unconscious, having difficulty in breathing resulting in hypoxia and death. The blood was also analyze for an inflammatory marker (C-reactive protein) and for numbers of lymphocytes. The researchers then compared all of these parameters in patients who were vitamin D deficient to those who were vitamin D sufficient.

In patients older than 40 years they observed that those patients who were vitamin D sufficient were 51.5 percent less likely to die from the infection compared to patients who were vitamin D deficient or insufficient with a blood level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D less than 30 ng/mL.

Holick, who most recently published a study which found that a sufficient amount of vitamin D can reduce the risk of catching coronavirus by 54 percent, believes that being vitamin D sufficient helps to fight consequences from being infected not only with the corona virus but also other viruses causing upper respiratory tract illnesses including influenza. "There is great concern that the combination of an influenza infection and a coronal viral infection could substantially increase hospitalizations and death due to complications from these viral infections."

According to Holick this study provides a simple and cost-effective strategy to improve one's ability to fight the corona virus and reduce COVID-19's adverse clinical outcomes, including requiring ventilator support, overactive immune response leading to cytokine storm and death. "Because vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency is so widespread in children and adults in the United States and worldwide, especially in the winter months, it is prudent for everyone to take a vitamin D supplement to reduce risk of being infected and having complications from COVID-19."

A paper just published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that adherence to infection control processes, especially proper wearing of personal protective equipment (PPE) and cohorting strategies, such as grouping residents based on their risk of infection or whether they tested positive for COVID-19, was significantly associated with declines in weekly infection and mortality rates.

Lewis A. Lipsitz, M.D., Director of the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research and Chief Academic Officer at Hebrew SeniorLife, was the lead author on the report, which analyzed the process and outcome of Massachusetts' novel state-wide COVID-19 infection control program developed to stem the rate of infection among vulnerable nursing home populations.

In April 2020, Massachusetts nursing homes became a hotspot for COVID-19 infections and associated deaths. In response, Governor Charles Baker allocated $130 million in additional nursing home funding for two months. Funding was contingent on compliance with a new set of care criteria, which included mandatory testing of all residents and staff, and a 28-point infection control check-list. The 28 items included:

six core (must-pass) competencies related to cohorting of COVID-19 cases;

closing of congregate spaces;

training and demonstrated proficiency in the donning and removal of PPE;

proper wearing of PPE;

the presence of appropriate infection control policies; and

the ability of staff to recognize and respond to the signs and symptoms of COVID-19 infection.

Within two days of the Governor's announcement, Hebrew SeniorLife and the Massachusetts Senior Care Association collaborated to rapidly organize a Central Command Committee and five teams responsible for:

infection control consultation and training;

PPE procurement; and

staffing, testing, and data management.

Eighty nursing homes with previous infection control deficiencies, and 43 additional facilities that failed an initial State Executive Office of Health and Human Services audit, were deemed "special focus" for on-site and virtual consultations, and all Massachusetts facilities were offered weekly webinars and answers to questions regarding infection control procedures. The facilities were also informed by the Massachusetts Senior Care Association of available resources for the acquisition of PPE and back-up staff, and the Massachusetts National Guard was mobilized to provide universal testing.

Review and analysis of data collected from the program showed both resident and staff infection rates in special focus facilities rapidly declined to the same low level in both groups after facilities put recommended infection control interventions in place. For example, special focus resident infection rates declined from 10 percent (May 17) to approximately 0 percent (July 5).

"Massachusetts' innovative program was unprecedented in this country," said Dr. Lipsitz. "It helped long-term care providers increase their knowledge of, and access to, best infection control practices and reduce the risk of COVID-19 spread for both residents and staff."

Lou Woolf, President and CEO of Hebrew SeniorLife said, "We hope to see this intervention replicated in other states, appropriately funded, and sustained in all nursing homes, so that future waves of COVID-19, and other pandemics, can be prevented or mitigated."

"This study shows the importance of prioritizing surveillance testing, funding for wages, and PPE for nursing homes so that we can protect both our staff and our residents," said Tara Gregorio, President of the Massachusetts Senior Care Association. "Until a vaccine is approved and available widely, these remain our best defenses against COVID-19."

Detergents, shampoos, soaps and other everyday items sometimes contain a group of chemicals called phthalates, which are often used to enhance products and add flexibility to plastics. However, mounting research has shown a link between phthalates and effects on hormones in humans, laboratory animals and wildlife, which is why phthalates are increasingly being replaced with other chemicals, such as a compound called DINCH.

In collaboration with the Medical University of South Carolina, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) analyzed urine samples from pregnant women to look for the presence of DINCH, which is short for di(isononyl)cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylate. They found concentrations of DINCH in most of the urine samples but no evidence of effects in lab assays on two hormones, progesterone and estrogen. The researchers have published their findings in the journal Chemosphere.

Phthalates are often called plasticizers and can be found not only in personal care products to help them maintain a gel-like consistency but also in garden hoses, inflatable toys and medical tubing. "They are used to provide flexibility in plastics. Think of a rubber ducky and how squishy it is. That's because of phthalates in vinyl," said NIST researcher John Kucklick.

However, phthalates can disrupt the hormonal or endocrine system, which may cause pregnancy loss, infertility and harmful effects on the delivery of a baby.

As a result, many manufacturers have replaced phthalates with chemicals such as DINCH, another type of plasticizer, but less is known about the effects of this chemical compound on humans. DINCH has been used since 2002 in commercial products such as toys, medical devices and food packaging.

"People are exposed to different compounds, and we find out about some of them, such as phthalates, which are being replaced by industry," said NIST researcher Jessica Reiner. "We may or may not know a lot of information about these new compounds, but studies like this one are always looking to understand if they're a good substitute compared with other ones."

Once DINCH enters the human body, it is processed and broken down into compounds called metabolites and excreted in the urine. The researchers collected urine samples over a period of four years from a total of 100 pregnant women living in the Charleston, South Carolina, area who planned to deliver at the Medical University of South Carolina medical center. The samples were then analyzed to check for DINCH metabolites.

Plasticizers are found everywhere, and it is challenging to measure the compound by itself because of all the possible contamination sources in the lab. "So, we look at the metabolites that have gone through a person, and they're only found in urine and not found anywhere else. It's much easier to measure than the unmetabolized compound," said Kucklick.

At the Hollings Marine Laboratory in Charleston, NIST researchers analyzed urine samples for three DINCH metabolites using liquid chromatography (a technique that separates a sample into its individual parts) and tandem mass spectroscopy (which measures the mass-to-charge ratio of ions). Results showed that one type of DINCH metabolite, OH-MINCH, was detected in 98% of the urine samples. But the concentration levels of the metabolite were low and 275 times less than the most prevalent phthalate metabolite, monoethyl phthalate, suggesting that levels of human exposure to DINCH are smaller. But researchers weren't just looking at concentration levels of DINCH.

Another aspect of the study was to analyze DINCH exposure by race. Of the 100 pregnant women, half were African American, while the others were Caucasian. Concentrations of OH-MINCH were 50% higher in African American women compared to Caucasian women, which was consistent with a 2017 study that looked at phthalate levels, led by Abby Wenzel, a NIST postdoctoral researcher at the time.

Researchers hypothesized the difference in concentration levels could be attributed to the type of personal care products that African American women use compared with Caucasian women and that these products are also replacing phthalates with DINCH. But further follow-up studies are needed to understand the reasons for this discrepancy, the researchers said.

The researchers did not find evidence that the DINCH metabolites interfered with regulating the signaling of specific hormones required for pregnancy. Using a method called transactivation assay, they added the metabolites to chemical receptors in test tubes for two types of hormones: estrogen, which is involved in sexual reproduction, and progesterone, which is involved in pregnancy. The researchers monitored whether the DINCH metabolites acted in ways similar to the hormones or interfered with the regulation of the hormones. No effects were observed in this study, but, according to Kucklick, that doesn't mean they aren't there.

This work may lay the foundation for future standard reference materials that could benefit research by organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is also studying these compounds, especially phthalates in urine. Another area of interest is how DINCH works in the body. But more immediately, additional testing and analysis needs to be conducted to make sure the use of DINCH does not have long-term consequences.

"We're always trying to learn about the chemicals we don't know about. It's good to understand what we're being exposed to and what some of the downsides of what these chemicals might be," said Kucklick.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- A politically engaged electorate is key to any thriving democracy, but not everyone participates in elections and other political activities. New research found that people who are narcissistic may also be more politically active.

In a series of studies performed in the United States and Denmark, researchers found that people with higher levels of narcissism -- a trait combining selfishness, entitlement and a need for admiration -- were also more likely to participate in politics. This could include contacting politicians, signing petitions, donating money, and voting in midterm elections, among other things.

Peter Hatemi, distinguished professor of political science at Penn State, said the findings may give insight into how and why certain political candidates succeed in elections.

"It is hard not to think that those high in narcissism taking part in the political process appears to have some role in the current state of our democracy," Hatemi said. "If people who are more interested in their own personal gain and status take a greater part in elections, then we can expect candidates to emerge who reflect their desires -- narcissism begets narcissism."

According to the researchers, previous work has shown that higher levels of narcissism are linked with behaviors that could be harmful to functioning democracies -- for example, shifting focus from civic responsibility toward a person's own self-interest and gratification. Higher narcissism in the general public has been connected with more conflict and civic strife, in addition to less cooperation, compromise, and forgiveness.

Hatemi said that in the current political climate in the U.S., more people are becoming politically active -- but this mobilization is not evenly distributed among personality types.

For their studies, the researchers gathered a variety of data. They conducted two nationally representative surveys: one in the U.S. and one in Denmark, with 500 and 2,450 participants in each, respectively. There was a third, web-based U.S. study with 2,280 participants.

In all three studies, participants were asked about their voting history and political participation, which included attending demonstrations or meetings, contacting politicians or the media, and donating money. Narcissism was measured with a questionnaire in which participants were asked to choose between two statements that could apply to them. For example, "I insist upon getting the respect that is due me" vs. "I usually get the respect that I deserve."

The researchers found that narcissism was associated with higher participation in early politics, like contacting decision makers and publicizing their opinions. People with higher narcissism were also more likely to vote in midterm elections. The researchers said that because people with higher levels of narcissism are literally speaking out more, their voices could be more likely to be heard.

Breaking the results down further, the researchers found that the traits of superiority and authority/leadership were related to higher participation. Self-sufficiency, however, was associated with less participation.

"The general picture is that individuals who believe in themselves, and believe that they are better than others, engage in the political process more," Hatemi said. "At the same time, those individuals who are more self-sufficient are also less likely to take part in the political process. This means that policies and electoral outcomes could increasingly be guided by those who both want more but give less."

Hatemi said that while it's difficult to pinpoint a solution, finding ways to increase political engagement among a more diverse electorate while reducing an overrepresentation of narcissism would be a good start.

"Successful democratic functioning requires trust in institutions, efficacy, and engagement in the democratic process," Hatemi said. "If those who are more narcissistic are the most engaged, and the political process itself is driving up narcissism in the public, in my opinion, the future of our democracy could be in jeopardy."

Self-discipline, high achievement and diligence linked to better cognitive resilience

People can function well in spite of neuropathology in brain

Evidence shows path to optimize function in old age

CHICAGO --- Our aging brains collect tangles and sticky plaques that can interfere in our cognition and memory. But some older adults with this neuropathology have more cognitive resilience than others, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study.

The reason: their personalities.

Personality traits were associated with cognitive resilience, which is the ability to better live with the neuropathology in the brain that causes dementia. Individuals with a greater tendency toward self-discipline, organization, diligence, high achievement and motivation -- a trait known as higher conscientiousness -- was associated with greater resilience.

Individuals with higher neuroticism -- a greater tendency towards anxiety, worry, moodiness and impulsivity -- were more likely to have worse cognitive function than expected given the amount of neuropathology detected at autopsy.

The study was published Sept. 24 in Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences.

"These findings provide evidence that it is possible for older adults to live with the neuropathology associated with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias while maintaining relatively healthy levels of cognitive function," said lead study author Eileen Graham, a research assistant professor of medical social sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

"Our study shows personality traits are related to how well people are able to maintain their cognitive function in spite of developing neuropathology," Graham said. "Since it is possible for personality to change, both volitionally and through interventions, it's possible that personality could be used to identify those who are at risk and implement early interventions to help optimize function throughout old age."

Personality and other factors that promote cognitive resilience may be particularly important in the context of stress (like the COVID-19 pandemic) and this is an important area of future research, Graham noted.

This is believed to be one of the first studies showing an individual's personality traits are linked to how well they are able to sustain their cognitive function as they age. These findings lend credence to the idea that personality can be leveraged to help individuals maintain their cognitive function when they may otherwise be vulnerable to neurodegeneration.

The data was collected at Rush University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. Individuals contributed annual psychosocial self-report survey and clinical data. At study enrollment they also consented to donating their brains for post-mortem autopsy. Study participants contributed years of rich data on their psychological and cognitive functioning while they were living, as well as autopsy data after they died.

Consumers always look for good quality products, above all in fresh food like vegetables. But how do we measure the quality of fresh spinach before it gets on the market nowadays? The most commonly used methods to analyze vegetable quality are slow, costly and destructive. They require choosing several samples from the same batch, to be analyzed later at a laboratory. In order to carry out different kinds of analyses, the product must be destroyed, so an entire harvest cannot be used.

A University of Cordoba team sought to find a solution to this issue by proposing the use of a non-invasive kind of technology: near infrared spectroscopy, abbreviated to NIRS. Though its use is widespread in many fields, such as in the food sector, it is also used in the fields of chemistry, pharmaceutics and even biomedicine.

"This technique is based on light interacting with a product in order to gather information about its physical-chemical make-up, its structure and even parameters related to its sensorial characteristics", explains researcher Dolores Pérez Marín who, along with María Teresa Sánchez, leads a line of research studying the use of NIRS sensors as applied to fruit and vegetables. Research groups PAIDI AGR-128 and AGR-193 have been working together on this line of research for years. In particular, this study was performed within the framework of Irina Torres Rodríguez's doctoral thesis research, in partnership with the industrial sector.

The aim of this study was to develop prediction models for parameters linked to food quality and safety of spinach, by means of using a portable NIRS micro instrument, which is very small in size, that allows researchers to analyze the product directly in the field, as well as at reception and processing points the product passes through. "The results are very positive", says Dolores Pérez Marín. "They show this technology's ability to directly analyze vegetables in the farm field or within the industry, in order to determine the characteristics related to quality as well as food safety".

As far as quality is concerned, the product's soluble solid content was studied, which helps plan the best harvest date at the point when a suitable level has been reached. Also, nitrate content was analyzed as well, which allows farmers to set appropriate fertilizer amounts for each crop. This is of utmost interest for the product's food safety, given that European regulations have established a maximum level of nitrates that can be present in vegetables depending on if they will be used for baby food, consumed fresh or will be processed.

The study concludes, therefore, that NIRS spectroscopy offers ideal features in order to provide answers to current needs in quality control in the food sector. It is fast, accurate, environmentally friendly, affordable and non-destructive. "In fact, this knowledge is receiving quite a lot of interest within the sector. There is already a company that is using this technology provided by UCO", the researcher comments.

This research team continues to make progress in the use of new instruments and applications on other food products. The use of NIRS technology within the food industry is a very new topic that could revolutionize quality control systems. Specifically, its use as a non-directed method, an approach that does not look for a particular component, as traditional lab analyses do, but rather tries to find out if the product is different from set standards, will undoubtedly enable us to stay one step ahead of future food crises.

New research presented at this week's ESCMID Conference on Coronavirus Disease (ECCVID, held online) shows that a shorter time from symptom onset to hospitalisation is associated with more serious disease and death in patients with COVID-19. The study is by Dr Annie Wong-Beringer and colleagues, University of Southern California (USC) School of Pharmacy, Los Angeles, CA, USA, and presented at ECCVID by co-author Amanda Chron.

Patients with COVID-19 assessed in this study presented to the Huntington Memorial Hospital, Pasadena, CA, USA, for care after varying duration of symptom onset. In this study, the authors evaluated patient characteristics and the relationship between the timeline of symptoms prior to hospitalisation and the resultant outcomes.

All patients who were hospitalised from home due to COVID-19 between March 14, 2020 to May 14, 2020 with a positive PCR result for SARS-CoV-2 were evaluated via retrospective review of electronic medical records to obtain pertinent demographic, laboratory, and clinical information. Patients were grouped based on the time from onset of symptoms to hospitalisation and compared for clinical characteristics, treatment, and outcomes.

The study included 252 patients; 33% presented within 3 days while 27% were after 1 week from onset of symptoms. Patients presenting shortly (within 3 days) after symptom onset tended to be older (65 vs 58 years) and were more likely to have hypertension (59% vs 41%) and chronic kidney disease (14% vs 3%) than those admitted after one week.

However, this group that presented within 3 days also presented with fewer symptoms overall such as fever (55% vs 66%), shortness of breath (48% vs 66%), non-productive cough (40% vs 66%,) and muscle/joint pain (12% vs 26%) but had higher levels of organ failure and a worse overall assessment based on a severity score called APACHE II, which factors in physiology, age and chronic conditions. This quicker-presenting group also ultimately were more likely to develop acute respiratory distress syndrome (13% vs 6%) and have higher mortality (15% vs 3%) than those presenting at hospital more than one week after symptom onset.

Further analysis of the study groups revealed that just over half of the patients (55%) received antiviral therapy, and it was more likely to be given to those who presented with fever with shortness of breath and/or septic shock. Despite receipt of antiviral therapy, mortality rate remained high at 23% in those presenting within 3 days compared to 5% in those presenting after one week. By comparison, among those who did not receive antiviral therapy, mortality was 7% in the quicker-presenting group whereas none died in the group presenting after 7 days.

The authors conclude: "Our findings suggest that patients with COVID-19 who had significant comorbidities became acutely ill with severe presentation shortly (within 3 days) following onset of symptoms and were at significant risk for complications and death despite receipt of antiviral therapy. Aggressive management and vaccine prioritisation should be directed at this patient population."

A contact tracing study presented at this year's ESCMID Conference on Coronavirus Disease (ECCVID) confirms the effectiveness of wearing of masks in public, handwashing, and social distancing to protect against SARS-CoV-2 infection. The study is by Assistant Professor Direk Limmathurotsakul, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand, and Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, UK, and colleagues from the Thai Ministry of Public Health.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of mask-wearing by healthy people in the general public against SARS-CoV-2 infection is urgently needed. Given the current lack of evidence, the authors sought to evaluate the effectiveness of mask-wearing, handwashing, social distancing, and other protective measures against SARS-CoV-2 infection in public in Thailand.

They conducted a case-control study with 211 cases and 839 non-matched controls using all contact tracing records of Thailand's national Surveillance and Rapid Response Team. This study included contact investigations of three large clusters of COVID-19 identified in nightclubs, boxing stadiums, and a state enterprise office in Thailand.

Cases were asymptomatic contacts of COVID-19 patients identified between 1 and 31 March 2020 who were diagnosed with COVID-19 by 21 April 2020; controls were asymptomatic contacts who were not diagnosed with COVID-19. Participants were asked about practices during contact periods with a case. Adjusted odds ratios were estimated for associations between protective measures and diagnosis of COVID-19 using statistical modelling.

The researchers found that wearing masks all the time during contact was independently associated with a 77% lower risk of COVID-19 infection compared to not wearing masks. However, only wearing masks sometimes during contact was not associated with reduced risk of infection. The type of mask worn was not independently associated with infection. Those who wore masks all the time also were more likely to practice social distancing.

Maintaining at least a 1 metre distance from the COVID-19 patient reduced the risk of infection by 85%, while restricting close contact with a case to less than 15 minutes reduced the risk of being infected by 76% compared with contact of more than 15 minutes. Frequent handwashing also reduced the risk of infection by 66%.

The authors conclude: "Our findings support consistent wearing of masks, handwashing, and social distancing in public to protect against COVID-19 infection."

Criticisms of COVID-19 models by Democratic elites in May 2020 appeared to undermine public support for the models' use - and trust in science more broadly - according to a series of survey experiments conducted with the participation of more than 6,000 Americans. However, whether Republican elites criticized or supported the models appeared to have little effect. Sarah Kreps and Douglas Kriner suggest the lack of response to Republican messaging could be due to the party's split messaging on science-backed guidance for this issue. When Democrats criticized COVID-19 models, however, it strongly contradicted the public's expectations. "The fact is that whether or not political leaders' science communication sways people, they have an ethical obligation to treat the science with care, acknowledging uncertainty while asserting that we are constantly updating with new understandings and data about the virus," says Kreps, the co-author of the study. Since models are built on abstractions and incomplete data that make them inherently uncertain, and research on the novel coronavirus is still in its infancy, models predicting the virus' spread have sometimes been inaccurate. It has remained unclear how competing communications about uncertainty in COVID-19 models affects public support for and trust in science. To better understand the effects of science communications in the context of the pandemic, Kreps and Kriner developed five survey experiments and used them to assess shifting public attitudes toward references to COVID-19 models from prominent Democrats and Republicans. The surveys were designed to test responses to both the cue giver (the Democrat or Republican) and to whether his or her statement ignored, acknowledged, highlighted, or weaponized model uncertainty. Based on their findings, Kreps suggests scientists should avoid emphasizing dire implications associated with epidemiological models while sidestepping uncertainty altogether, since this approach could backfire if projections prove incorrect. "Instead, they should acknowledge that models are simplifications of reality and our best estimate based on a lot of moving parts," she says. "Politicians can help convey to the public what we know and what we still don't know about the virus, and stress the need to adapt policies in response to new information," Kriner adds.

MADISON, Wis. -- The mature brain is infamously bad at repairing itself following damage like that caused by trauma or strokes, or from degenerative diseases like Parkinson's. Stem cells, which are endlessly adaptable, have offered the promise of better neural repair. But the brain's precisely tuned complexity has stymied the development of clinical treatments.

In a new study addressing these hurdles, University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers demonstrated a proof-of-concept stem cell treatment in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease. They found that neurons derived from stem cells can integrate well into the correct regions of the brain, connect with native neurons and restore motor functions.

The key is identity. By carefully tracking the fate of transplanted stem cells, the scientists found that the cells' identity -- dopamine-producing cells in the case of Parkinson's -- defined the connections they made and how they functioned.

Coupled with an increasing array of methods to produce dozens of unique neurons from stem cells, the scientists say this work suggests neural stem cell therapy is a realistic goal. However, much more research is needed to translate findings from mice to people.

The team, led by UW-Madison neuroscientist Su-Chun Zhang, published its findings Sept. 22 in the journal Cell Stem Cell. The research was led by Zhang lab postdoctoral researchers Yuejun Chen, Man Xiong and Yezheng Tao, who now hold faculty positions in China and Singapore.

"Our brain is wired in such an accurate way by very specialized nerve cells in particular locations so we can engage in all our complex behaviors. This all depends on circuits that are wired by specific cell types," says Zhang, a professor of neuroscience and neurology at UW-Madison's Waisman Center. "Neurological injuries usually affect specific brain regions or specific cell types, disrupting circuits. In order to treat those diseases, we have to restore these circuits."

To repair those circuits in the Parkinson's disease mouse model, the researchers began by coaxing human embryonic stem cells to differentiate into dopamine-producing neurons, the kind of cells that die in Parkinson's. They transplanted these new neurons into the midbrains of mice, the brain region most affected by Parkinson's degeneration.

Several months later, after the new neurons had time to integrate into the brain, the mice showed improved motor skills. Looking closely, Zhang's group was able to see that the transplanted neurons grew long distances to connect to motor-control regions of the brain. The nerve cells also established connections with regulatory regions of the brain that fed into the new neurons and prevented them from being overstimulated.

Both sets of connections -- feeding in and out of the transplanted neurons -- resembled the circuitry established by native neurons. This was only true for dopamine-producing cells. Similar experiments with cells producing the neurotransmitter glutamate, which is not involved in Parkinson's disease, did not repair motor circuits, revealing the importance of neuron identity in repairing damage.

To finally confirm that the transplanted neurons had repaired the Parkinson's-damaged circuits, the researchers inserted genetic on-and-off switches into the stem cells. These switches turn the cells' activity up or down when they are exposed to specialized designer drugs in the diet or through an injection.

When the stem cells were shut down, the mice's motor improvements vanished, suggesting the stem cells were essential for restoring Parkinson's-damaged brains. It also showed that this genetic switch technology could be used to fine-tune the activity of transplanted cells to optimize treatment.

The Zhang group and other researchers have spent years developing methods to turn stem cells into the many different types of neurons within the brain. Each neurological disease or injury would require its own specialized nerve cells to treat, but the treatment plans would likely be broadly similar. "We used Parkinson's as a model, but the principle is the same for many different neurological disorders," says Zhang.

The work has personal meaning to Zhang. As a physician and scientist, he often receives letters from families desperate for help treating neurological disorders or brain trauma. It's also an experience he can relate to. Six years ago, Zhang was in a bike accident and broke his neck. When he awoke partially paralyzed in the hospital, his first thought was of how stem cells -- which he had already researched for years -- could help him recover.

Now, largely rehabilitated after years of physical therapy, Zhang still believes that the right stem cell treatments could, in the future, help people like him and the families he hears from.

To that end, Zhang's group is currently testing similar treatments in primates, a step toward human trials.

"There is hope, but we need to take things one step at a time," he says.

One of the important objectives of green chemistry is the use of eco-friendly solvents and catalysts to perform chemical reactions. Catalysts such as organocatalysts, enzymes, and ionic liquids have shown very assuring results in synthesis by reducing the number of hazardous effects of chemical reactions. Among those catalysts, the activities of ascorbic acid are promising because of its extraordinary abilities.

Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C or ascorbate) is the most well-known vitamin found in different types of foods, most commonly in fruits. For many years, ascorbic acid has been used as a constituent of various dermatologic drugs and cosmetics. However, because of the lack of an enzyme called gulonolactone oxidase, humans and apes cannot synthesize ascorbic acid. Ascorbic acid was first isolated in 1928 by Hungarian biochemist Albert Szent-Györgyi and he named it as hexuronic acid. In 1932, Haworth and King independently established the molecular structure of hexuronic acid and renamed it as ascorbic acid.

Ascorbic acid is an antioxidant. Its oxidation-reduction potential and the stability of its oxidation products contribute values to the application of ascorbic acid as an antioxidant. In addition, as a water-soluble reducing agent and donor antioxidant, ascorbic acid can undergo three consecutive or active types: ascorbate (reduced form), dehydroascorbic acid (oxidized form) and ascorbate radical (intermediate oxidized form). The two-way reactions among these three forms occur very simply due to the low one-electron transfer potential. As a consequence, ascorbic acid has been accepted as a chemically unstable substnace. It is observed that ascorbic acid promptly undergoes pH-dependent autoxidation and makes hydrogen peroxide. In the presence of catalytic metals, this oxidation is accelerated. The combination of metal and ascorbic acid is a very efficient oxidizing system. This system is mainly employed for the hydroxylation of alkenes, aromatics, and other oxidation reactions. Besides, in the presence of catalytic metal ions, ascorbic acid can exert pro-oxidant effects. Ascorbic acid serves as a reducing cofactor for many enzymes.

In organic synthesis, ascorbic acid can be used as a reactant in the preparation of chiral synthons and also as a catalyst to accelerate the reaction. Several important reactions are performed with ascorbic acid: These include the oxidation of amines to carbonyl compounds, cross-coupling of disulfides with aryl iodides, ATRA of polyhalogenated compounds to alkenes, ATRP of polyhalogenated compounds to alkenes, ATRC of polychloroamides to cyclic amides, Amination of aryl halides to primary aromatic amines, oxidation of sulfides, arylation of arenes with anilines, cyclization of aryl radicals with arenes, metal-free synthesis of aryl sulfides, oxidative arylation of vinyl arenes to 2-aryl acetophenones, photoreductive removal of O-benzyl groups, photocatalytic reductive fluoroalkylation of nitrones, reduction of N-heterocyclic nitroaryls to anilines, synthesis of cyclic carbonates from CO2, dehalogenation of vicinal dibromo-, α-halo-, and α,α-dibromocarbonyl compounds, synthesis of quinolinones, aminocoumarins and anilines, solvent-free synthesis of polyhydroquinoline and acridine derivatives, benzylic C-H oxidation, synthesis of benzimidazoles, synthesis of triazoles, synthesis of α-acyloxy carboxamides, synthesis of 2-arylbutanoates, synthesis of benzodiazepines, synthesis of benzoxazepines, synthesis of dihydropyrimidinones, and synthesis of xanthenes. These examples are described in a review published in the journal, Current Organocatalysis. The examples included in this review demonstrate that ascorbic acid is a versatile catalyst for the synthesis of diverse organic compounds. Reactions catalyzed by ascorbic acid are performed in organic or aqueous media.

Ascorbic acid-catalyzed reactions follow diverse mechanistic pathways. The mechanism of most of the processes is proposed by the authors. The multiple functions of ascorbic acid are realized from the suggested mechanisms.

In view of the current situation of conducting organic reactions under environmentally benign circumstances, ascorbic acid-catalyzed mechanistically unique transformations are highly valuable. Based on this study, review, the authors anticipate that additional reactions will be discovered and investigated using ascorbic acid as a catalyst.

SAN ANTONIO - A new study implicates 160 genes in brain shrinkage seen on MRIs of 45,000 healthy adults. The shrinkage is in the cortex, the dimply outer layer of the brain that gives rise to thinking, awareness and action, and largely consists of gray matter.

The study, published Sept. 22 in the journal Nature Communications, examined 34 regions of the cortex in a discovery group of 22,894 individuals, then confirmed the findings in a replication group of 22,635 individuals.

“It is important to understand the biology of multiple regions of the cortex because each is affected differently in the various types of neurodegeneration including Alzheimer’s disease,” said Sudha Seshadri, MD, senior study author from The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio).

“We asked, ‘What are the genes that seem to determine the thickness, area and volume of gray matter in these regions?’” Dr. Seshadri, who directs the university’s Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases, added. “And the genes we found point to interesting pathways that seem to be involved in brain development, vascular and neurodegenerative disease, and some psychiatric conditions.”

Brain shrinkage occurs with normal aging, but the pattern of shrinkage in healthy individuals differs from the pattern in those who develop disease. The genes represent new targets of study for development of drugs to intervene before the onset of clinical symptoms, Dr. Seshadri said.

“This is a very rich resource, and it will be mined for many years to understand the different associations we are seeing,” Dr. Seshadri said. “We are excited to share it with the world.”

Large study samples

Claudia Satizabal, PhD, of the Biggs Institute and Department of Population Health Sciences in UT Health San Antonio’s Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine, is one of the lead epidemiologists for the research. “This study has considerable statistical power,” Dr. Satizabal said. “Because the results from the first sample were replicated in a second equally large sample, it is less likely that the results are purely due to chance.”

Dr. Satizabal and Dr. Seshadri previously published a study on the volumes of structures deep within the brain that determine subconscious needs such as appetite and sleep. In this new paper the team examined the brain surface, which is important for conscious thinking abilities.

The discovery sample is from 20 study populations within the Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology (CHARGE) consortium and the UK Biobank. The replication sample is from the Enhancing NeuroImaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis (ENIGMA) Consortium.

Study limitations included the variability of instruments to image the brain among cohorts due to different scanners, field strengths and analysis software. The sample is composed mainly of European ancestry.

“We seek to add other ethnicities to the CHARGE cohorts, including our Hispanic population of South Texas,” Dr. Seshadri said.

LONDON, ONTARIO - For patients with kidney stones, ureteral stents (hollow devices placed in the ureter - the tube between the kidney and bladder) can be used temporarily to relieve urinary obstruction. Despite the use of antibiotics, ureteral stents often become encrusted with minerals and coated with bacteria. This can lead to complications like infection and the need for replacement surgery.

Published today in Cell Reports Medicine, researchers at Lawson Health Research Institute and Western University conducted a novel microbiome study to examine bacteria associated with ureteral stents. They found that nearly all the stents, whether visibly coated or not, had unique bacterial profiles that were most associated with a patient's medical condition rather than antibiotic use. For patients with ureteral stents, they may benefit from a personalized approach to care and antibiotic treatment.

The study included 241 patients from St. Joseph's Health Care London. The research team collected and analyzed patient urine samples and ureteral stents following surgical removal, as well as relevant patient information such as antibiotic use and history of infections.

"We wanted to know which bacteria were present and whether the bacteria found in urine samples corresponded to the bacteria found on a patient's stent," explains Dr. Kait Al, Postdoctoral Fellow at Lawson and at Western's Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. "We found that there was a bacterial community present on almost all stents, even if they were not visibly affected, and that it differed from the bacterial community found in a patient's urine."

These findings challenge long-held beliefs that the urinary tract is a sterile environment devoid of bacteria.

The study revealed that the bacteria present were determined by an individual patient's medical condition. They differed significantly based on comorbidities like irritable bowel syndrome, obesity and hypertension. Antibiotic use within the past 30 days did not seem to have an effect on the types of bacteria detected on the stents.

"While more research is needed, our study suggests that antibiotic use during the placement of these stents could one day be more conservative or targeted based on each patient's condition," says Dr. Jeremy Burton, Lawson Scientist and Associate Professor at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry.

The team also discovered that in patients needing multiple stents, the bacterial community remained stable over time, suggesting that infections on a patient's previous stent could direct the course of treatment for their future device placements.

"This is the largest study of its kind, investigating bacteria both in urine and adhered to ureteral stents," states Dr. Hassan Razvi, Urologist at St. Joseph's, Lawson Associate Scientist and Professor at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry. "We hope this will be the first step towards personalized care, ultimately leading to fewer stent-associated infections."