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Among dinoflagellates, extant cladopyxidaceans may provide a missing link to better understand the first evolutionary transformations from ancestral configurations towards the more abundant and more derived patterns in Gonyaulacales and Peridiniales. A restudy of the extant, motile-defined Micracanthodinium setiferum from plankton samples from the Indian and Atlantic Oceans and Mediterranean Sea demonstrates that the correct plate formula is Po Pt X 3′+*4′ 4a 7′′ 7C 4S? 6′′′ 0p 2′′′′. A ventral pore is found between 1′, 3′ and *4′. A restudy of the extinct, fossil-defined Cladopyxidium saeptum from the upper Paleocene of Delaware (U.S.A), demonstrated the presence of an identical tabulation. A ventral pore (=porichnion) was positioned between *1′ and 7′′. Cladopyxidium is morphologically closer to Micracanthodinium than to Cladopyxis. However, since Cladopyxidium has been extinct since the middle Eocene it is unlikely that Micracanthodinium and Cladopyxidium will have a direct biological link; the close morphological link between both does suggest an important phylogenetic relationship between both in the evolution of cladopyxidaceans.

Workload is a commonly accepted risk factor for injury among fast bowlers, however many methods exist to characterise workload. Recently, automated intensity-sensitive measures like PlayerLoad have been used to improve the estimation of workload in fast bowlers. The purpose of this study was to determine whether similar variables could be extracted from a single inertial measurement unit (IMU) that highly correlate with intensity, according to release speed. Eight elite and pre-elite bowlers participated in the study, with each bowler bowling one over each at 60%, 80% and 100% intensity and repeating this across two sessions (36 balls per participant). IMUs were placed on the upper-back and non-bowling wrist and maximum PlayerLoad from each delivery (PLmax) was compared to the accumulated value across each delivery (PLacc). The strongest correlation with release speed was with PLacc from the non-bowling wrist (R = 0.74), followed by PLacc from the upper-back (R = 0.65) and PLmax from the upper back (R = 0.60). Consequently, an improved estimation of the intensity at which bowlers are working at could be gained by examining accumulated PlayerLoad values from an IMU on the non-bowling wrist.

This paper follows sorghum, an indigenous, but currently underutilized, grain in South Africa, through six encounters to discover its potential to transform the country’s food system. By listening to stories from diverse perspectives, it shows that the re-inclusion of sorghum could not only diversify diets, but could also move toward breaking colonial stereotypes of what constitutes aspirational food. It employs a Follow the Thing method to unpack the multiple identities of sorghum and the role it could play in galvanizing a healthier, more diverse food system. By opening up to a radical following method that does not constrain the researcher, the underlying stories associated with sorghum are highlighted, which coincides with a shift in perception of the multiple potentialities that the crop embodies. The research highlights that a strong cultural link to sorghum remains in South Africa and that if innovation could be broadly interpreted, this might invigorate a richer engagement with sorghum, not just as a commodity, but as a culturally significant food.

This paper draws on anthropological research exploring women's changing sexuality within an urban context of Tanzania. The women involved were participating in an HIV prevention trial and worked in bars, restaurants, hotels and nightclubs, or sold local beer or food in Mwanza city. In ethnographic fieldwork and interviews and group discussions with women, narratives about sexuality focused on gendered and moral discourses of sexuality, the commodification of sexuality, and emotions and intimacy in relationships. This paper discusses how women's sexual subjectivies are shaped by a city where social, structural and economic changes over an era of neoliberalism and AIDS has created both disciplinary and liberalising spaces in which gendered and moral discourses of sexuality have emerged.

It is well known that modern resting cysts with morphologies matching those of species of the fossil genus Spiniferites germinate into motile cells of the genus Gonyaulax. Different Spiniferites species have been connected to a single Gonyaulax species, raising the question of whether they are over-classified. Through germination experiments of cysts with the morphological features of four species of Spiniferites, viz. S. bentorii, S. hyperacanthus, S. ramosus and S. scabratus, we established cyst-theca relationships. Cysts with the morphology of S. bentorii gave rise to vegetative, motile cells of Gonyaulax nezaniae sp. nov., which is characterized by two stout antapical spines. Cysts with S. hyperacanthus and S. ramosus morphologies germinated into Gonyaulax whaseongensis and G. spinifera, respectively. Cysts with S. scabratus morphology lacked a ventral pore and were attributed to Gonyaulax cf. spinifera. Gene sequences for SSU, LSU and/or ITS-5.8S rRNA were obtained from these four species, and from cysts with the morphology of Spiniferites belerius, S. mirabilis, S. lazus, Spiniferites cf. bentorii and Tectatodinium pellitum. The maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses based on LSU and SSU rRNA gene sequences revealed that cysts assignable to Spiniferites formed a polyphyletic group, intermingled with Tectatodinium, Bitectatodinium, Ataxiodinium and Impagidinium, whereas Gonyaulax species appeared as monophyletic. From our results we inferred the phylogenetic positions of S. bentorii, S. mirabilis, S. lazus, S. scabratus, Tectatodinium pellitum and Gonyaulax digitale for the first time, supporting the idea that Spiniferites species are not over-classified and each of them may correspond to different Gonyaulax species.

Athletes physically overload to improve performance. Unbalanced stress/recovery may induce overtraining, which is difficult to diagnosis as no diagnostic marker exists. Hormonal responses to a 55/80 cycle (30-min of alternating blocks of 1-min at 55% and 4-min at 80% maximum work rate) may highlight early-stage overtraining (overreaching), as blunted cortisol and testosterone responses to 55/80 follows intensified training. However, the reliability of hormonal responses to 55/80 when not overreached is unknown. Therefore, reported blunted hormonal responses could be due to inconsistent cortisol and testosterone responses to 55/80. Participants (n = 23) completed three 55/80 bouts, >7 days apart, with no exercise 24 h pre-trials. Pre-exercise urine osmolality and stress questionnaire responses were measured. Pre, post, and 30-min post-exercise saliva samples were collected for cortisol and testosterone assessment. Salivary cortisol and testosterone responses, osmolality and well-being were not different between trials. Salivary cortisol and testosterone elevated from pre- to post-exercise [by 4.2 nmol.L−1 (cortisol) and 307 pmol.L−1 (testosterone)], and 30 min post-exercise [by 160 pmol.L−1 (testosterone) only]. Intraclass correlation coefficients for pre to peak post-exercise cortisol (0.89; good) and testosterone (0.53; moderate) were calculated. This demonstrates that 55/80 induces reliable elevations of salivary cortisol and testosterone when in a healthy state.

Skin volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can cause body odor or reveal human disease and may result from lipid peroxidation or activity by skin bacteria. We examined the effect of intake of New Zealand blackcurrant (NZBC) powder for 77 skin VOCs in middle-aged and older adults in a crossover design. Fourteen adults (nine males, age: 55 ± 5 yrs) consumed NZBC powder for 7 days (6 g·day−1 with 138.6 mg anthocyanins). Two hours after the last intake, a passive flux sampler with trapping media was applied in the base of the neck for 1 hour. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used for media analysis. Habitual anthocyanin intake was quantified using a food frequency questionnaire. Compared to control (i.e., no intake of NZBC powder), emission of six skin VOCs (i.e., 2-nonenal, acetic acid, 2-hexanone, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, benzaldehyde, allyl methyl sulfide) were lower by more than 25%. Increases were observed for γ-octanolactone (+184%) and γ-decanolactone (+89%). A trend for a decrease for isovaleraldehyde, hexanal, and 2-pentanone, and an increase for heptanoic acid and γ-nonanolactone was observed. There was a significant correlation with daily habitual dietary anthocyanin intake for control values of hexanal and percentage change of γ-octanolactone. NZBC powder can change emanation of some VOCs in human skin. Analysis of skin VOCs following specific polyphenol intake may address the impact of dietary components to affect internal metabolic processes, body odor, and health.

EDITOR: Myopia is a common ocular disorder, with around 2.5 billion myopic people around the world. The World Health Organization estimates that half of the population of the world may be myopic by...

This study explores links between NO2 emission and Covid-19 induced decline in consumption and mobility in Europe by using satellite images and various indices. This study discovered that strict lo...

The COVID-19 being a preconized global pandemic by the World Health Organization needs persuasive immediate research for possible medications. The present study was carried out with a specific aim to computationally evaluate and identify compounds derived from Bacillus species as the plausible inhibitors against 3-chymotrypsin-like main protease (3CLpro) or main protease (MPro), which is a key enzyme in the life-cycle of coronavirus. The compounds were isolated from the crude extracts of Bacillus species. Among the isolated compounds, novel inhibitory leads were identified using in silico techniques. Molecular docking revealed that stigmasterol (-8.3 kcal/mol), chondrillasterol (-7.9 kcal/mol) and hexadecnoic acid (-6.9 kcal/mol)) among others bind in the substrate-binding pocket and also interacted with the catalytic dyad of the 3-CLpro. Further evaluation using 50 ns molecular dynamic simulation and MMPB-GBSA indicated that among the top three docking hits, hexadecanoic acid was found to be the most promising anti-COVID-19 lead against the main protease. Hexadecanoic acid might serve as a potent anti-SARS-CoV-2 compound to combat COVID-19, however, in vitro and in vivo validation and optimization is needed. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

Momordica dioica have proven medicinal potential of antidiabetic, antiviral and immune stimulating properties. Flavonoids and triterpenoids from M. dioica were more extensively investigated for antiviral, antidiabetic and immunomodulatory activities. In this present study, we have predicted the reported bioactive flavonoids and triterpenoids of the plant against the SARS-CoV-2 main protease, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), spike protein, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE-2) receptor and dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP4) receptor through molecular docking and in silico ADME predictions methods. According to the binding affinities, the two triterpenoids, hederagenin and oleanolic acid exhibited the best docking scores with these proteins than the catechin and quercetin with compared to standard remdesivir, favipiravir and hydroxychloroquine. The in vitro protein-drug studies have also showed significant interaction of catechin and quercetin compounds than standard drugs. The in silico binding studies correlated with the in silico binding studies. Further, M. dioica being used as antidiabetic and its metabolite had significant interaction with DDP4, a comorbidity protein involved in aiding the viral entry. Out of all the natural ligands, quercetin was reported relatively good and safe for humans with high gastrointestinal tract permeability and poor blood brain barrier crossing abilities. Hence, M. dioica phytocompounds reflects promising therapeutic properties against SARS-CoV-2 infections under comorbid conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and kidney disorders. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

The Balkan Peninsula as one of Europe’s biodiversity hotspots came into the focus of biogeographic research during the last decade, but the phylogeography of its mountain flora still remains widely...

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is one of the biggest, wealthiest and most influential sport governing bodies in the world. The BCCI has overseen traditional Test cricket in India since 1928. In 2008, the Indian cricket landscape shifted with the development of the Indian Premier League (IPL), a Tweny20 cricket league that has exploded in popularity since its launch. The BCCI also governs over the IPL, which generates extensive income and has raised the profile of Indian cricket around the world. However, recent controversies and corruption scandals have brought increasing scrutiny to the BCCI. In this study, the good governance framework from UK sport is applied to examine the BCCI. The good governance framework is used to examine five elements of the BCCI: structure, people, communication, standards and conduct, and policies and process. Through interviews with expert journalists and researchers (n = 6), it is clear that the BCCI needs to make significant reforms to better align with good governance principles. Namely, the BCCI must address concerns over transparency, accountability, managing conflicts of interests, structural problems and revise their policies and processes. On the other hand, participants applauded the BCCI’s contributions to enhancing cricket globally.

Aims: Athletes in the general population report higher satisfaction of basic needs when coaches are providing an autonomy supportive sport climate (ASSC). Our study aims at investigating whether AS...

The capability of carbohydrate utilization in fish is limited compared to mammals. It has scientific and practical significance to improve the ability of fish to use carbohydrates. The efficiency of dietary carbohydrate utilization varies among fish with different feeding habits, which are associated with differential intestinal microbiota. In this study, we found that zebrafish fed with omnivorous diet (OD) and herbivorous diet (HD) showed better glucose homeostasis compared with carnivorous diet (CD) fed counterpart and the differential glucose utilization efficiency was attributable to the intestinal microbiota. The commensal bacterium Cetobacterium somerae, an acetate producer, was enriched in OD and HD groups, and administration of C. somerae in both adult zebrafish and gnotobiotic larval zebrafish models resulted in improved glucose homeostasis and increased insulin expression, supporting a causative role of C. somerae enrichment in glucose homeostasis in fish. The enrichment of C. somerae was constantly associated with higher acetate levels, and dietary supplementation of acetate promotes glucose utilization in zebrafish, suggesting a contribution of acetate in the function of C. somerae. Furthermore, we found that the beneficial effect of both acetate and C. somerae on glucose homeostasis was mediated through parasympathetic activation. Overall, this work highlights the existence of a C. somerae-brain axis in the regulation of glucose homeostasis in fish and suggests a role of acetate in mediating the axis function. Our results suggest potential strategies for improvement of fish carbohydrate utilization.

Following emergence in late 2019, SARS-CoV-2 rapidly became pandemic and is presently responsible for millions of infections and hundreds of thousands of deaths worldwide. There is currently no approved vaccine to halt the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and only very few treatment options are available to manage COVID-19 patients. For development of preclinical countermeasures, reliable and well-characterized small animal disease models will be of paramount importance. Here we show that intranasal inoculation of SARS-CoV-2 into Syrian hamsters consistently caused moderate broncho-interstitial pneumonia, with high viral lung loads and extensive virus shedding, but animals only displayed transient mild disease. We determined the infectious dose 50 to be only five infectious particles, making the Syrian hamster a highly susceptible model for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Neither hamster age nor sex had any impact on the severity of disease or course of infection. Finally, prolonged viral persistence in interleukin 2 receptor gamma chain knockout hamsters revealed susceptibility of SARS-CoV-2 to adaptive immune control. In conclusion, the Syrian hamster is highly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 making it a very suitable infection model for COVID-19 countermeasure development.One Sentence SummaryThe Syrian hamster is highly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 making it an ideal infection model for COVID-19 countermeasure development.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Despite pulmonary impairments being the most prevalent, extra-pulmonary manifestations of COVID-19 are abundant. Confirmed COVID-19 cases have now surpassed 57.8 million worldwide as of 22 November 2020. With estimated case fatality rates (number of deaths from COVID-19 divided by number of confirmed COVID-19 cases) varying between 1 and 7%, there will be a large population of recovered COVID-19 patients that may acquire a multitude of long-term health consequences. While the multi-organ manifestations of COVID-19 are now well-documented, the potential long-term implications of these manifestations remain to be uncovered. In this review, we turn to previous similar coronaviruses (i.e. SARS-CoV-1 and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus [MERS-CoV]) in combination with known health implications of SARS-CoV-2 infection to predict potential long-term effects of COVID-19, including pulmonary, cardiovascular, hematologic, renal, central nervous system, gastrointestinal, and psychosocial manifestations, in addition to the well-known post-intensive care syndrome. It is necessary to monitor COVID-19 patients after discharge to understand the breadth and severity of long-term effects. This can be accomplished by repurposing or initiating large cohort studies to not only focus on the long-term consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection, but also on acquired immune function as well as ethno-racial group and household income disparities in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. The future for COVID-19 survivors remains uncertain, and if this virus circulates among us for years to come, long-term effects may accumulate exponentially.

The novel strain of human coronavirus, emerged in December 2019, which has been designated as SARS-CoV-2, causes a severe acute respiratory syndrome. Since then, it has arisen as a serious threat to the world public health. Since no approved vaccines or drugs has been found to efficiently stop the virulent spread of the virus, progressive inquiries targeting these viruses are urgently needed, especially those from plant sources. Metabolic profiling using LC-HR-ESI-MS of the butanol extract of Ocimum menthiifolium (Lamiaceae) aerial parts yielded 10 compounds including flavonoids, iridoids and phenolics. As it has been previously reported that some flavonoids can be used as anti-SARS drugs by targeting SARS-CoV-1 3CLpro, we chose to examine 14 flavonoids (detected by metabolomics and other compounds isolated via several chromatographic techniques). We investigated their potential binding interactions with the 4 main SARS-CoV-2 targets: Mpro, nsp16/nsp10 complex, ACE2-PD and RBD-S-protein via molecular docking. Docking results indicated that the nsp16/nsp10 complex has the best binding affinities where the strongest binding was detected with apigenin-7-O-rutinoside, prunin and acaciin with −9.4, −9.3 and −9.3 kcal/mol binding energy, respectively, compared to the control (SAM) with −8.2 kcal/mol. Furthermore, the stability of these complexes was studied using molecular dynamics of 150 ns, which were then compared to their complexes in the other three targets. MM-PBSA calculations suggested the high stability of acaciin-nsp16 complex with binding energy of −110 kJ/mol. This study sheds light on the structure-based design of natural flavonoids as anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs targeting the nsp16/10 complex. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

The transmission pathways of respiratory viruses, in particular the demarcation of droplet and airborne transmission and their relative importance, remain intensely debated (Drossinos and Stilianak...

In this expansive interview, Kali Akuno explores the current political-cultural conjuncture in the United States. Thinking through the responses to the pandemic and the Floyd Rebellion, Akuno analy...

Supplemental materials: available online at https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/22221751.2020.1858176#supplemental-material-section Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Melioidosis is an often lethal tropical disease caused by the Gram-negative bacillus, Burkholderia pseudomallei. The study objective was to characterize transcriptomes in melioidosis patients and identify genes associated with outcome. Whole blood RNA-seq was performed in a discovery set of 29 melioidosis patients and 3 healthy controls. Transcriptomic profiles of patients who did not survive to 28 days were compared with patients who survived and healthy controls, showing 65 genes were significantly up-regulated and 218 were down-regulated in non-survivors compared to survivors. Up-regulated genes were involved in myeloid leukocyte activation, Toll-like receptor cascades and reactive oxygen species metabolic processes. Down-regulated genes were hematopoietic cell lineage, adaptive immune system and lymphocyte activation pathways. RT-qPCR was performed for 28 genes in a validation set of 60 melioidosis patients and 20 healthy controls, confirming differential expression. IL1R2, GAS7, S100A9, IRAK3, and NFKBIA were significantly higher in non-survivors compared with survivors (P < 0.005) and healthy controls (P < 0.0001). The AUROCC of these genes for mortality discrimination ranged from 0.80-0.88. In survivors, expression of IL1R2, S100A9 and IRAK3 genes decreased significantly over 28 days (P < 0.05). These findings augment our understanding of this severe infection, showing expression levels of specific genes are potential biomarkers to predict melioidosis outcomes. The Royal Society, UK and the Office of the Higher Education Commission of Thailand under Newton Mobility Grant Award (grant number NI170152); National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health, USA (grant number U01AI115520).

To date, little consideration has been given to the context in which performance analysis (PA) is used by female athletes, in women’s sports and in an Asian context. Through the use of an online questionnaire and follow-up semi-structured interviews, the perspectives towards the use of PA and feedback by athletes and coaches in two female’s sports in Singapore (water polo: one coach and 13 athletes; netball: one coach and eight athletes) were explored. Four key themes emerged from the inductive analysis of the data: (1) learning environment in teams, (2) considerations onthe use of PA to aid development and learning, (3) application of game-related learning into practice through PA and (4) organisation of PA sessions: duration and design. The results indicated female athletes from Asian cultures welcomed group discussions, viewed information around areas for development in a positive light and were receptive to longer video reviews. Coaches and analysts should acknowledge the culture of the learner or group in addition to the session format when planning and delivering PA provisions to best meet the learners’ needs.

Coix seed is an important food and traditional Chinese medicine in China and other Asian countries. Notably, coix seed is currently being used as a traditional medicine for the treatment of COVID-19 in China. However, coix seeds are generally contaminated by mycotoxins, and this risk cannot be ignored. In this paper, we developed a method that involves direct extraction and UHPLC-HRMS analysis for the simultaneous detection of 24 mycotoxins in coix seeds. UHPLC-HRMS instrument and data acquisition parameters, and the sample pretreatment were optimised. One-step extraction showed several advantages compared to the three commercial solid-phase extraction clean-up methods, including ease of use, reduced time of sample preparation, low cost, good recovery, and acceptable matrix effect. The method validation results indicate that all mycotoxins have good linearity and sensitivity. Recoveries were between 74.2-101.1%, and RSD ranged from 0.1-5.8%. The LOQs for 24 mycotoxins were in the range of 0.5-100 µg/kg. To survey the contamination levels of these mycotoxins in commercial coix seeds, more than 70 samples were collected from Chinese markets and were analysed using the newly developed method. Zearalenone (positive ratio: 98.7%, range:1.1-1562 µg/kg), deoxynivalenol (positive ratio: 87%, range: 8.4-382.5 µg/kg), nivalenol (positive ratio: 85.7%, range: 26.8-828.2 µg/kg), fumonisin B1 (positive ratio: 84.4%, range:2.5-314.5 µg/kg), fumonisin B2 (positive ratio: 75.3%, range:1.6-72.8 µg/kg), fumonisin B3 (positive ratio: 48%, range:1.0-203.6 µg/kg), aflatoxin B1 (positive ratio: 29.9%, range: 0.39-14.7 µg/kg), sterigmatocystin (positive ratio: 29.9%, range: 1.4-51.6 µg/kg), and tenuazonic acid (positive ratio: 19.5%, range 36.1-105.7 µg/kg) were the most frequent mycotoxin contaminants. These results highlight the importance of routine monitoring and control of mycotoxins in coix seeds.

Amid recent concern about overheating in Passivhaus, this study investigates geometrical implication of façade design to alleviate overheating in new build energy-efficient homes in the UK. The study proposes self-shading façade design as a less conventional approach to passively protecting the house from the excessive solar gain in summer. The findings show that implementing an optimum angle slanted wall can moderate indoor temperature variations between day and night in summer and could potentially act as an effective shading device. The suggested tilted façade is compared alongside other conventional approaches, such as overhangs and reduced WWR, to compare their relative effectiveness in reducing overheating risk.

The emergence of viral diseases such as Ebola virus disease, Zika virus disease, and the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has posed considerable challenges to health care systems around the world. Public health strategy to address emerging infectious diseases has depended in part on human behavior change and yet the perceptions and knowledge motivating that behavior have been at times inconsistent with the latest consensus of peer-reviewed science. Part of that disjuncture likely involves the existence and persistence of past ideas about other diseases. To forecast and prepare for future epidemic and pandemic response, we need to better understand how people approach emerging infectious diseases as objects of public opinion during the periods when such diseases first become salient at a population level. In this essay, we explore two examples of how existing mental models of past infectious diseases appear to have conditioned and constrained public response to novel viral diseases. We review previously reported experiences related to Zika virus in Central America and discuss public opinion data collected in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the case of Zika virus disease, we assess how thinking about earlier mosquito-borne disease seems to have affected public consideration of the virus in Guatemala. In the case of COVID-19, we assess how previous vaccination behavior for a different disease is associated with intention to obtain vaccination for COVID-19 in the future.

PURPOSE: To report bilateral follicular conjunctivitis in two confirmed Coronavirus (COVID-19) patients with the presence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in conjunctival swab specimens. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: Two unrelated patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and bilateral acute conjunctivitis were examined. Conjunctival swabs were assessed for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and viral culture. RESULTS: Both patients developed eye redness 3 days after the onset of COVID-19 symptoms. Slit lamp examination showed bilateral acute follicular conjunctivitis, which was resolved within 6 days. RT-PCR demonstrated the presence of viral RNA in conjunctival specimens from both eyes, which was unrelated to viral RNA from throat swabs. CONCLUSION: SARS-CoV-2 may cause ocular manifestations such as viral conjunctivitis. Conjunctival sampling may be useful for infected patients with conjunctivitis and fever. Precautionary measures are recommended when examining infected patients throughout the clinical course of the infection.

To report a unique case of intraocular inflammation and outer retinal changes in a patient with coronavirus disease (COVID-19).A 57-year-old woman was seen 12 days after COVID-19 symptoms onset confirmed by positive IgM and IgG serological tests. No anterior chamber cells were seen. Color fundus photograph showed a yellowish lesion within the macular area, and fluorescein angiography revealed hyperfluorescence on the topography of the macular lesion in both eyes. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography demonstrated hyperreflective pinpoints at the level of posterior vitreous hyaloid, corresponding to vitritis, hyperreflective lesions at the level of inner plexiform and ganglion cell layers, and disruption of the ellipsoid zone.COVID-19 is known to affect the inner retinal layers. The current case not only supports but also adds a vitreal and an outer retinal layer involvement that might also be caused by this infectious disease.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the entire world. Health professionals and scientists are working intensely to find therapies against this disease, which still has a very high spread rate. The o...

Dear Editor We read with great interest ‘Training disrupted: Practical tips for supporting competency-based medical education during the COVID-19 pandemic’ (Hall et al. 2020). We believe that the t...

The first case of COVID-19 in Kenya was confirmed on 12 March 2020. As of 25 July 2020, Kenya had 17,603 cases, 280 deaths with a case fatality rate of 1.6.1 Kenya is in the third epidemic phase.1A...

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) reached pandemic proportions in March 2020 with unexpectedly rapid spread and serious health and social impacts. In the middle of August, the population of i...

Dear Sir, In their letter [1] Nicolson et al. propose a compelling concept of platelet CLEC-2 stimulation by podoplanin in microvascular thromboinflammation and venous thromboembolism that critical...

Purpose: Stationary training rollers enable wheelchair users to maintain physical health and train as athletes, which serves to treat and prevent immobility-associated chronic disease and improve cardiorespiratory fitness required for sports performance. However, conventional exercise equipment is largely inaccessible for persons with disabilities in low-resource areas, primarily due to cost. The aim of this study was to prototype, develop, and test a portable, cost-efficient stationary training device for wheelchair users in low-resource settings – The EasyRoller. Materials and methods: Stakeholder input from wheelchair athletes, trainers, and potential commercial manufacturers was solicited and utilized to conceptualize The EasyRoller design. The device was constructed from easily sourced, low cost components, following which it was user-tested with Para athletes. Feedback was analysed and incorporated into newer versions of the prototype. Results and conclusions: The EasyRoller creatively combines easily-sourced components to significantly cut down cost and ease both manufacture and repair for use in low-resource settings. The device is portable with a total weight of 34 pounds and total size of 42 linear inches while also affordable with a total cost of USD$199. Hereby, The EasyRoller has the potential to increase physical activity participation in populations with impairment who live in socioeconomically deprived world regions.

In this study, we estimate the severity of the COVID-19 outbreak in Pakistan prior to and after lockdown restrictions were eased. We also project the epidemic curve considering realistic quarantine, social distancing and possible medication scenarios. The pre-lock down value of $\mathcal {R}_0 $ is estimated to be 1.07 and the post lock down value is estimated to be 1.86. Using this analysis, we project the epidemic curve. We note that if no substantial efforts are made to contain the epidemic, it will peak in mid-September, 2020, with the maximum projected active cases being close to 700, 000. In a realistic, best case scenario, we project that the epidemic peaks in early to mid-July, 2020, with the maximum active cases being around 120, 000. We note that social distancing measures and medication will help flatten the curve; however, without the reintroduction of further lock down, it would be very difficult to make $\mathcal {R}_0 \lt 1 $.

Copyright © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group, Background: The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic in March 2020. This rapid systematic review synthesised published reports of medical educational developments in response to the pandemic, considering descriptions of interventions, evaluation data and lessons learned. Methods: The authors systematically searched four online databases and hand searched MedEdPublish up to 24 May 2020. Two authors independently screened titles, abstracts and full texts, performed data extraction and assessed risk of bias for included articles. Discrepancies were resolved by a third author. A descriptive synthesis and outcomes were reported. Results: Forty-nine articles were included. The majority were from North America, Asia and Europe. Sixteen studies described Kirkpatrick’s outcomes, with one study describing levels 1–3. A few papers were of exceptional quality, though the risk of bias framework generally revealed capricious reporting of underpinning theory, resources, setting, educational methods, and content. Key developments were pivoting educational delivery from classroom-based learning to virtual spaces, replacing clinical placement based learning with alternate approaches, and supporting direct patient contact with mitigated risk. Training for treating patients with COVID-19, service reconfiguration, assessment, well-being, faculty development, and admissions were all addressed, with the latter categories receiving the least attention. Conclusions: This review highlights several areas of educational response in the immediate aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and identifies a few articles of exceptional quality that can serve as models for future developments and educational reporting. There was often a lack of practical detail to support the educational community in enactment of novel interventions, as well as limited evaluation data. However, the range of options deployed offers much guidance for the medical education community moving forward and there was an indication that outcome data and greater detail will be reported in the future.

SARS-CoV-2 (or COVID-19) has become a global risk and scientists are attempting to investigate antiviral vaccine. Berberis are important plants due to the presence of bioactive phytochemicals, especially berberine from the protoberberine group of benzylisoquinoline and recent studies have shown its potential in treating COVID-19. B. lycium Royle growing in subtropical regions of Asia had wide applications in Indian system of medicine. Rapid determination and novel optimisation method for berberine extraction has been developed by Soxhlet extraction utilising central composite design-response surface methodology (CCD-RSM). Berberine was detected by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and the highest yield (13.39%) was obtained by maintaining optimal extraction conditions i.e., extraction time (7.28 hrs), ethyl alcohol (52.21%) and solvent to sample ratio (21.78 v/w). Investigation of two geographic regions (Ramnagar and Srinagar) showed high berberine content in lower altitude. This novel optimisation technique has placed berberine as a potential candidate for developing pharmaceutical products for human health care.

The current COVID-19 pandemic is caused by SARS CoV-2. To date, ∼463,000 people died worldwide due to this disease. Several attempts have been taken in search of effective drugs to control the spread of SARS CoV-2 infection. The main protease (Mpro) from SARS CoV-2 plays a vital role in viral replication and thus serves as an important drug target. This Mpro shares a high degree of sequence similarity (>96%) with the same protease from SARS CoV-1 and MERS. It was already reported that Broussonetia papyrifera polyphenols efficiently inhibit the catalytic activity of SARS CoV-1 and MERS Mpro. But whether these polyphenols exhibit any inhibitory effect on SARS CoV-2 Mpro is far from clear. To understand this fact, here we have adopted computational approaches. Polyphenols having proper drug-likeness properties and two repurposed drugs (lopinavir and darunavir; having binding affinity −7.3 to −7.4 kcal/mol) were docked against SARS CoV-2 Mpro to study their binding properties. Only six polyphenols (broussochalcone A, papyriflavonol A, 3'-(3-methylbut-2-enyl)-3',4',7-trihydroxyflavane, broussoflavan A, kazinol F and kazinol J) had interaction with both the catalytic residues (His41 and Cys145) of Mpro and exhibited good binding affinity (−7.6 to −8.2 kcal/mol). Molecular dynamic simulations (100 ns) revealed that all Mpro-polyphenol complexes are more stable, conformationally less fluctuated; slightly less compact and marginally expanded than Mpro-darunavir/lopinavir complex. Even the number of intermolecular H-bond and MM-GBSA analysis suggested that these six polyphenols are more potent Mpro inhibitors than the two repurposed drugs (lopinavir and darunavir) and may serve as promising anti-COVID-19 drugs. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma, Graphical Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread to several countries globally. Currently, there is no specific drug or vaccine available for managing COVID-19. Antibody-based immunotherapeutic strategies using convalescent plasma, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), neutralizing antibodies (NAbs), and intravenous immunoglobulins have therapeutic potential.This review provides the current status of the development of various antibody-based immunotherapeutics such as convalescent plasma, mAbs, NAbs, and intravenous immunoglobulins against COVID-19. The review also highlights their advantages, disadvantages, and clinical utility for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.In a pandemic situation such as COVID-19, the development of new drugs should focus on and expedite the strategies where safety and efficacy are proven. Antibody-based immunotherapeutic approaches such as convalescent plasma, intravenous immunoglobulins, and mAbs have a proven record of safety and efficacy and are in use for decades. Some of them are already being used to manage COVID-19 patients and found to be useful. However, the mAbs with virus neutralization potential is the need of the hour during this COVID-19 pandemic to be more specific and virus targeted. The research and investment need to be accelerated to bring them into clinical use for prophylactic and therapeutic purposes against COVID-19.

Coronavirus infections are responsible for mild, moderate, and severe infections in birds and mammals. These were first isolated in humans as causal microorganisms responsible for common cold. The 2002-2003 SARS epidemic caused by SARS-CoV and 2012 MERS epidemic (64 countries affected) caused by MERS-CoV showed their acute and fatal side. These two CoV infections killed thousands of patients infected worldwide. However, WHO has still reported the MERS case in December 2019 in middle-eastern country (Saudi Arabia), indicating the MERS epidemic has not ended completely yet. Although we have not yet understood completely these two CoV epidemics, a third most dangerous and severe CoV infection has been originated in the Wuhan city, Hubei district of China in December 2019. This CoV infection called COVID-19 or SARS-CoV2 infection has now spread to 210 countries and territories around the world. COVID-19 has now been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). It has infected more than 16.69 million people with more than 663,540 deaths across the world. Thus the current manuscript aims to describe all three (SARS, MERS, and COVID-19) in terms of their causal organisms (SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV2), similarities and differences in their clinical symptoms, outcomes, immunology, and immunopathogenesis, and possible future therapeutic approaches.

The aim of this study was to analyse changes in gait variability and symmetry with increasing speed in race walkers. Eighteen international athletes race walked on an instrumented treadmill at speeds of 11, 12, 13 and 14 km·h

2020 has been an unprecedented time in contemporary US history, as drastic steps have been taken to decrease the spread of COVID-19. Many states established safer-at-home orders to enforce the Cent...

The COVID-19 pandemic has created or exacerbated numerous crises threatening social, economic, and political institutions around the world. While it has received far less attention than the public ...

As Jennifer Prah Ruger (2020), and Tia Powell and Elizabeth Chuang (2020) assert in their respective target articles, the COVID-19 crisis has brought into view the inadequacies of public health and...

Increasing demand for ICU beds and ventilators in response to the growing number of critically ill COVID-19 patients has raised the specter of rationing (McGuire et al. 2020; White and Lo 2020). Se...

During extreme systemic disasters, choices of whether and when to offer neurosurgical procedures presents as complex ethical balancing of values. McQuire et al. include this ethical challenge in th...

In the target article, “Should Extremely Premature Babies Get Ventilators During the COVID-19 Crisis?” (Haward et al. 2020), the authors highlight the importance of giving fair consideration to pre...

This study aims to systematically review the neurological complications in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection and the methods used to diagnose both neurological complications and coronavirus infection.Data from three different online databases (PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science) were searched on 29 April 2020 and after duplicate, irrelevant, and inappropriate records were excluded, data extraction was done.The 22 records included for analysis provided 57 patients with neurological sequelae. The neurological complications reported ranged widely from ischemic cerebrovascular accidents to cerebral hemorrhage and were seen at both peripheral and central nervous system levels. The most frequently reported neurological complication was acute ischemic cerebrovascular accident, followed by Guillain-Barré syndrome.Considering the possibility of neurological involvement in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection can result in earlier diagnosis and treatment; otherwise permanent, irreversible sequelae and even death may follow. More comprehensive studies may indicate that until the end of the present pandemic, young adults with unexplained and unexpected stroke as well as patients with newly diagnosed Guillain-Barré syndrome should be tested for SARS-CoV-2 infection.

International audience; Introduction: Routine medical and ophthalmic care is being drastically curtailed in the context of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. Uveitis patients require particular attention because of their theoretical risk of viral infection, in the context of therapeutic immunosuppression.Areas covered: This collaborative work proposes practical management and follow-up criteria for uveitis patients in the context of the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.Expert opinion: Management should proceed as usual when access to health care possible in patients who do not belong to a group at high risk of severe SARS-CoV-2 infection, and in uncontrolled uveitis cases. In case of reduced access to eye clinics or high risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, patients' management should be stratified based on their clinical presentation. In non-severe uveitis cases, the use of systemic steroids should be avoided, and local steroids preferred whenever possible. In uncontrolled situations where there is real risk of permanent visual loss, high-dose intravenous steroids and/or systemic immunosuppressants and/or biotherapies can be administered depending on the severity of eye disease. Immunosuppressive therapy should not be withheld, unless the patient develops SARS-CoV2 infection.

Non-structural protein 1 (nsp1) is found in all Betacoronavirus genus, an important viral group that causes severe respiratory human diseases. This protein has significant role in pathogenesis and it is considered a probably major virulence factor. As it is absent in humans, it becomes an interesting target of study, especially when it comes to the rational search for drugs, since it increases the specificity of the target and reduces possible adverse effects that may be caused to the patient. Using approaches in silico we seek to study the behavior of nsp1 in solution to obtain its most stable conformation and find possible drugs with affinity to all of them. For this purpose, complete model of nsp1 of SARS-CoV-2 were predicted and its stability analyzed by molecular dynamics simulations in five different replicas. After main pocket validation using two control drugs and the main conformations of nsp1, molecular docking based on virtual screening were performed to identify novel potential inhibitors from DrugBank database. It has been found 16 molecules in common to all five nsp1 replica conformations. Three of them was ranked as the best compounds among them and showed better energy score than control molecules that have in vitro activity against nsp1 from SARS-CoV-2. The results pointed out here suggest new potential drugs for therapy to aid the rational drug search against COVID-19. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma