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The African penguin is currently experiencing a significant decline, with just over 10,000 breeding pairs left. A substantial body of research reflects the impacts of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) on the marine environment, with wastewater treatment plants reported as one of the main sources of CEC release. In South Africa, CECs were identified contaminating the marine environment and bioaccumulating in several marine species. Approximately 70 % of all African penguin colonies breed in close proximity to cities and/or harbors in South Africa. Currently, the impact of CECs as a stressor upon the viability of African penguin populations is unknown. Based on the search results there was a clear lack of information on CECs' bioaccumulation and impact on the African penguin. This narrative review will thus focus on the prevalent sources and types of CECs and examine the reported consequences of constant exposure in seabirds, particularly African penguins., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: As immunity against SARS-COV-2 wanes following first and second doses of vaccination, a third dose is administered in several countries around the world. Similarly to the first doses, risks related to vaccination and humoral immune response in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) need to be assessed., Objective: Characterize safety and humoral immune response following the third dose of COVID-19 vaccination in a large cohort of MS patients., Methods: We assessed the safety of the third dose of the BNT162b2-COVID-19 mRNA vaccination in adult MS patients and evaluated SARS-CoV-2 IgG response., Results: Two hundred and eleven adult MS patients received a third dose of BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccination. Median follow up time was 66 days from vaccine administration (IQR 54-84). The frequency of any adverse event was 54.5%, with the most common reported adverse events being fatigue, local pain at the injection site, fever and muscle or joint pain. Transient increase in MS symptoms was reported in 3.8% of patients, none of them requiring treatment. The rate of acute relapses treated with IV steroids was 3.3%. In a sub-group of 55 patients, 20 untreated and 35 treated with vaccination-safe disease-modifying treatments, SARS-CoV-2 IgG levels increased 21-fold (median ± SD 21.6 ± 53.05)., Conclusions: The third dose of COVID-19-BNT162b2 vaccine proved safe for MS patients, with no increased risk of relapse activity. Untreated patients and patients treated with vaccination-safe disease-modifying treatments show significant increase in SARS-CoV-2 IgG levels following the third dose of vaccination., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The worldwide spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) highlights the need for assessment of long-term humoral immunity in convalescent subjects. Our objectives were to evaluate long-term IgG antibody response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and B-cell memory response in COVID-19 convalescent subjects., Methods: Blood samples were collected from a cohort of subjects recovering from COVID-19 and from healthy subjects who donated blood. SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies were quantitatively detected by ELISA using anti-S1 spike IgG. SARS-CoV-2 spike-specific IgG memory B cells were evaluated by reversed B-cell FluroSpot based on human IgG SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain in a randomly selected group of subjects recovering from COVID-19. Statistical analysis was performed with clinical variables and time post COVID-19 infection., Results: Antibody response was not detected in 26 of 392 COVID-19 convalescent subjects (6.6%). Over a period of 9 months, the level of antibodies decreased by 50% but stabilized at 6 months, and a protective level prevailed for up to 9 months. No differences were found regarding IgG SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels for age, gender, and major blood types over time. Over time, asymptomatic COVID-19 subjects did not differ in antibody level from subjects with mild to severe disease. Repeated paired IgG SARS-CoV-2 antibody level analyses disclosed that, over 6 and 9 months, 15.3% (nine of 59) and 15.8% (three of 19) of subjects became SARS-CoV-2 IgG-seronegative, respectively, all with a low antibody level at 3 months. Rate of antibody decline was not affected by age, gender, or clinical symptomatology. In a subgroup of recovering subjects, memory B-cell response up to 9 months post-COVID-19 infection was undetectable in 31.8% of subjects (14/44), and there was no correlation with age, SARS-CoV-2 antibody level, or time post infection., Conclusions: The majority of convalescent COVID-19 subjects develop an IgG SARS-CoV-2 antibody response and a protective level prevails over a period of up to 9 months, regardless of age, gender, major blood types or clinical symptomatology., (Copyright © 2021 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Ampullary adenocarcinoma (AAC) is a rare malignancy with great morphological heterogeneity, which complicates the prediction of survival and, therefore, clinical decision-making. The aim of this study was to develop and externally validate a prediction model for survival after resection of AAC., Materials and Methods: An international multicenter cohort study was conducted, including patients who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy for AAC (2006-2017) from 27 centers in 10 countries spanning three continents. A derivation and validation cohort were separately collected. Predictors were selected from the derivation cohort using a LASSO Cox proportional hazards model. A nomogram was created based on shrunk coefficients. Model performance was assessed in the derivation cohort and subsequently in the validation cohort, by calibration plots and Uno's C-statistic. Four risk groups were created based on quartiles of the nomogram score., Results: Overall, 1007 patients were available for development of the model. Predictors in the final Cox model included age, resection margin, tumor differentiation, pathological T stage and N stage (8th AJCC edition). Internal cross-validation demonstrated a C-statistic of 0.75 (95% CI 0.73-0.77). External validation in a cohort of 462 patients demonstrated a C-statistic of 0.77 (95% CI 0.73-0.81). A nomogram for the prediction of 3- and 5-year survival was created. The four risk groups showed significantly different 5-year survival rates (81%, 57%, 22% and 14%, p < 0.001). Only in the very-high risk group was adjuvant chemotherapy associated with an improved overall survival., Conclusion: A prediction model for survival after curative resection of AAC was developed and externally validated. The model is easily available online via www.pancreascalculator.com., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors of the abovementioned manuscript have no conflicts of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

RNase 7 is one of the major antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) secreted by keratinocytes. The AMPs human beta defensin 2 and LL-37 promote the toll-like receptor 9-mediated activation of human plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) by human self-DNA; however, whether keratinocytes respond in a similar way has not yet been addressed. Keratinocytes express several receptors for the detection of cytosolic DNA. Here, we investigated the activation of keratinocytes by RNase 7 in combination with human DNA. The stimulation of keratinocytes with RNase 7 and human DNA induced a strong increase in the production of IP-10. Of note, the stimulation of keratinocytes with human beta defensin 2 and LL-37 in combination with DNA failed to induce the production of IP-10. The production of IP-10 was mediated by the induction of the type I interferon IFN-β and was significantly downregulated by blocking of the interferon-α/β receptor and inhibition of stimulator of IFN genes. In addition, the pretreatment of keratinocytes with RNase 7 and DNA significantly reduced the herpes simplex virus-1 infection of human keratinocytes. This study demonstrates that RNase 7 functions as an alarmin by converting self-DNA into a danger signal that directly activates an antiviral immune response in human keratinocytes without the involvement of plasmacytoid dendritic cells., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In the spring of 2015, a massive harmful algal bloom (HAB) of the toxin-producing diatom Pseudo-nitzschia occurred on the U.S. West Coast, resulting in the largest recorded outbreak of the toxin domoic acid and causing fisheries closures. Closures extended into 2016 and generated an economic shock for coastal fishing communities. This study examines the economic and sociocultural impacts of the Dungeness crab and razor clam fisheries closures on two fishing-dependent communities. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 36 community members from two communities impacted by the event - Crescent City, California and Long Beach, Washington. Interviewees included those involved in the fishing, hospitality, and retail industries, local government officials, recreational harvesters, and others. Interviews probed aspects of resilience in economic, social, institutional, and physical domains, based on the contention that community resilience will influence the communities' ability to withstand HAB events. Dimensions of vulnerability were also explored, encompassing sensitivity of the communities to HAB events and their adaptive capacity. Common themes that emerged from the interview responses indicate that economic hardships extended beyond fishing-related operations and permeated through other sectors, particularly the hospitality industry. Significant barriers to accessing financial and employment assistance during extended fisheries closures were identified, particularly for fishers. Long-held traditions surrounding crab and shellfish harvest and consumption were disrupted, threatening the cultural identities of the affected communities. Community members expressed a desire for clearer, more thorough, and more rapid dissemination of information regarding the management of fisheries closures and the health risks associated with HAB toxins. The likelihood of intensifying HABs under climate change heightens the need for actions to increase the resilience of fishing communities to the economic and sociocultural impacts caused by HAB-related fisheries closures., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Cyclooxygenase inhibitor treatment is viewed increasingly critical because of safety considerations, and there are several open questions on their optimal use., Methods: In a randomized placebo-controlled study in 320 patients undergoing discectomy, we administered parecoxib 40 mg either perioperatively (before operation and after operation), after operation (first dose given in the evening after surgery), or before operation (single parecoxib dose given 45 min before surgery). We measured the main outcome variables: average pain score, morphine consumption, and opioid-related symptom distress at 25, 49, and 73 h after surgery., Results: Perioperative parecoxib significantly (i) improved the pain score compared with both placebo and postoperative parecoxib, (ii) decreased morphine consumption, and (iii) reduced the opioid-related symptom distress score. Neither a single preoperative dose nor postoperative parecoxib (first dose given in the evening after surgery) significantly improved morphine's analgesic effectiveness., Conclusions: Perioperative parecoxib compared with postoperative parecoxib improves post-discectomy pain and results in a reduction in adverse effects associated with opioid therapy. Postoperative parecoxib, or a single pre-incisional parecoxib dose, does not significantly improve post-discectomy pain or opioid side-effects up to 3 days after surgery.