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Background and Objectives: The incidence of novel coronavirus infection across the globe has been uneven, hitting some population subgroups harder than others. Media coverage has proffered explanations for this differential vulnerability, but psychosocial risk factors have been largely ignored. In contrast, multiple theories, medical and psychological, point to one psychosocial factor - stress - as important to the etiology of disease. They also agree that pathogenic stress arises from the particular circumstance in which adaptational demands overwhelm a person's resources, creating "stress overload" that deregulates normal functioning and increases susceptibility to illness. Assessment of stress overload is proposed as essential to understanding viral spread in the current pandemic.Methods: Studies are reviewed explicating (1) stress overload theories and relevant empirical evidence, (2) construction of a stress overload measure and related validity evidence.Results: Findings support the role of stress overload in illness and the accuracy of the measure in predicting illness.Conclusion: It is concluded that assessment of stress overload may help to explain the observed coronavirus disparities, and to identify populations at risk for imminent infection. The 10-item Stress Overload Scale-Short is offered as a potentially useful tool for researchers and clinicians working to map, and stem, the proliferation of coronavirus.

Infection with intravascular platyhelminths of the genus Schistosoma can result in the debilitating disease schistosomiasis. Schistosomes (blood flukes) can survive in the host for many years. We hypothesize that proteins on their host-interactive surface modify the worm’s external environment to help insure worm survival. Previously, we have shown that a surface ectoenzyme of Schistosoma mansoni, SmNPP5 – a nucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase – can cleave ADP and block platelet aggregation in vitro. In this work, we show that both adult schistosomes and recombinant SmNPP5 can cleave the exogenous purinergic signaling molecule nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). In doing so, worms and rSmNPP5 can prevent NAD-induced apoptosis of T cells in vitro. Since regulatory T cells (Tregs) are especially prone to such NAD-induced cell death (NICD), we hypothesize that schistosome cleavage of NAD promotes Treg survival which creates a more immunologically hospitable environment for the worms in vivo. In addition to SmNPP5, schistosomes express another host-interactive NAD-degrading enzyme, SmNACE. We successfully suppressed the expression of SmNPP5 and SmNACE (singly or together) using RNAi. Only SmNPP5-suppressed worms, and not SmNACE-suppressed worms, were significantly impaired in their ability to cleave exogenous NAD compared to controls. Therefore, we contend that ectoenzyme SmNPP5 on the surface of the worm is primarily responsible for extracellular NAD cleavage and that this helps modulate the host immune environment by preventing Treg cell death.

Coagulase-positive Staphylococci (CoPS) can exist as commensals in humans, companion and food-producing animals, but can cause severe or even lethal diseases. Exchange of these bacteria between humans and animals has been described. Special attention has been focused on Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, but other CoPS can also represent an important threat. In addition to significant antimicrobial resistance, these bacteria may carry a plethora of virulence factors - molecules that allow bacteria to establish on or within a host and increase their ability to cause disease. These virulence factors have been widely described in S. aureus but information about other species of CoPS is scarce. The aim of this paper is to review the recent literature about the virulence factors of non-aureus CoPS of animal origin. Their possible effects on human health are also described. The role and prevalence of different virulence factors including leukocidins, hemolysins, adhesins, enterotoxins, exfoliative and toxic shock syndrome toxins as well as superantigen-like proteins are addressed. The effect of these virulence factors on human health is also described. The possibility of misdiagnosis of species of CoPS has been demonstrated in human clinical samples. Prevalence of zoonotic infections could be higher than thought and medical laboratories should be aware of these other staphylococcal species. In keeping with the ‘One Health’ approach to animal and human disease, medical professionals, veterinarians and health workers should be aware of the risks derived from exposure to these bacteria in people in close contact with animals, including pet owners, farmers and veterinarians themselves.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a life-threatening illness that continues to have an in-hospital mortality rate of patients with AKI ranges from 20% to 50% or greater, depending on underlying conditions. However, it has only marginally declined over the past 25 years. Previous authoritative publications have been pointed out that the lack of useful biomarkers for AKI has limited progress in improving the outcomes of this disorder. The purpose of this paper is to review the recent biomarkers involved in the early detection of AKI and main reasons for the failure to identify new AKI biomarkers. So far, several new AKI biomarkers have been discovered and validated to improve early diagnosis, degree of severity, pathophysiology, differential diagnosis, prediction for major kidney adverse events (MAKE, risk groups for progressive renal failure, need for renal replacement therapy [RRT], or death). These biomarkers can be classified into functional, damage and pre-injury phase biomarkers. However, the clinical use of the studied biomarkers in AKI prediction remains unclear because large prospective multicenter trials have failed to demonstrate troponin-like diagnostic performance. Reasons for the failure to identify AKI biomarkers are the heterogeneity of AKI itself, biomarker limitations and long roads to the validation of candidates for new AKI biomarkers. In an effort to overcome these barriers to identifying new AKI biomarkers, kidney biopsy specimens should be obtained and assessed in human AKI populations. Research in this field should be carried out in a pan-social approach rather than conducted by just a few medical institutions.

A series of amino acid–sulphonamide conjugates was prepared through benzotriazole mediated coupling reactions and characterised by 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, MS, and FTIR spectroscopic techniques as well as elemental analysis. The carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) inhibitory activity of the new compounds was determined against four human (h) isoforms, hCA I, hCA II, hCA VA, and hCA XII. Most of the synthesised compounds showed effective in vitro CA inhibitory properties. The new amino acid–sulphonamide conjugates showed potent inhibitory activity against hCA II, some of them at subnanomolar levels, exhibiting more effective inhibitory activity compared to the standard drug acetazolamide. Some of these sulphonamides were also found to be effective inhibitors of hCA I, hCA VA, and hCA XII, with activity from the low to high nanomolar range.

Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) is an oncogenic retrovirus of the Deltaretrovirus genus, which causes persistent infection in its natural hosts – cattle, zebu, and water buffalo with diverse clinical manifestations through the defeat of B-cells. The BLV proviral genome, along with structural genes (gag, pro, pol, and env), includes nonstructural ones (R3, G4, tax, rex, AS, pre-miRs (for miRNAs). We have shown in our previous data the association of some pre-miRs-B’ (for BLV miRNA) alleles with leukocyte (WBC – white blood cell) number in BLV-infected cows. Multifunctional properties of Tax protein have led us to an assumption that tax gene/Tax protein could have too population variations related to WBC counts. Here we report about several tax alleles/Tax protein variants, which have a highly significant association with an increase or a decrease of WBC number in BLV-infected cows. We have provided evidence that Tax A, H variants (tax b, c, d, f, e alleles) are correlated with reduced WBC counts at the level of BLV-negative groups of animals and thus could be the feature of the aleukemic (AL) form of BLV infection. We suggest this finding could be used in BLV testing for the presence of Tax A, H in the proviral DNA consider such strains of BLV as AL ones, and because of this, minimize the clinical losses due to BLV infection in cattle.

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed multiple substantial challenges, affecting not only public health but also economic systems, socio-cultural patterns, and political institutions. Studies have focused on the relationships between complex emergencies and natural disasters with outbreaks of infectious diseases. However, there is a dearth of relevant literature on the impact of a global pandemic on vaccination programs - an important topic because delays or stops in such programs are likely to result in outbreaks and epidemics of other infectious diseases. Thus, this article discusses the negative and positive impacts that the COVID-19 pandemic may exert on vaccination for vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs). Negative impacts include the increased risk of VPD outbreaks in low-resource countries where vaccination programs must be temporarily halted to prevent the spread of infection. Positive effects include the strong possibility that the universally-recognized need for a coronavirus vaccine may increase people's appreciation for vaccines in general, resulting in improved vaccination uptake once the pandemic passes. Concerned stakeholders, such as governments and the World Health Organization (WHO), should seize this moment to effectively build on these positive impacts by planning renewed and revitalized post-COVID vaccination programs.

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...

This essay challenges generalizations since the late enlightenment about the effects of epidemics and pandemics on collective mentalities: that from antiquity to the present, epidemics, regardless of the disease, have sparked distrust, social violence, and the blaming of others. By contrast, the pandemic that killed the greatest numbers in world history-the Influenza of 1918-20 - was a pandemic of compassion. No one has yet to uncover this pandemic sparking collective violence or blaming any minorities for spreading the disease anywhere in the globe. The essay then explores the variety of charitable reactions and abnegation that cut across social divisions in communities from theatres of war in Europe to nations thousands of miles from the direct military encounters. Most remarkable, however, was the overflowing volunteerism of women, especially in the US, Canada, and Australia. To explain this widespread charitable reaction, the essay investigates the milieu of the First World War, showing how that context in domestic war settings was not conducive to risking life to aid total strangers, especially when those strangers came from different foreign countries classes, races, or religious faiths. I end with a reflection on the unfolding socio-psychological reactions to Covid-19 from the perspective of 1918-20.

Past outbreaks and the current pandemic show that sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are affected in times of crisis. With a global shortage of contraceptives, rise in domestic violen...

I read your article titled ‘Family medicine in times of “COVID-19”: a generalists’ voice’ with great interest [1]. We want to mention that there are generally similar and some differences in family...

The repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic for medical students are enormous and not limited to the interruption of courses in medical schools and/or hospital training rotations, the introduction of teaching exclusively online, postponement of examinations, and of the new academic year, but extend beyond that. The mobility of students within the framework of the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA) is also strongly affected by the unexpected interruption of this program and the deprivation of thousands of students worldwide of this fine opportunity for training, exchange and sharing. The International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA) was founded in 1951 and currently maintains 135 National Member Organizations (NMOs) from 125 countries, representing a network of 1.3 million medical students around the globe. Moroccan students, members of IFMSA like students from other countries, are also concerned. Clinical and research exchanges, carried out under the auspices of the IFMSA, allow all the students to discover the health care and medical education systems of another country in a different sociocultural environment. To maintain student motivation and deal with the repercussions of cancelled exchanges, IFMSA could propose online training programs, adapted to student needs during this period of confinement and deconfinement from June to September 2020.

Dear editor,Among the many services significantly affected by coronavirus (COVID-19) is the medical education sector – medical students at all stages of medical school have been affected, and the d...

Background: A summary of Soter Ameh’s PhD thesis titled, ‘An integrated HIV and hypertension management model in rural South Africa: A mixed methods approach’ is presented here. In responding to the dual high burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and HIV in South Africa, the national government initiated an integrated chronic disease management (ICDM) model in health facilities as a pilot programme. The aim of the ICDM model is to leverage the successes of the innovative HIV treatment programme for NCDs to improve the quality of care and health outcomes of adult patients. Objectives: The specific objectives of this study were to: (1) determine the quality of care provided in the integrated model in 2013, (2) describe patients’ and operational managers’ perceptions of quality of care in the integrated model in 2013, and (3) assess effectiveness of the integrated model in controlling CD4 counts (>350 cells/mm3) and blood pressure (

The COVID-19 pandemic is striking health care systems around the world through an unprecedented increase in demand. In responding to this crisis, governments and health care providers face the chal...

In this investigation, a cluster analysis was used to separate Guimara˜es (Portugal) residents into clusters according to their perceptions of the impacts of tourism development. This approach is uncommonly applied to Portugal data and is even rarer for world heritage sites. The world heritage designation is believed to make an area more attractive to tourists. The clustering procedure analysed 400 data observations from a Guimara˜es resident survey and revealed the existence of three clusters: the Sceptics, the Moderately Optimistic and the Enthusiasts. The results were consistent with the empirical literature’s results, with the emergent nature of the destination found to be relevant. The fact that tourism is relatively recent in this destination has its major reflex in the devaluation by most of the residents of the negative impacts of tourism development., COMPETE;QREN; FEDER;Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT)

This study uses geostatistical modelling to identify hot spots of metal contamination produced by hazardous mining tailings from an inoperative Portuguese mine. Lousal is one of the many massive sulphide deposits of the Iberian Pyrite Belt. The mine is now closed, but the heavy metal enriched tailings remain at the site. Applying geostatistics to the diagnosis of this potentially contaminated area we aim to assess the quality of the soil, namely through a risk probability mapping for arsenic, for a better knowledge about the vulnerability of the soil to arsenic contamination. To achieve this aim, the initial variable was transformed into two indicator variables using the risk-based standards (intervention values) for soils, as proposed by Swartjes (1999), as the limit value. To account for the spatial structure, sample variograms were computed for the main directions of the sampling grid and a spherical model was fitted to the variables (arsenic raw data and indicator variables). The parameters of the model were used in the estimation process. To assess the vulnerability of the soil towards the mining works, a soil quality probability mapping for arsenic was carried out showing contamination probabilities in the area. The use of indicator kriging, as an alternative to other more complex kriging methods, in the soil data of the Lousal mine, produced unbiased soil quality maps.

The purpose of this study was to assess the negative impact on soil caused by several mining episodes that occurred at Marrancos mine, an old gold/silver mine. The main aims were to: (i) assess the quality of the soil and the delineation of areas potentially contaminated by arsenic; (ii) assess the uncertainty attached to the assignment; and (iii) present a method of stochastic simulation (probability field simulation) as an alternative technique to predict pollutant concentrations of heavy metals, or metalloids, at unsampled locations. Indicator kriging was used to model the uncertainty attached to the concentration values at the unsampled sites and p-field simulation produced probability maps that allowed assessment of the probability that the arsenic concentrations did not exceed a regulatory threshold. The probability maps were then used to identify hazardous areas. About 90 realisations were generated for the variable, meaning 90 equiprobable scenarios for the spatial distribution of arsenic...

Background : The effect of orgasm on the development and shaping of partner preferences may involve a catalysis of the neurochemical mechanisms of bonding. Therefore, understanding such process is relevant for neuroscience and psychology. Methods : A systematic review was carried out using the terms Orgasm, Sexual Reward, Partner Preference, Pair Bonding, Brain, Learning, Sex, Copulation. Results : In humans, concentrations of arousing neurotransmitters and potential bonding neurotransmitters increase during orgasm in the cerebrospinal fluid and the bloodstream. Similarly, studies in animals indicate that those neurotransmitters (noradrenaline, oxytocin, prolactin) and others (e.g. dopamine, opioids, serotonin) modulate the appetitive and consummatory phases of sexual behavior and reward. This suggests a link between the experience of orgasm/sexual reward and the neurochemical mechanisms of pair bonding. Orgasm/reward functions as an unconditioned stimulus (UCS). Some areas in the nervous system function as UCS-detection centers, which become activated during orgasm. Partner-related cues function as conditioned stimuli (CS) and are processed in CS-detector centers. Conclusions : Throughout the article, we discuss how UCS- and CS-detection centers must interact to facilitate memory consolidation and produce recognition and motivation during future social encounters. Keywords: orgasm; ejaculation; partner preference; pair bonding; opioids; dopamine; sexual reward (Published: 25 October 2016) Citation: Socioaffective Neuroscience & Psychology 2016, 6 : 31815 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/snp.v6.31815 This paper is part of the Special Issue: Orgasm: Neurophysiological, psychological, and evolutionary perspectives . More papers from this issue can be found at www.socioaffectiveneuroscipsychol.net