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Fulltext A multi-country test of brief reappraisal interventions on emotions during the COVID-19 pandemic

Wang K, Goldenberg A, Dorison CA, Miller JK, Uusberg A, Lerner JS, et al.

Nat Hum Behav, 2021 Aug;5(8):1089-1110.
PMID: 34341554 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-021-01173-x

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased negative emotions and decreased positive emotions globally. Left unchecked, these emotional changes might have a wide array of adverse impacts. To reduce negative emotions and increase positive emotions, we tested the effectiveness of reappraisal, an emotion-regulation strategy that modifies how one thinks about a situation. Participants from 87 countries and regions (n = 21,644) were randomly assigned to one of two brief reappraisal interventions (reconstrual or repurposing) or one of two control conditions (active or passive). Results revealed that both reappraisal interventions (vesus both control conditions) consistently reduced negative emotions and increased positive emotions across different measures. Reconstrual and repurposing interventions had similar effects. Importantly, planned exploratory analyses indicated that reappraisal interventions did not reduce intentions to practice preventive health behaviours. The findings demonstrate the viability of creating scalable, low-cost interventions for use around the world. PROTOCOL REGISTRATION: The stage 1 protocol for this Registered Report was accepted in principle on 12 May 2020. The protocol, as accepted by the journal, can be found at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.4878591.v1.
A novel approach to life support training using "action-linked phrases"

Hunt EA, Cruz-Eng H, Bradshaw JH, Hodge M, Bortner T, Mulvey CL, et al.

Resuscitation, 2015 Jan;86:1-5.
PMID: 25457379 DOI: 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2014.10.007

Observations of cardiopulmonary arrests (CPAs) reveal concerning patterns when clinicians identify a problem, (e.g. loss of pulse) but do not immediately initiate appropriate therapy (e.g. compressions) resulting in delays in life saving therapy.
Adsorption and self-assembly in methyl ester sulfonate surfactants, their eutectic mixtures and the role of electrolyte

Xu H, Li P, Ma K, Welbourn RJL, Doutch J, Penfold J, et al.

J Colloid Interface Sci, 2018 Apr 15;516:456-465.
PMID: 29408135 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2018.01.086

The α-methyl ester sulfonate, MES, anionic surfactants are a potentially important class of sustainable surfactants for a wide range of applications. The eutectic-like Kraft point minimum in the C16 and C18-MES mixtures is an important feature of that potential. Understanding their individual adsorption properties and the surface mixing of the eutectic mixtures are key to their wider exploitation. Neutron reflectivity has been used to investigate the adsorption at the air-water interface of the C16 and C18-MES surfactants and the eutectic mixture of C16 and C18-MES, in aqueous solution and in electrolyte. The micelle mixing of the eutectic mixture is investigated using small angle neutron scattering. The adsorption isotherms for C14 to C18-MES are found to scale with their critical micelle concentration value. The surface and micelle compositions of the C16 and C18-MES eutectic mixture differ from the eutectic composition; with compositions in the limit of high concentrations richer in C16-MES. The mixing properties are described by the pseudo phase approximation with a repulsive interaction between the two surfactants. The impact of the multivalent ions Al3+ on the adsorption at the air-water interface results in a transition from monolayer to multilayer adsorption.
Adsorption of Methyl Ester Sulfonate at the Air-Water Interface: Can Limitations in the Application of the Gibbs Equation be Overcome by Computer Purification?

Xu H, Li P, Ma K, Welbourn RJL, Penfold J, Roberts DW, et al.

Langmuir, 2017 09 26;33(38):9944-9953.
PMID: 28871785 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.7b02725

We describe a new laboratory synthesis of the α-methyl ester sulfonates based on direct sulfonation of the methyl ester by SO3 introduced from the vapor phase. This was used to synthesize a chain deuterated sample of αC14MES, which was then used to measure the surface excess of αC14MES directly at the air/water interface over a wide range of concentration using neutron reflection. The adsorption isotherm could be fitted to an empirical equation close to a Langmuir isotherm and gave a limiting surface excess of (3.4 ± 0.1) × 10-6 mol m-2 in the absence of added electrolyte. The neutron-measured surface excesses were combined with the integrated Gibbs equation to fit the variation in surface tension with concentration (σ-ln C curve). The fit was exact provided that we used a prefactor consistent with the counterion at the surface being an impurity divalent ion, as has previously been found for sodium diethylhexylsulfosuccinate (aerosol OT or AOT) and various perfluorooctanoates. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) was determined from this fit to be 2.4 ± 0.3 mM in the absence of electrolyte. In the presence of 100 mM NaCl, this contamination was suppressed and the σ-ln C curve could be fitted using the integrated Gibbs equation with the expected prefactor of 1. The new data were used to reinterpret measurements by Danov et al. on an unpurified sample of αC14MES for which computer refinement was used to try to eliminate the effects of the impurities.
Fulltext Arctic-adapted dogs emerged at the Pleistocene-Holocene transition

Sinding MS, Gopalakrishnan S, Ramos-Madrigal J, de Manuel M, Pitulko VV, Kuderna L, et al.

Science, 2020 06 26;368(6498):1495-1499.
PMID: 32587022 DOI: 10.1126/science.aaz8599

Although sled dogs are one of the most specialized groups of dogs, their origin and evolution has received much less attention than many other dog groups. We applied a genomic approach to investigate their spatiotemporal emergence by sequencing the genomes of 10 modern Greenland sled dogs, an ~9500-year-old Siberian dog associated with archaeological evidence for sled technology, and an ~33,000-year-old Siberian wolf. We found noteworthy genetic similarity between the ancient dog and modern sled dogs. We detected gene flow from Pleistocene Siberian wolves, but not modern American wolves, to present-day sled dogs. The results indicate that the major ancestry of modern sled dogs traces back to Siberia, where sled dog-specific haplotypes of genes that potentially relate to Arctic adaptation were established by 9500 years ago.
Fulltext Assessing the carcinogenic potential of low-dose exposures to chemical mixtures in the environment: focus on the cancer hallmark of tumor angiogenesis

Hu Z, Brooks SA, Dormoy V, Hsu CW, Hsu HY, Lin LT, et al.

Carcinogenesis, 2015 Jun;36 Suppl 1:S184-202.
PMID: 26106137 DOI: 10.1093/carcin/bgv036

One of the important 'hallmarks' of cancer is angiogenesis, which is the process of formation of new blood vessels that are necessary for tumor expansion, invasion and metastasis. Under normal physiological conditions, angiogenesis is well balanced and controlled by endogenous proangiogenic factors and antiangiogenic factors. However, factors produced by cancer cells, cancer stem cells and other cell types in the tumor stroma can disrupt the balance so that the tumor microenvironment favors tumor angiogenesis. These factors include vascular endothelial growth factor, endothelial tissue factor and other membrane bound receptors that mediate multiple intracellular signaling pathways that contribute to tumor angiogenesis. Though environmental exposures to certain chemicals have been found to initiate and promote tumor development, the role of these exposures (particularly to low doses of multiple substances), is largely unknown in relation to tumor angiogenesis. This review summarizes the evidence of the role of environmental chemical bioactivity and exposure in tumor angiogenesis and carcinogenesis. We identify a number of ubiquitous (prototypical) chemicals with disruptive potential that may warrant further investigation given their selectivity for high-throughput screening assay targets associated with proangiogenic pathways. We also consider the cross-hallmark relationships of a number of important angiogenic pathway targets with other cancer hallmarks and we make recommendations for future research. Understanding of the role of low-dose exposure of chemicals with disruptive potential could help us refine our approach to cancer risk assessment, and may ultimately aid in preventing cancer by reducing or eliminating exposures to synergistic mixtures of chemicals with carcinogenic potential.
Fulltext Assessing the carcinogenic potential of low-dose exposures to chemical mixtures in the environment: the challenge ahead

Goodson WH, Lowe L, Carpenter DO, Gilbertson M, Manaf Ali A, Lopez de Cerain Salsamendi A, et al.

Carcinogenesis, 2015 Jun;36 Suppl 1:S254-96.
PMID: 26106142 DOI: 10.1093/carcin/bgv039

Lifestyle factors are responsible for a considerable portion of cancer incidence worldwide, but credible estimates from the World Health Organization and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) suggest that the fraction of cancers attributable to toxic environmental exposures is between 7% and 19%. To explore the hypothesis that low-dose exposures to mixtures of chemicals in the environment may be combining to contribute to environmental carcinogenesis, we reviewed 11 hallmark phenotypes of cancer, multiple priority target sites for disruption in each area and prototypical chemical disruptors for all targets, this included dose-response characterizations, evidence of low-dose effects and cross-hallmark effects for all targets and chemicals. In total, 85 examples of chemicals were reviewed for actions on key pathways/mechanisms related to carcinogenesis. Only 15% (13/85) were found to have evidence of a dose-response threshold, whereas 59% (50/85) exerted low-dose effects. No dose-response information was found for the remaining 26% (22/85). Our analysis suggests that the cumulative effects of individual (non-carcinogenic) chemicals acting on different pathways, and a variety of related systems, organs, tissues and cells could plausibly conspire to produce carcinogenic synergies. Additional basic research on carcinogenesis and research focused on low-dose effects of chemical mixtures needs to be rigorously pursued before the merits of this hypothesis can be further advanced. However, the structure of the World Health Organization International Programme on Chemical Safety 'Mode of Action' framework should be revisited as it has inherent weaknesses that are not fully aligned with our current understanding of cancer biology.
Association of urbanicity with psychosis in low- and middle-income countries

DeVylder JE, Kelleher I, Lalane M, Oh H, Link BG, Koyanagi A

JAMA Psychiatry, 2018 Jul 01;75(7):678-686.
PMID: 29799917 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2018.0577

Importance: Urban residence is one of the most well-established risk factors for psychotic disorder, but most evidence comes from a small group of high-income countries.
Objective: To determine whether urban living is associated with greater odds for psychosis in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
Design, Setting, and Participants: This international population-based study used cross-sectional survey data collected as part of the World Health Organization (WHO) World Health Survey from May 2, 2002, through December 31, 2004. Participants included nationally representative general population probability samples of adults (≥18 years) residing in 42 LMICs (N = 215 682). Data were analyzed from November 20 through December 5, 2017.
Exposures: Urban vs nonurban residence, determined by the WHO based on national data.
Main Outcomes and Measures: Psychotic experiences, assessed using the WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview psychosis screen, and self-reported lifetime history of a diagnosis of a psychotic disorder.
Results: Among the 215 682 participants (50.8% women and 49.2% men; mean [SD] age, 37.9 [15.7] years), urban residence was not associated with psychotic experiences (odds ratio [OR], 0.99; 95% CI, 0.89-1.11) or psychotic disorder (OR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.76-1.06). Results of all pooled analyses and meta-analyses of within-country effects approached a null effect, with an overall OR of 0.97 (95% CI, 0.87-1.07), OR for low-income countries of 0.98 (95% CI, 0.82-1.15), and OR for middle-income countries of 0.96 (95% CI, 0.84-1.09) for psychotic experiences and an overall OR of 0.92 (95% CI, 0.73-1.16), OR for low-income countries of 0.92 (95% CI, 0.66-1.27), and OR for middle-income countries of 0.92 (95% CI, 0.67-1.27) for psychotic disorder.
Conclusions and Relevance: Our results provide evidence that urbanicity, a well-established risk factor for psychosis, may not be associated with elevated odds for psychosis in developing countries. This finding may provide better understanding of the mechanisms by which urban living may contribute to psychosis risk in high-income countries, because urban-rural patterns of cannabis use, racial discrimination, and socioeconomic disparities may vary between developing and developed nations.
Study name: World Health Survey (Malaysia is a study site)
Fulltext Author Correction: A multi-country test of brief reappraisal interventions on emotions during the COVID-19 pandemic

Wang K, Goldenberg A, Dorison CA, Miller JK, Uusberg A, Lerner JS, et al.

Nat Hum Behav, 2022 Sep;6(9):1318-1319.
PMID: 36002766 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-022-01441-4
Author Correction: Global status and conservation potential of reef sharks

MacNeil MA, Chapman DD, Heupel M, Simpfendorfer CA, Heithaus M, Meekan M, et al.

Nature, 2020 09;585(7825):E11.
PMID: 32848253 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2692-z

An Amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Fulltext Beyond the crisis: building back better mental health care in 10 emergency-affected areas using a longer-term perspective

Epping-Jordan JE, van Ommeren M, Ashour HN, Maramis A, Marini A, Mohanraj A, et al.

Int J Ment Health Syst, 2015;9:15.
PMID: 25904981 DOI: 10.1186/s13033-015-0007-9

BACKGROUND: Major gaps remain - especially in low- and middle-income countries - in the realization of comprehensive, community-based mental health care. One potentially important yet overlooked opportunity for accelerating mental health reform lies within emergency situations, such as armed conflicts or natural disasters. Despite their adverse impacts on affected populations' mental health and well being, emergencies also draw attention and resources to these issues and provide openings for mental health service development.
CASE DESCRIPTION: Cases were considered if they represented a low- or middle-income country or territory affected by an emergency, were initiated between 2000 and 2010, succeeded in making changes to the mental health system, and were able to be documented by an expert involved directly with the case. Based on these criteria, 10 case examples from diverse emergency-affected settings were included: Afghanistan, Burundi, Indonesia (Aceh Province), Iraq, Jordan, Kosovo, occupied Palestinian territory, Somalia, Sri Lanka, and Timor-Leste.
DISCUSSION AND EVALUATION: These cases demonstrate generally that emergency contexts can be tapped to make substantial and sustainable improvements in mental health systems. From these experiences, 10 common lessons learnt were identified on how to make this happen. These lessons include the importance of adopting a longer-term perspective for mental health reform from the outset, and focusing on system-wide reform that addresses both new-onset and pre-existing mental disorders.
CONCLUSIONS: Global progress in mental health care would happen more quickly if, in every crisis, strategic efforts were made to convert short-term interest in mental health problems into momentum for mental health reform.

Matched MeSH terms: Jordan
Biochemical and structural characterization of meningococcal methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase

Pantong W, Pederick JL, Maenpuen S, Tinikul R, Jayapalan JJ, Jovcevski B, et al.

Protein Sci, 2023 Jun;32(6):e4654.
PMID: 37165541 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4654

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is a key metabolic enzyme in colonization and virulence of Neisseria meningitidis, a causative agent of meningococcal diseases. Here, the biochemical and structural properties of MTHFR from a virulent strain of N. meningitidis serogroup B (NmMTHFR) were characterized. Unlike other orthologs, NmMTHFR functions as a unique homohexamer, composed of three homo-dimerization partners, as shown in our 2.7 Å resolution crystal structure. Six active sites were formed solely within monomers and located away from the oligomerization interfaces. Flavin adenine dinucleotide cofactor formed hydrogen bonds with conserved sidechains, positioning its isoalloxazine ring adjacent to the overlapping binding sites of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) coenzyme and CH2 -H4 folate substrate. NmMTHFR utilized NADH (Km = 44 μM) as an electron donor in the NAD(P)H-CH2 -H4 folate oxidoreductase assay, but not nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) which is the donor required in human MTHFR. In silico analysis and mutagenesis studies highlighted the significant difference in orientation of helix α7A (Phe215-Thr225) with that in the human enzyme. The extended sidechain of Met221 on helix α7A plays a role in stabilizing the folded structure of NADH in the hydrophobic box. This supports the NADH specificity by restricting the phosphate group of NADPH that causes steric clashes with Glu26. The movement of Met221 sidechain allows the CH2 -H4 folate substrate to bind. The unique topology of its NADH and CH2 -H4 folate binding pockets makes NmMTHFR a promising drug target for the development of new antimicrobial agents that may possess reduced off-target side effects.
Fulltext COVID-19 Home Confinement Negatively Impacts Social Participation and Life Satisfaction: A Worldwide Multicenter Study

Ammar A, Chtourou H, Boukhris O, Trabelsi K, Masmoudi L, Brach M, et al.

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2020 Aug 27;17(17).
PMID: 32867287 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17176237

Public health recommendations and governmental measures during the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic have enforced numerous restrictions on daily living including social distancing, isolation, and home confinement. While these measures are imperative to mitigate spreading of COVID-19, the impact of these restrictions on psychosocial health is undefined. Therefore, an international online survey was launched in April 2020 to elucidate the behavioral and lifestyle consequences of COVID-19 restrictions. This report presents the preliminary results from more than one thousand responders on social participation and life satisfaction.
METHODS: Thirty-five research organizations from Europe, North-Africa, Western Asia, and the Americas promoted the survey through their networks to the general society, in 7 languages (English, German, French, Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, and Slovenian). Questions were presented in a differential format with questions related to responses "before" and "during" confinement conditions.
RESULTS: 1047 participations (54% women) from Asia (36%), Africa (40%), Europe (21%), and others (3%) were included in the analysis. Findings revealed psychosocial strain during the enforced COVID-19 home confinement. Large decreases (p < 0.001) in the amount of social activity through family (-58%), friends/neighbors (-44.9%), or entertainment (-46.7%) were triggered by the enforced confinement. These negative effects on social participation were also associated with lower life satisfaction (-30.5%) during the confinement period. Conversely, the social contact score through digital technologies significantly increased (p < 0.001) during the confinement period with more individuals (+24.8%) being socially connected through digital technology.
CONCLUSION: These preliminary findings elucidate the risk of psychosocial strain during the early COVID-19 home confinement period in 2020. Therefore, in order to mitigate the negative psychosocial effects of home confinement, implementation of national strategies focused on promoting social inclusion through a technology-based solution is strongly suggested.
Fulltext Calpain Inhibition Restores Autophagy and Prevents Mitochondrial Fragmentation in a Human iPSC Model of Diabetic Endotheliopathy

Ong SB, Lee WH, Shao NY, Ismail NI, Katwadi K, Lim MM, et al.

Stem Cell Reports, 2019 03 05;12(3):597-610.
PMID: 30799273 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2019.01.017

The relationship between diabetes and endothelial dysfunction remains unclear, particularly the association with pathological activation of calpain, an intracellular cysteine protease. Here, we used human induced pluripotent stem cells-derived endothelial cells (iPSC-ECs) to investigate the effects of diabetes on vascular health. Our results indicate that iPSC-ECs exposed to hyperglycemia had impaired autophagy, increased mitochondria fragmentation, and was associated with increased calpain activity. In addition, hyperglycemic iPSC-ECs had increased susceptibility to cell death when subjected to a secondary insult-simulated ischemia-reperfusion injury (sIRI). Importantly, calpain inhibition restored autophagy and reduced mitochondrial fragmentation, concurrent with maintenance of ATP production, normalized reactive oxygen species levels and reduced susceptibility to sIRI. Using a human iPSC model of diabetic endotheliopathy, we demonstrated that restoration of autophagy and prevention of mitochondrial fragmentation via calpain inhibition improves vascular integrity. Our human iPSC-EC model thus represents a valuable platform to explore biological mechanisms and new treatments for diabetes-induced endothelial dysfunction.
Fulltext Can post-treatment oral cancer patients' concerns reflect their cancer characteristics, HRQoL, psychological distress level and satisfaction with consultation?

Aminnudin AN, Doss JG, Ismail SM, Chai MB, Abidin MZ, Basri CSJM, et al.

Ecancermedicalscience, 2020;14:1118.
PMID: 33209109 DOI: 10.3332/ecancer.2020.1118

Background: Oral cancer and its treatment impact patients' post-treatment outcomes, challenging clinicians to manage them optimally. Addressing patients' concerns is central to holistic patient-centred care.
Objectives: This study aimed to determine post-treatment oral cancer patients' concerns and its relationship with patients' clinical characteristics, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), psychological distress and patient satisfaction with the follow-up consultation.
Methods: A total of 85 oral cancer patients were recruited from a three-armed pragmatic RCT study on the patient concerns inventory for head and neck cancer (PCI-H&N), which was conducted at six hospital-based oral maxillofacial specialist clinics throughout Malaysia. Malaysians aged 18 years and above and on follow-ups from 1 month to 5 years or more were eligible. Patients completed the PCI-H&N, functional assessment of cancer therapy -H&N v4.0 and Distress Thermometer at pre-consultation and satisfaction questionnaire at post-consultation. The data were analysed descriptively; multiple linear regression and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to determine possible predictors of patients' HRQoL and psychological distress.
Results: 'Recurrence or fear of cancer coming back' (31.8%) was most frequently selected. 43.5% of patients selected ≥4 concerns. A significantly high number of concerns were associated with patients of '1-month to 1-year post-treatment' (n = 84%; p = 0.001). A significant association existed between 'time after treatment completed' and patients' concerns of 'chewing/eating', 'mouth opening', 'swelling', 'weight', 'ability to perform', 'cancer treatment' and 'supplement/diet-related'. 'Chewing/eating' was predicted for low HRQoL (p < 0.0001) followed by 'appearance' and 'ability to perform recreation activities' (personal functions domain). Patients with high psychological distress levels were 14 times more likely to select 'ability to perform recreation activities' and seven times more likely to select 'feeling depressed'. No significant association was identified between patients' concerns and patients' satisfaction with the consultation.
Conclusion: Routine follow-up consultations should incorporate the PCI-H&N prompt list to enhance patient-centred care approach as the type and number of patients' concerns are shown to reflect their HRQoL and psychological distress.TRIAL REGISTRATION: NMRR-18-3624-45010 (IIR).
Fulltext Causes of genome instability: the effect of low dose chemical exposures in modern society

Langie SA, Koppen G, Desaulniers D, Al-Mulla F, Al-Temaimi R, Amedei A, et al.

Carcinogenesis, 2015 Jun;36 Suppl 1:S61-88.
PMID: 26106144 DOI: 10.1093/carcin/bgv031

Genome instability is a prerequisite for the development of cancer. It occurs when genome maintenance systems fail to safeguard the genome's integrity, whether as a consequence of inherited defects or induced via exposure to environmental agents (chemicals, biological agents and radiation). Thus, genome instability can be defined as an enhanced tendency for the genome to acquire mutations; ranging from changes to the nucleotide sequence to chromosomal gain, rearrangements or loss. This review raises the hypothesis that in addition to known human carcinogens, exposure to low dose of other chemicals present in our modern society could contribute to carcinogenesis by indirectly affecting genome stability. The selected chemicals with their mechanisms of action proposed to indirectly contribute to genome instability are: heavy metals (DNA repair, epigenetic modification, DNA damage signaling, telomere length), acrylamide (DNA repair, chromosome segregation), bisphenol A (epigenetic modification, DNA damage signaling, mitochondrial function, chromosome segregation), benomyl (chromosome segregation), quinones (epigenetic modification) and nano-sized particles (epigenetic pathways, mitochondrial function, chromosome segregation, telomere length). The purpose of this review is to describe the crucial aspects of genome instability, to outline the ways in which environmental chemicals can affect this cancer hallmark and to identify candidate chemicals for further study. The overall aim is to make scientists aware of the increasing need to unravel the underlying mechanisms via which chemicals at low doses can induce genome instability and thus promote carcinogenesis.
Fulltext Chemical compounds from anthropogenic environment and immune evasion mechanisms: potential interactions

Kravchenko J, Corsini E, Williams MA, Decker W, Manjili MH, Otsuki T, et al.

Carcinogenesis, 2015 Jun;36 Suppl 1:S111-27.
PMID: 26002081 DOI: 10.1093/carcin/bgv033

An increasing number of studies suggest an important role of host immunity as a barrier to tumor formation and progression. Complex mechanisms and multiple pathways are involved in evading innate and adaptive immune responses, with a broad spectrum of chemicals displaying the potential to adversely influence immunosurveillance. The evaluation of the cumulative effects of low-dose exposures from the occupational and natural environment, especially if multiple chemicals target the same gene(s) or pathway(s), is a challenge. We reviewed common environmental chemicals and discussed their potential effects on immunosurveillance. Our overarching objective was to review related signaling pathways influencing immune surveillance such as the pathways involving PI3K/Akt, chemokines, TGF-β, FAK, IGF-1, HIF-1α, IL-6, IL-1α, CTLA-4 and PD-1/PDL-1 could individually or collectively impact immunosurveillance. A number of chemicals that are common in the anthropogenic environment such as fungicides (maneb, fluoxastrobin and pyroclostrobin), herbicides (atrazine), insecticides (pyridaben and azamethiphos), the components of personal care products (triclosan and bisphenol A) and diethylhexylphthalate with pathways critical to tumor immunosurveillance. At this time, these chemicals are not recognized as human carcinogens; however, it is known that they these chemicalscan simultaneously persist in the environment and appear to have some potential interfere with the host immune response, therefore potentially contributing to promotion interacting with of immune evasion mechanisms, and promoting subsequent tumor growth and progression.
Fulltext Childhood cancer survivorship care during the COVID-19 pandemic: an international report of practice implications and provider concerns

van den Oever SR, Pluijm SMF, Skinner R, Glaser A, Mulder RL, Armenian S, et al.

J Cancer Surviv, 2022 Dec;16(6):1390-1400.
PMID: 35020136 DOI: 10.1007/s11764-021-01120-9

PURPOSE: Long-term follow-up (LTFU) care is essential to optimise health outcomes in childhood cancer survivors (CCS). We aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on LTFU services and providers.
METHODS: A COVID-19 working group within the International Late Effects of Childhood Cancer Guideline Harmonization Group (IGHG) distributed a questionnaire to LTFU service providers in 37 countries across Europe, Asia, North America, Central/South America, and Australia. The questionnaire assessed how care delivery methods changed during the pandemic and respondents' level of worry about the pandemic's impact on LTFU care delivery, their finances, their health, and that of their family and friends.
RESULTS: Among 226 institutions, providers from 178 (79%) responded. Shortly after the initial outbreak, 42% of LTFU clinics closed. Restrictions during the pandemic resulted in fewer in-person consultations and an increased use of telemedicine, telephone, and email consultations. The use of a risk assessment to prioritise the method of LTFU consultation for individual CCS increased from 12 to 47%. While respondents anticipated in-person consultations to remain the primary method for LTFU service delivery, they expected significantly increased use of telemedicine and telephone consultations after the pandemic. On average, respondents reported highest levels of worry about psychosocial well-being of survivors.
CONCLUSIONS: The pandemic necessitated changes in LTFU service delivery, including greater use of virtual LTFU care and risk-stratification to identify CCS that need in-person evaluations.
IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: Increased utilisation of virtual LTFU care and risk stratification is likely to persist post-pandemic.
Fulltext Classical Human Leukocyte Antigen Alleles and C4 Haplotypes Are Not Significantly Associated With Depression

Glanville KP, Coleman JRI, Hanscombe KB, Euesden J, Choi SW, Purves KL, et al.

Biol Psychiatry, 2020 Mar 01;87(5):419-430.
PMID: 31570195 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.06.031

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of depression is higher in individuals with autoimmune diseases, but the mechanisms underlying the observed comorbidities are unknown. Shared genetic etiology is a plausible explanation for the overlap, and in this study we tested whether genetic variation in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), which is associated with risk for autoimmune diseases, is also associated with risk for depression.
METHODS: We fine-mapped the classical MHC (chr6: 29.6-33.1 Mb), imputing 216 human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles and 4 complement component 4 (C4) haplotypes in studies from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium Major Depressive Disorder Working Group and the UK Biobank. The total sample size was 45,149 depression cases and 86,698 controls. We tested for association between depression status and imputed MHC variants, applying both a region-wide significance threshold (3.9 × 10-6) and a candidate threshold (1.6 × 10-4).
RESULTS: No HLA alleles or C4 haplotypes were associated with depression at the region-wide threshold. HLA-B*08:01 was associated with modest protection for depression at the candidate threshold for testing in HLA genes in the meta-analysis (odds ratio = 0.98, 95% confidence interval = 0.97-0.99).
CONCLUSIONS: We found no evidence that an increased risk for depression was conferred by HLA alleles, which play a major role in the genetic susceptibility to autoimmune diseases, or C4 haplotypes, which are strongly associated with schizophrenia. These results suggest that any HLA or C4 variants associated with depression either are rare or have very modest effect sizes.
Comparison of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis) whistles from two areas of western Peninsular Malaysia

Hoffman JM, Ponnampalam LS, Araújo CC, Wang JY, Kuit SH, Hung SK

J Acoust Soc Am, 2015 Nov;138(5):2829-35.
PMID: 26627759 DOI: 10.1121/1.4934254

Differences in the acoustic variables of whistles emitted by Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) from two coastal locations along western Peninsular Malaysia were investigated. Duration, frequency, and frequency modulation variables were extracted from and used to characterize recordings of free-ranging humpback dolphins that were made using a broadband towed hydrophone. A total of 960 whistles from Matang Mangroves and 823 whistles from Langkawi Island were used in analyses. The whistles of Malaysian humpback dolphins covered frequencies from 1231 to 27 120 Hz with durations from 0.010-1.575 s. Significant multivariate differences were found in whistles emitted between locations. Significant differences were also found between dolphins of the two locations in their whistle duration, frequency modulation, and all frequency variables except for minimum frequency, which is likely under morphological constraints. The differences in whistles may be related to adaptations to the local acoustic habitat or unique whistles may have developed due to social interactions within each location, or broader scale differences resulting from geographic separation between the locations.

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