Chronic exposure to waterpipe smoke elicits immunomodulatory and carcinogenic effects in the lung

Effects of waterpipe smoking on lung pathobiology and carcinogenesis remain sparse despite the worldwide emergence of this tobacco vector as a socially acceptable form of smoking, particularly among the youth. To address this gap, we investigated the effects of chronic waterpipe smoke (WPS) exposure on lung pathobiology, host immunity, and tumorigenesis using both an experimental animal model and an exploratory observational analysis of human waterpipe smokers and non-smokers. Mice exposed to increasing doses of WPS (once or five times per week for 20 weeks), through an exclusively devised exposure system for this study, were more prone to develop lung tumors compared to control-air exposed littermates. This effect was accompanied by various pro-tumor immune phenotypes, including increased IL-17A+ levels in T/B cells as well as elevated expression of the immune checkpoint PD-L1 and the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β in myeloid cells. While flow cytometry analysis revealed increased CD4 and CD8 T cell infiltration in WPSexposed mice, gene signatures of cytotoxic and expanded immune response were, conversely, decreased in animals exposed to heavy WPS relative to control air. Interestingly, mice heavily exposed to WPS exhibited increased expression of Tmprss4, Cd55, and Ace2, cell receptors and mediators of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) entry and, thus, COVID-19 pathogenesis. We also perform RNA-sequencing analysis of bronchial airway epithelial brushings of cancer-free waterpipe smokers and non-smokers undergoing diagnostic bronchoscopy. Transcriptomes of normal airway cells in waterpipe smokers, relative to waterpipe non-smokers, harbored gene programs that were associated with poor clinical outcomes in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) patients, alluding to a WPS-associated molecular injury, like that established in response to cigarette smoking. Overall, our analyses demonstrate immunomodulatory and carcinogenic effects of WPS on the murine and human lung. Our study also shows that WPS exposure leads to a field of injury that may be associated with increased risk for lung cancer. This study is unique for interrogating carcinogenic effects of chronic exposure to WPS with the longest, to our knowledge, follow-up time in vivo. Our findings accentuate the need for additional studies that can guide evidence-based policies to counteract shortfalls in public health control of waterpipe smoking.

HERBERT CODDINGTON’S SPIRITUALITY AND MEDICAL WORK

Korea was liberated from Japan in 1945, but the war continued when North Korea invaded South Korea in 1950. After the war until the early 1970s, many people in South Korea suffered from hunger because there was not enough food;in particular, many sick people wandered around the streets and lived as beggars and social outcasts. At that time, Dr. Herbert Codington, a medical missionary sent from the Southern Presbyterian denomination in the United States, contributed greatly to the fight against tuberculosis and other diseases in South Korea. At the heart of his Christian spirituality was a strong affirmation of Jesus’ message that a person needs to be both spiritually and physically healthy in order to lead a whole, meaningful life. To this end, he preached the Gospel, while at the same time receiving minimal medical treatment himself and offering free treatment to poor Korean patients. His ideas about medical treatment at the time shocked Korean society, yet today, the South Korean government is still following his medical practices in many ways. This study will show that his medical ideas are very efficient in helping to deal with huge epidemics, such as Covid-19. © 2022, Ecozone, OAIMDD. All rights reserved.

Vital Dataveillance: Investigating Data in Exchange for Vitality through South Korea's COVID-19 Technogovernance

Through a case study of South Korea's tracking infrastructure, this study critically examines new surveillance technologies deployed during the COVID-19 pandemic. I consider the ways that these technologies were widely framed as beneficial and benign, contributing to their widespread acceptance, and normalizing their pervasive and intrusive tracking capacities. By employing cluster criticism analysis of the Korean health authorities' official reports, I argue that Korean health authorities discursively construct their ICT-based tracking infrastructure as democratic technologies of control. They also position Korean citizens as data subjects entitled to the right to know about vitality and caring subjects responsible for the vitality of others through their provision of data, an exchange which this paper terms as vital dataveillance. Through the concept of vital dataveillance, this study illuminates the new types of data governance and data rights of the pandemic.

Inconsistent trends regarding the association between ABO blood groups and susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infections

ABO antigens, produced from the ABO gene, are known to impact host interactions with various viruses. One characteristic is the host's susceptibility to viral infections. Host interaction with viral particles is altered by the blood type-determined combination of ABO antigens on the cellular surface. SARS-CoV-2 is a novel strain of the coronavirus family known to have structural similarities with SARS-CoV. Considering ABO antigens' association with SARS-CoV, studies have examined their relationship with SARS-CoV-2 as well. We reviewed current perspectives on the relationship between host susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infections and ABO antigens by examining cohort studies observing proportional differences between patients of varying blood types. While many studies indicated a higher risk of type A patients and a lower risk for type O patients, trends tended to vary per population. Consequently, we investigated the differences in study design between cohort studies that produced the variation in trends. Additionally, we examined genome-wide association studies that indicate a genetic association between the variables. We present the need for a standardized calculation method determining the significance of each blood group in its relationship with SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility per cohort.

Conclusion

The concluding chapter summarises how academic student mobility and the regionalisation of higher education are prevalent in higher education in Africa. The educational benefits for individuals, countries, and the continent, based on the data gathered for this study include quality education, brain circulation, human capital capacity, cultural benefits, regional benefits, as well as safety and security. The chapter also discusses the impact of Covid-19 on intra-Africa mobility currently and offers reflections for the post-Covid world. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Implementation of a novel patientreported outcomes measure for patients with cancer and COVID-19 infection

Background: The long-term symptoms from COVID-19 (C19) infection in pts with cancer is not fully known. To monitor the evolution of this symptom burden over time, we designed and implemented a C19-specific patient-reported outcome (PRO) measure that integrated with a known measure of cancer symptom burden. Methods: Within the institutional initiative on C19 and cancer named Data-Driven Determinants for C19 Oncology Discovery Effort (D3CODE), pts with cancer & PCR-pos C19 are invited to participate in this longitudinal study. Pts complete the EQ-5D-5L, the 13 symptom severity & 6 interference items of the core MD Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI)+14 COVID-specific items, all scored on a 0-10 scale, 0 = none, 10 = worst imaginable. Pts complete the survey daily x 14 days from positive test date, then weekly x 3months, then monthly x 2yrs. Demographic and disease information was collected. Psychometric procedures determined validity and reliability of the MDASI-COVID. Results: Between 5/15/20-02/14/21, 2154 pts w PCR-confirmed C19 were invited to participate in the longitudinal study. 1282 (60%) pts provided consent and began the longitudinal completion of PRO surveys. Pts were 54.5% Female and 45.5% Male, median age 59 years (range 15-92). 1021 (80%) are White/Caucasian, 206 (16%) Hispanic, 113 (9%) African American, and 39 (3%) Asian. The validation analysis of MDASI-COVID instrument included the 1 600 pts where the mean overall health rating on EQ-5D-5L was 78.3 (SD 19.6), best being 100. Highest mean (M) severity symptoms on the MDASI-COVID were fatigue (M 3.45, SD 2.17), drowsiness (M 2.50, SD 2.89), sleep disturbance (M 2.44, SD 2.99), malaise (M 2.37, SD 3.05), and distress (M 2.27, SD 2.90). Most severe (≥ 7) symptoms) reported were fatigue (21.3% of pts), change in taste (14.8%), change in smell (14.4%), malaise (14.3%), sleep disturbance (14.3%), and drowsiness (14%). showed internal consistency (Cronbach α) of the 27 symptom items was 0.957, of the 6 interference items was 0.937. Mean severity of the 27 symptom items was significantly correlated with overall EQ-5D-5L health rating (correlation =-0.45, P < 0.0005), demonstrating concurrent validity. Mean symptom severity and interference showed known-group validity between pts who required hospitalization (symptom M 2.32, SD 2.09;interference M 3.29, SD 3.02) and those who did not (symptom M 1.69, SD 1.85;interference M 2.20, SD 2.64) (symptom P 0.007;interference P 0.004). Conclusions: We successfully deployed a PRObased long-term symptom monitoring platform for pts with C19 and cancer. The validation analysis of this novel C19 specific PRO, the MDASI-COVID, AIDS in the quantification of the global symptom burden in pts with both cancer and COVID-19 infection. Deployment of this measure in the ongoing longitudinal observational cohort allows for in-depth understanding of the long-term symptoms related to C19 and cancer.

Efficacy of topical antimicrobial prophylaxis for mucosal head and neck surgery: A meta-analysis

Introduction: We aim to understand the differences in surgical site infection (SSI) rates after major mucosal head and neck surgery between patients who received topical antimicrobial prophylaxis and those who did not. We recognize which topical antimicrobial treatments are available for mucosal application. We explain methods for designing a multicenter, prospective trial to determine whether topical antimicrobial prophylaxis should become standard of care for patients undergoing mucosal head and neck surgery. We believe this abstract deserves consideration for late-breaking status due to its novelty and interest to the larger otolaryngology community. Our institution has been recently interested in topical antimicrobials to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in health care settings. While we were studying the effects of topical antimicrobial prophylaxis applied intranasally on SARS-CoV-2 transmission in health care workers over the past several months, we decided to translate that work to assessing SSI rates after mucosal head and neck surgery. Before considering funding a multicenter prospective study on this topic, we proceeded with this systematic review and meta-analysis to help inform future trials. Our meta-analysis reveals a greater than 50% risk reduction in SSIs in patients who underwent perioperative topical antimicrobial therapy to the oral cavity and/or pharynx compared with patients who did not receive topical prophylaxis, which is both statistically significant and clinically meaningful. We believe these findings are pertinent to all otolaryngologists who perform mucosal surgery. Methods: A search of Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Clinicaltrials.gov from inception to May 20, 2021, was performed. Clinical trials, cohort studies, and case-control studies with SSI rates of adults who underwent mucosal head and neck surgery and received perioperative topical antimicrobial therapy to the oral cavity and/or pharynx were included. Studies of dental procedures were excluded. Results: Of 265 unique citations, 9 studies were included. Topical treatments included clindamycin, tetracycline, piperacillintazobactam, ampicillin-carbenicillin, neomycin-erythromycin, mupirocin, and povidone-iodine. Pooled SSI rates of 252 patients with topical antimicrobial prophylaxis and 218 control patients without topical therapy were 8% (95% CI, 3%- 14%, I2 = 61.2%) and 29% (95% CI, 16%-43%, I2 = 79.5%), respectively. Another meta-analysis of 7 comparative studies totaling 192 topical therapy patients and 218 control patients revealed a pooled relative risk of 0.44 (95% CI, 0.28-0.68, I2 = 0.0%) in favor of the treatment group. Conclusion: Patients who underwent prophylactic topical antimicrobial therapy had less than half the risk of developing SSI after mucosal head and neck surgery compared with those who received no topical prophylaxis.

Shouting Into the Wind: Medical Science versus “B.S.” in the Twitter Maelstrom of Politics and Misinformation About Hydroxychloroquine

In the social media marketplace of ideas during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, epidemiologists and other scientific and medical experts competed for attention with news media, government agencies, politicians, celebrities, and rank conspiracy theorists. However, everyone with a Twitter account was not equally qualified to speak knowledgeably about critical issues related to the outbreak, such as prevention and treatment. And, accurate information from informed sources can mean the difference between life and death. Our exploratory study addresses a simple, but important question: whose messages about the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for coronavirus were getting the most attention on Twitter? We provide a data visualization of Twitter activity for the period of 21 January through 21 May 2020 that shows users who tweeted about hydroxychloroquine, as well as who interacted with each of them (through likes, comments, retweets, etc.) to determine who were the most prominent voices on the network during a critical juncture of the outbreak. From our analysis, it appears that President Donald Trump’s handle (@realDonaldTrump) and other pro-Trump related accounts were the most influential voices on Twitter during this time of the crisis, rather than those from relevant experts, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (@CDCgov) or the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (@NIAIDnews). © The Author(s) 2021.

Scientific Collaboration on COVID-19 Amidst Geopolitical Tensions between the US and China

As the threat of COVID-19 and US-China tensions are increasing, this study focused on this intensifying intersection between geopolitics and global science in the midst of a pandemic. This scientometric study examined the US' and China's international collaboration patterns on science and engineering (S&E) COVID-19 articles through the lenses of scientific nationalism and scientific globalism. While scientific nationalism would assume that the current political rhetoric and protectionist policies would lead to a decrease in international collaboration, our findings showed the reverse. The world's proportion of international collaborations generally increased. Findings also revealed that despite geopolitical tensions, the highest number of internationally coauthored S&E COVID-19 articles between two countries involve the US and China. Their collaboration rate on COVID-19 is higher than during the past five-years as well as on non-COVID-19 articles published during 2020.