COVID-19 drive-through testing survey: Measuring the burden on healthcare workers.

Objective: To survey individuals who tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) at 1 of 4 Trinity Health of New England drive-through testing centers to assess their demographic information, hospitalization rate, preexisting conditions, possible routes of exposures, duration of symptoms, and subsequent household infections of healthcare workers (HCWs) when compared to non-HCWs.

Methods: Data were collected via a telephone survey using a standardized script. Between March 1, 2020 and June 17, 2020, 28,903 people were tested at 4 Connecticut drive-through testing centers.

Potential Use of Artificial Intelligence for Regulatory Intelligence: Biopharmaceutical Industry's Views.

Background: Pharmaceutical companies rely on regulatory intelligence (RI) to analyze information from internal and external sources. To facilitate RI activities, companies are seeking ways to harness technology to optimize their capabilities. Specifically, there is a growing interest for artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance RI activities.

The concentration of ethanol affects its penetration rate in bovine cardiac and hepatic tissues.

Introduction: Ethanol is a commonly used fixative. Fixation of the inner layers of the tissue depends on the ability of the fixative to diffuse into the tissue. It is unknown whether the concentration of ethanol affects its penetration into tissues.

The penetration of methanol into bovine cardiac and hepatic tissues is faster than ethanol and formalin.

Methanol, ethanol and formalin are commonly used as fixatives to preserve biological tissues from decay in the preparation of histological sections. Fixation of the inner layers of the tissue depends on the ability of the fixative to diffuse into the tissue. It is unknown whether methanol penetrates tissues at similar rates to other fixatives.

Combination of celecoxib (Celebrex) and CD19 CAR-redirected CTL immunotherapy for the treatment of B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas.

The nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) Celecoxib (Celebrex) received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in 1998 for treatment of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, and in recent years, its use has been extended to various types of malignancies, such as breast, colon, and urinary cancers. To maintain the survival of malignant B cells, non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL) is highly dependent on inflammatory microenvironment, and is inhibited by celecoxib. Celecoxib hinders tumor growth interacting with various apoptotic genes, such as cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2), B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family, phosphor-inositide-3 kinase/serine-threonine-specific protein kinase (PI3K/Akt), and inhibitors of apoptosis proteins (IAP) family.

Renal Denervation Promotes Atherosclerosis in Hypertensive Apolipoprotein E-Deficient Mice Infused with Angiotensin II.

To determine the effect of renal denervation (RDN) on the severity of atherosclerosis and aortic aneurysm in hypertensive mice. Hypertension, atherosclerosis and aortic aneurysm were induced by subcutaneous infusion of angiotensin II (1 μg/kg/min) for 28 days in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice. RDN was conducted using combined surgical and local chemical denervation.

PD-1 inhibition and treatment of advanced melanoma-role of pembrolizumab.

Remarkable clinical responses have been seen in patients with metastatic melanoma with targeted therapy (BRAFi vemurafenib, MEKi) and with modern immune cell-based approaches such as TCR engineered adoptive cell transfer (ACT) and earlier experiences with high-dose IL-2. The proximal mediators of these immune therapies are tumor-reactive CTL. Various mechanisms of resistance to immune-mediated apoptotic signals have been described, including phenotypic changes, effector cell exhaustion, functional tolerance, deficiencies in Ag processing and presentation, and mutation or down-regulation of antigenic epitopes.

Host Specificity in the Honeybee Parasitic Mite, Varroa spp. in Apis mellifera and Apis cerana.

The ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor is a major global threat to the Western honeybee Apis mellifera. This mite was originally a parasite of A. cerana in Asia but managed to spill over into colonies of A.

Interdependent recovery of adults with schizophrenia: Asian American consumer perspectives of family involvement and influence.

Objective: Family involvement is important in the recovery experience of culturally diverse adults with schizophrenia. However, little is known about the influence of family among consumers purported to have close family ties without regular contact. This study explored Asian American consumers' views about family relationships and participation in their recovery.

Correlates of neighborhood environment with walking among older Asian Americans.

Objective: There is a limited research and understanding regarding the physical activity (PA) of older Asian Americans. This study examined the associations between neighborhood factors and walking among older Asian Americans.

Method: Drawing from the 2003 California Health Interview Survey, our sample included 1,045 older adults aged 55 and above representing five Asian groups: Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese.

Influence of apolipoprotein E, age and aortic site on calcium phosphate induced abdominal aortic aneurysm in mice.

Objective: To assess relevant features of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) induced by calcium phosphate within a mouse model. Specifically we investigated: (1) whether apolipoprotein E deficiency and older age promoted AAA formation, and (2) whether the local application of calcium phosphate affected the size of distant aortic segments.

Methods: AAA was induced by application of calcium phosphate to the infra-renal aortas of 3 and 7 month old male mice.

Cytokine therapy with interleukin-2/anti-interleukin-2 monoclonal antibody complexes expands CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells and attenuates development and progression of atherosclerosis.

Background: CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) attenuate atherosclerosis, but their therapeutic application by adoptive transfer is limited by the need for their expansion in vitro and limited purity. Recently, an interleukin (IL)-2/anti-IL-2 neutralizing monoclonal antibody (IL-2/anti-IL-2 mAb) complex has been shown to expand these Tregs. We examined the capacity of a modified IL-2/anti-IL-2 mAb treatment to expand Tregs and inhibit both the progression and development of developed atherosclerosis.

CD4⁺CD25⁺Foxp3⁺ regulatory T cells suppress cardiac fibrosis in the hypertensive heart.

Background: CD4⁺CD25⁺Foxp3⁺ regulatory T cells (Tregs) are potent inhibitors of inflammation and autoimmune diseases. Because inflammation has been associated with development of cardiac fibrosis in experimental hypertension, here we investigated whether adoptively transferred Tregs would inhibit development of cardiac fibrosis initiated by elevating blood pressure.

Methods: Cardiac fibrosis was induced in mice by constricting the aorta between the two carotid arteries.

Intrinsic motivation as a mediator of relationships between symptoms and functioning among individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders in a diverse urban community.

This study investigated intrinsic motivation as a mediator of the relationship between clinical symptoms and functioning. The mediation model was tested with a sample of 166 adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorders attending psychosocial rehabilitation programs in a diverse urban community. Ethnic minority status was examined as a moderator of the mediation model.

A culturally relevant conceptualization of depression: an empirical examination of the factorial structure of the Vietnamese Depression Scale.

Background: Despite the high risk of depression among Vietnamese refugees, there has been insufficient attention to the psychometric properties of the most utilized scale, the Vietnamese Depression Scale (VDS: Kinzie et al., 1982).

Aim: The primary aim of the study is to empirically derive the factorial structure of the VDS to support its use as a culturally responsive depression screening tool in community samples of Vietnamese adults.

Widespread dispersal of the microsporidian Nosema ceranae, an emergent pathogen of the western honey bee, Apis mellifera.

The economically most important honey bee species, Apis mellifera, was formerly considered to be parasitized by one microsporidian, Nosema apis. Recently, [Higes, M., Martín, R.

Design and synthesis of aryl diphenolic azoles as potent and selective estrogen receptor-beta ligands.

New diphenolic azoles as highly selective estrogen receptor-beta agonists are reported. The more potent and selective analogues of these series have comparable binding affinities for ERbeta as the natural ligand 17beta-estradiol but are >100-fold selective over ERalpha. Our design strategy not only followed a traditional SAR approach but also was supported by X-ray structures of ERbeta cocrystallized with various ligands as well as molecular modeling studies.

Synthesis and Conformational Analysis of the Multidrug Resistance-Reversing Agent Hapalosin and Its Non-N-methyl Analog.

Hapalosin was initially synthesized by macrolactonization, and a second synthesis was achieved by cycloamidation. In both syntheses, three of the five stereocenters in hapalosin were established by two Brown allylboration reactions. The synthesis of the non-N-Me analog of hapalosin involved chelation-controlled reduction of a gamma-amino-beta-keto ester and cycloamidation.