The importance of naturally attenuated SARS-CoV-2in the fight against COVID-19

The current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is wreaking havoc throughout the world and has rapidly become a global health emergency. A central question concerning COVID-19 is why some individuals become sick and others not. Many have pointed already at variation in risk factors between individuals. However, the variable outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infections may, at least in part, be due also to differences between the viral subspecies with which individuals are infected. A more pertinent question is how we are to overcome the current pandemic. A vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 would offer significant relief, although vaccine developers have warned that design, testing and production of vaccines may take a year if not longer. Vaccines are based on a handful of different designs (i), but the earliest vaccines were based on the live, attenuated virus. As has been the case for other viruses during earlier pandemics, SARS-CoV-2 will mutate and may naturally attenuate over time (ii). What makes the current pandemic unique is that, thanks to state-of-the-art nucleic acid sequencing technologies, we can follow in detail how SARS-CoV-2 evolves while it spreads. We argue that knowledge of naturally emerging attenuated SARS-CoV-2 variants across the globe should be of key interest in our fight against the pandemic.     

NLRP3 inflammasome suppression improves longevity and prevents cardiac aging in male mice

While NLRP3‐inflammasome has been implicated in cardiovascular diseases, its role in physiological cardiac aging is largely unknown. During aging, many alterations occur in the organism, which are associated with progressive impairment of metabolic pathways related to insulin resistance, autophagy dysfunction, and inflammation. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanisms through which NLRP3 inhibition may attenuate cardiac aging. Ablation of NLRP3‐inflammasome protected mice from age‐related increased insulin sensitivity, reduced IGF‐1 and leptin/adiponectin ratio levels, and reduced cardiac damage with protection of the prolongation of the age‐dependent PR interval, which is associated with atrial fibrillation by cardiovascular aging and reduced telomere shortening. Furthermore, old NLRP3 KO mice showed an inhibition of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and autophagy improvement, compared with old wild mice and preserved Nampt‐mediated NAD⁺ levels with increased SIRT1 protein expression. These findings suggest that suppression of NLRP3 prevented many age‐associated changes in the heart, preserved cardiac function of aged mice and increased lifespan.     

Eco‐efficiency assessment of calcium sulfoaluminate clinker production

Calcium sulfoaluminate‐based cements (CSA) are proposed as a cement alternative with a low carbon footprint. The nature of CSA makes the manufacturing process to require lower temperature, less fuel, and less calcite. However, it requires aluminum oxide, Al₂O₃, which would be originated from bauxite and bauxite‐derived wastes, and sulfur, coming from calcium sulfate or elemental sulfur. An eco‐efficiency assessment of CSA cements, benchmarked against the conventional Portland cement, has been performed following the principles of ISO 14045 on eco‐efficiency for a total of 240 CSA clinker production scenarios. The eco‐efficiency indicator relates an environmental indicator with a product system value indicator, and it is calculated for each of the studied parameters: bauxite geographical origin, the fuel used for clinkering, the source of sulfur, and the composition of the clinker. Eco‐efficiency results show a strong dependence on the origin of bauxite, while other parameters, as the fuel used, its content in sulfur, or the supply of other raw materials, are of less importance. The most eco‐efficient solutions are those with certain closeness to bauxite sources. To achieve global solutions, that is, cement‐making based on CSA independently of the origin of the raw materials, the amount of bauxite needs to be minimized and CSA composition restricted.     

Possible implication of undescribed SMN1-SMN2 genotype in chronic EMG-pattern of SMA with transitory acute denervation

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) refers to a group of genetic neuromuscular disorders affecting lower motor neurons causative of numerous phenotypes. To date, according to the age of onset, maximum muscular activity achieved, and life expectation four types of SMA are recognized, all caused by mutations in the SMN1 gene with SMN2 copy number influencing disease severity. Herein, we describe the case of a 31-year-old young male with normal psychomotor development who has experienced fatigue, cramps, and muscle fasciculations in the lower limbs for a period of 2 months. Based on electrophysiological and clinical findings we performed SMA genetic, clinical exome and RNA expression of candidate genes which led us to suggest SMN1-SMN2 genes [(2+0) and (0+0)] combination as possibly being implicated in the phenotype.     

Pontine A5 region modulation of the cardiorespiratory response evoked from the midbrain dorsolateral periaqueductal grey

Journal of Physiology and Biochemistry - Connections between the midbrain dorsolateral periaqueductal grey (dlPAG) and the pontine A5 region have been shown. The stimulation of both regions evokes...     

A large proportion of mediastinal and perirenal visceral fat of Siberian adult people is formed by UCP1 immunoreactive multilocular and paucilocular adipocytes

Journal of Physiology and Biochemistry - Many deleterious consequences for health of excessive fat accumulation are due to visceral fat. Browning of visceral fat is mainly cold dependent and has...