Evaluation of lockdown effect on SARS-CoV-2 dynamics through viral genome quantification in waste water,Greater Paris,France, 5 March to 23 April 2020

IntroductionSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the etiological agent of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). People infected with SARS-CoV-2 may exhibit no or mild non-specific symptoms; thus, they may contribute to silent circulation of the virus among humans. Since SARS-CoV-2 RNA can be detected in stool samples, monitoring SARS-CoV-2 RNA in waste water (WW) has been proposed as a complementary tool to investigate virus circulation in human populations.AimTo test if the quantification of SARS-CoV-2 genomes in WW correlates with the number of symptomatic or non-symptomatic carriers.MethodWe performed a time-course quantitative analysis of SARS-CoV-2 by RT-qPCR in raw WW samples collected from several major WW treatment plants in Greater Paris. The study period was 5 March to 23 April 2020, including the lockdown period in France (from 17 March).ResultsWe showed that the increase of genome units in raw WW accurately followed the increase of human COVID-19 cases observed at the regional level. Of note, the viral genome could be detected before the epidemic grew massively (around 8 March). Equally importantly, a marked decrease in the quantities of genome units was observed concomitantly with the reduction in the number of new COVID-19 cases, 29 days following the lockdown.ConclusionThis work suggests that a quantitative monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 genomes in WW could generate important additional information for improved monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 circulation at local or regional levels and emphasises the role of WW-based epidemiology.     

Relationship between sleep bruxism and sleep respiratory events in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

Purpose

Both obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and sleep bruxism (SB) are commonly related to arousal events. In this study, we examined the effect of SB on the sleep architecture and investigated the relationship between SB and sleep respiratory events in patients with OSAS.

Methods

Patients with OSAS (n?=?67) in whom apnea/hypopnea occurred five or more times per hour were recruited to this study. Healthy volunteers (n?=?16) were recruited as controls. None of the healthy volunteers had any sleep disorders or medical disorders, nor had they taken any medication or alcohol. Data were collected by standard polysomnography during overnight sleep tests in a dark, quiet room.

Results

The frequency of SB was higher in the OSAS than in the control group. The risk of SB was significantly higher in the OSAS than in the control group (odds ratio, 3.96; 95 % confidence interval, 1.03–15.20; P?OSAS than in the control group.

Conclusions

We found that patients with OSAS have a high risk of SB. In particular, this is the first report relating phasic-type SB to obstructive apnea events. This relationship suggests that improvement in OSAS might prevent exacerbations of SB.     

The Sequential Relation Between Changes in Catastrophizing and Changes in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Severity

Catastrophizing has been discussed as a cognitive precursor to the emergence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms following the experience of stressful events. Implicit in cognitive models of PTSD is that treatment-related reductions in catastrophizing should yield reductions in PTSD symptoms. The tenability of this prediction has yet to be tested. The present study investigated the sequential relation between changes in a specific form of catastrophizing—symptom catastrophizing—and changes in PTSD symptom severity in a sample of 73 work-disabled individuals enrolled in a 10-week behavioral activation intervention. Measures of symptom catastrophizing and PTSD symptom severity were completed at pre-, mid-, and posttreatment assessment points. Cross-sectional analyses of pretreatment data revealed that symptom catastrophizing accounted for significant variance in PTSD symptom severity, β = .40, p < .001, sr = .28 (medium effect size), even when controlling for known correlates of symptom catastrophizing, such as pain and depression. Significant reductions in symptom catastrophizing and PTSD symptoms were observed during treatment, with large effect sizes, ds = 1.42 and 0.94, respectively, ps < .001. Cross-lagged analyses revealed that early change in symptom catastrophizing predicted later change in PTSD symptoms; early changes in PTSD symptom severity did not predict later change in symptom catastrophizing. These findings are consistent with the conceptual models that posit a causal relation between catastrophizing and PTSD symptom severity. The clinical implications of the findings are discussed.     

Feasibility of Laparoscopic Re-resection for Patients with Recurrent Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background

Repeated resection via an open approach is an effective treatment for post-operative recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, there are limited data on the application of laparoscopic approach for recurrent HCC in patients with prior liver resections. The aim of this study was to review our experience of laparoscopic re-resection in patients with postoperative tumor recurrence.

Materials and methods

A total of 11 patients received laparoscopic re-resections for postoperative tumor recurrence in our center. Data were reviewed for demographics, tumor characteristics, and perioperative outcomes. Case-match analysis with the open approach was performed in a 1:2 ratio.

Results

Six patients had their first liver resection carried out via the open approach and the remaining five patients received the laparoscopic approach. The recurrent tumor size was 20 mm (12–50 mm) and ten patients had a solitary recurrence. Two patients had laparoscopic left lateral sectionectomy and the remaining nine patients had sub-segmentectomies. There was no significant difference in patient characteristics, preoperative liver function, and tumor features between the laparoscopic and open groups. Perioperative blood loss was significantly reduced in the laparoscopic group (100 vs. 314 mL; p = 0.014) but the morbidity rate (18.2 vs. 4.5 %; p = 0.199) and length of hospitalization were comparable (6 vs. 5 days; p = 0.831). The 3-year overall survival rates for the laparoscopic and open groups were 60.0 and 89.3 %, respectively (p = 0.279).

Conclusion

Our study showed that laparoscopic re-resection for recurrent HCC was feasible with satisfactory postoperative and oncological outcomes, even in patients with previous major liver resections.     

巨噬细胞迁移抑制因子通过CC趋化因子配体2诱导巨噬细胞聚集

巨噬细胞迁移抑制因子最初是由于能抑制体外巨噬细胞随机迁移而被发现,现在它作为一种重要的调节因子参与一系列炎症性疾病过程.我们最近发现,巨噬细胞迁移抑制因子的缺失使一些由炎症介质诱发的白细胞-内皮细胞相互作用减弱,提示巨噬细胞迁移抑制因子在炎症反应中起作用的机制之一是促进白细胞聚集.……