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Physiology

Could ‘Stay-at-Home’ Orders Give Birth To A Global Baby Boom? – The Federalist

Nearly half the worlds population is confined to their homes with two primary tasks: 1. Do not catch nor spread COVID-19. 2. Dont go nuts from boredom or cabin fever.

In trying to accomplish No. 2, people are playing more board and card games. Others are catching up on sleep and preparing more homecooked meals. These are very good things.

Husbands and wives are also finding themselves with plenty of time for other activities, and this is very good too. Could this mean the world might see a muchneeded baby boom beginning nine months from now? Could our current international crisis conceivably be responsible for creating more lives than it takes? Its a very interesting and consequential question.

It has long been a cultural phenomenon that generally when people are confined to their homes due to dramatic weather events or power outages, a rash of babies start springing forth nine months later. The longer the seclusion, the greater likelihood.

Theres strong research on this question. The Washington Post reported a boom of blizzard babies nine months after historic storms hit the DC area some years ago. Holy Cross Hospital saw an increase of 75 more births over the previous year. Lots of furlough babies arrived after a 16-day government shutdown.

A nurse at Sibley Memorial Hospital told the Post, We keep getting asked, Whats going on? And we sit back and say, Well, youre in D.C. What was happening nine months ago? That hospital experienced an average 33 percent increase in births nine months later. Another area hospital saw a 45 percent increase.

Hurricane Sandy and its curfews, power outages, and flooding, not to mention increased anxiety from the event, encouraged more couples to seek comfort from one another. Local hospitals were busier than usual nine months later in delivering hurricane babies.

Dr. Jacques Moritz, director of gynecology at St Lukes-Roosevelt Hospital, reported a 10 to 20 percent increase in births nine months after Hurricane Sandy over the previous year at the same time. Theres definitely an uptick he explained. This is just old basic physiology. Theres no Internet and no cable. What else is there to do?

The chief of OB/GYN at New York-Presbyterian reported being 20 to 30 percent busier post-Sandy. At New York Downtown Hospital, The Times reported a notable increase in deliveries as Sandys nine-month anniversary arrived.

Demographers studied the effect of hurricane storm advisories upon fertility. They found that when couples are holed up together under low or moderate hurricane warnings, fertility increased. However, when weather advisory warnings indicated severe storms, fertility declined.

This makes sense. Couples are more likely to pass the time sexually when threat to life and property is low. Severe threats increase anxiety and dampen the sex drive.

In times of instantaneous catastrophic events that happen without warning, published research finds that fertility can increase significantly, not so much immediately, but over the following years. The prestigious journal Demography found compelling support that the Oklahoma City bombing spurred an interpretable, consistent, and significant increase in births in that area.

The same happened in New York City following 9/11. A demographer from the University of Pennsylvania found that the New York boroughs exhibited a prompt and significant increase in births in the post-9/11 period.

Scholars studied fertility rates following the horrific 2004 Indian Ocean tsunamis that took nearly 170,000 lives. They found fertility rates rose appreciably in the affected areas. The increases were particularly significant among women who lost a child to the floods as well as previously childless women who lived in or near the centers of devastation.

Scholars estimated a total of 9,500 more births took place between 2006 and 2009 than if the tsunamis had not happened. It is likely these women felt the need to overcome with new life the death that haunted their communities.

The same was found after the 2001 Gujarat earthquake that rocked India. The Journal of Population Economics revealed that fertility in the epicenter and surrounding areas increased dramatically in the five years following the tragedy. The spacing between pregnancies shrank as well.

The Institute for Family Studies (IFS) recently published a major article on the COVID-19 crisiss possible effect on global fertility. They report that determining this impact is much more difficult as no data exists on situations involving massive social distancing in a modern viral pandemic. They explain that COVID is very likely to reduce births in the near term, and perhaps by a quite considerable amount.

This was seen in past influenza outbreaks. But in the later months and years, fertility can tend to increase beyond the average, as witnessed in the tragedies just examined.

Given the lack of specific data on situations like our present crisis, IFSs best calculation is that COVID could boost births over four years after the epidemic runs its course by anywhere from 0.3% to 40%. This could have a positive and dramatic effect globally.

So, what can we expect from our international COVID-19 crisis? A few factors at play can inform us.

First, while loss of life in the coming weeks will be higher than any of us care to consider, the losses are not instantaneous but spread out. They are not presenting dramatically and visually in our 24-hour television and internet news cycle. This will reduce anxiety.

The human sex drive is exponentially more powerful than economic discipline. And human sexuality is opportunistic.

Second, we all know social distancing has left each of us with plenty of free time on our hands and many are generally at relative ease in the midst of it.

Third, our global isolation from public life, sharing close quarters with others, and changes in our work modes and schedules are certainly disconcerting. These will certainly drive people to seek greater physical comfort and sexual release.

Fourth, this isolation has lasted longer than any other natural disasters and will continue. This significantly increases the opportunity and possibility of pregnancy as sexual intimacy increases. These four factors, in line with other social crises, could very well indicate dramatically increased global fertility in the coming year and beyond.

A negative impact upon fertility could be the concomitant increased economic instability. People will wonder whether they can afford a larger family when this epidemic is over. That will very much be on peoples mind.

But it will likely come down to this: The human sex drive is exponentially more powerful than economic discipline. And human sexuality is opportunistic. It happens when we have time, when we are lonely and need solace. So, we shall see.

But it is wise to remember that robust fertility is an economic boon and requirement for a healthy, thriving nation. No industrial nation is currently replacing its population. Many are facing dire economic futures as a result. That is a very serious global problem, perhaps greater than our present one.

Now seems as good a time as ever to fix it. At least we have the time.

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Could 'Stay-at-Home' Orders Give Birth To A Global Baby Boom? - The Federalist

Physiology

Anatomage Introduces Physiology Functions to Digital Cadavers with Table 7 #55208 – New Kerala

Anatomage is the first company to successfully integrate physiology functions into a real human cadaver. Through the Table 7 software release for the Anatomage Table, users can restore a portion of a cadaver back to life using four physiology tools - Heart Motion, Nerve Connection, Pathways, and Catheterization.

The Heart Motion tool restores the cardiac physiological functions of the cadaver's heart. By simulating the entire cardiac cycle and synchronizing heart rhythms with the integrated digital electrocardiography, the tool can be used to elevate cardiovascular physiology learning.

The Nerve Connection tool interactively displays the cadaver's nerve innervation from the brain to a dermatome, muscle or organ. The tool provides students with the physiological context of the human nervous system, allowing them to locate the nerve root responsible for any stimulus, thereby supporting neuroanatomy education.

The Pathways tool illustrates drug delivery and different physiological pathways on the cadaver. Depicting the physiological mechanism occurring during the transport of chemical compounds, this tool offers visual references of physiology for toxicology, pharmacology, and any applicable studies in medicine.

The Catheterization tool enables users to practice catheter insertion on a digital cadaver. With the Anatomage Table, students can learn how real-life cardiac catheterization procedures are carried out on a living human body, preparing them for medical careers.

Introducing physiology elements to deceased bodies is the first step toward building a digital body that functions as an alive human body for medical simulation and educational applications. Aside from the physiology elements, Table 7 features medical-school level educational materials, including 60 3D real-cadaver prosections with annotations, 400 fully-prepared medical illustration presets, and 3D radiology reports reviewed by real radiologists. The update also comes with additional high-resolution regional anatomy scans, improved quizzing options, annotated bony landmarks, and refinements in the Table's histology-viewing feature such as the ability to compare 4 different histology tissues. Altogether, these technologies bring values that a physical cadaver couldn't deliver to various medical disciplines.

Containing 4 life-size real human cadavers and over 1,000 real-life pathology cases, the Anatomage Table has been trusted and adopted by thousands of educational and clinical institutes worldwide. Now with the launch of Table 7, the Anatomage Table has become an unrivaled healthcare education platform that marks a beginning of an era where learning with a living cadaver is possible.

Excerpt from:
Anatomage Introduces Physiology Functions to Digital Cadavers with Table 7 #55208 - New Kerala

Physiology

Former INL researcher named to National Academy of Engineering – East Idaho News

The following is a news release from Idaho National Laboratory.

Dr. Frank Roberto, recently retired from Idaho National Laboratory (INL), has been elected into the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), one of the most prestigious distinctions an engineer can receive.

Roberto is currently senior manager for process innovation at Newmont Corporations Malozemoff Technical Facility in Englewood, Colorado. He worked at INL from 1988 to 2012, and his affiliation with the lab continued until 2019.

Roberto was nominated to the academy for advancing biotechnical applications for environmentally responsible mine production.

The NAE is one of three academies affiliated with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, founded in 1863 to marshal the energy and intellect of the nations critical thinkers to respond to policy challenges with science, engineering and medicine at their core. Roberto was elected to the academys section on Earth Resources, which studies issues relevant to the supply, delivery and associated impacts of hydrocarbon, metallic and nonmetallic mineral resources and mineral and nonmineral energy resource systems.

In the nearly 25 years he spent at INL, Roberto progressed to the rank of Directorate Fellow, managing diverse research projects and technical teams in the biological sciences, specializing in microbiological techniques for metallurgical leaching (biomining). He participated on editorial boards of microbiology-related journals for professional societies, served on state and federal technical and scientific committees, and chaired the U.S. Department of Energys Biosafety Working Group within the Emergency Management IssuesSpecial Interest Group (EMI-SIG) Subcommittee on Consequence Assessment and Protective Actions (SCAPA). He also served as DOEs liaison to the American Biological Safety Association. In 2018, he became a registered member of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Engineering.

In the years I worked with Frank, I found him to have extraordinary insights into microbiology and metallurgy, said Dr. Vicki Thompson, a longtime colleague and distinguished staff engineer in INLs Biological and Chemical Processing Department. I cant think of anyone more deserving of this honor than he is.

Each year, academy members vote on candidates whom they judge to have made outstanding contributions to engineering research, practices or education. Nominations are made confidentially by existing members and must include three recommendations. The ballot is set in December and the final vote for membership occurs during January.

In 2020, 87 members and 18 international members were voted into the NAE, bringing total membership to 2,309 and the number of international members to 281. Individuals in the newly elected class will be formally inducted during a ceremony at the NAEs annual meeting in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 4.

Roberto earned his doctorate in biochemistry (plant physiology emphasis) from the University of California, Riverside and performed postdoctoral research in molecular plant pathology with Dr. Tsune Kosuge at the University of California, Davis. He is the second engineer with a longtime INL association to have been voted into the NAE. Kathryn McCarthy, formerly of INL and now vice president for research and development at Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, was elected in 2019.

INL is one of the U.S. Department of Energys (DOE) national laboratories. The laboratory performs work in each of DOEs strategic goal areas: energy, national security, science and environment. INL is the nations center for nuclear energy research and development. Day-to-day management and operation of the laboratory is the responsibility of Battelle Energy Alliance.

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Former INL researcher named to National Academy of Engineering - East Idaho News

Physiology

Low-intensity interval training can be as effective as HIIT but only if you spend more time working out – Metro Newspaper UK

Bradley Elliott, lecturer in physiology, University of Westminster

THOUGH we know exercise is important for our overall health, and that more is typically better, many of us dont have hours a day to devote to working out. This might be why fitness regimes like high-intensity interval training (HIIT) have become so popular in recent years.

Not only does HIIT promise to improve overall health and fitness, it can also be done in a short amount of time. But HIITs intensity might not be for everyone which is why slower, less intense workouts have started to gain popularity.

HIIT requires you to work all out for brief periods of 30-45 seconds, interspersed with recovery periods of about five minutes, repeated approximately 2-4 times. Because its done at such a high intensity, you can have a successful workout in as little as 15-20 minutes. It can even be done by older people and those with chronic health conditions like diabetes.

Though it might sound easy, those 30 seconds can feel like they last for ever if youre exercising as intensely as you possibly can. Simply put, HIIT can hurt and it might not be good for everyone.

Though uncommon, in my lab weve had people be ill, feel faint and very rarely pass out during a single 30-second super-maximal exercise. While the benefits still outweigh the risks for most people, HIIT has also been linked to greater risk of injury.

But LIIT (low-intensity interval training) has become a recent exercise phenomenon that claims you can still achieve similar fitness results to HIIT, but with lower risk of injury. Though there is currently no research on the effects of LIIT workouts, the idea is that you still perform exercises in intervals, but these exercises are done at a lower intensity and with shorter rest time in between.

Given the lack of research, to know if LIIT works we need to look at studies that have compared the effects of doing the same amount of exercise, but over different periods of time either short and intense workouts, or long and slow workouts. Research suggests body fat is reduced by similar amounts between high- and low-intensity exercise, but higher intensities improved overall fitness and blood pressure, suggesting greater long-term health benefits.

Both long, slow endurance training (such as walking and running) and HIIT have been found to improve aerobic fitness (heart and lung function) in healthy adults. Though HIIT typically leads to larger increases in aerobic fitness, both high- and low-intensity training can be beneficial to heart health. But because HIIT is so intense, research suggests leaving about three days between HIIT workouts to let your body recover.

People with bone and joint problems may not enjoy HIIT due to the heavy loading that it requires. And though HIIT is reasonably safe for people with heart problems, its worth knowing that heart attacks are five times more likely following a HIIT workout than other types of exercise in higher-risk cardiac patients. However, the benefits of any exercise often outweigh the risks, in both healthy people and those with health conditions.

For these reasons, LIIT claims to be one compromise that mixes elements of HIIT and traditional endurance training. The aim is to use interval training but reduce the intensity and lengthen active periods, making it easier for people looking to get in shape or keep active. While HIIT focuses on doing explosive, intense movements quickly with long recovery such as burpees, sprints or box-jumps until you feel you cant do any more a LIIT workout might also incorporate these moves, but would concentrate more on form than exhaustion, and with shorter gaps between exercises.

But is LIIT as effective as HIIT? If you simply replace a brief HIIT session with one of a lower intensity, then it probably wont be more effective, unless the session is longer in order to make up for the loss of intensity. Think of intensity and time as a trade-off. If you reduce the intensity of the exercise you perform, you must increase the duration that youre exercising to burn a similar amount of calories.

So if your usual HIIT session is 10-15 minutes, an equivalent LIIT session might need to be 30 minutes to be as effective and a continuous jogging session could be 60 minutes.

The amount of calories used during HIIT, LIIT or endurance workouts is roughly the same if you bear in mind this intensity-duration trade off. This has not only been shown in multiple studies, but also demonstrated by myself on live TV, where I showed 30 minutes of continuous cycling and a 90-second all-out cycle sprint used similar amounts of energy.

Endurance fitness is a great marker of health, and will improve with all these types of exercise but HIIT is more likely to improve muscle power. Because none of the above targets muscle strength and mass, if youre doing HIIT, LIIT or any other type of endurance training, consider adding some type of strength-based resistance training as well.

The most important takeaway is that getting enough exercise is important for overall health. The government advises adults of all abilities to do 150 minutes of continuous exercise a week or 75 minutes of intermittent-style exercise a week. When it comes to doing HIIT- or LIIT-based exercise, the choice is really yours. Try both, and even consider changing your routine up. Exercise is only effective when done consistently, so the activity you like most is probably the right exercise for you.

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Low-intensity interval training can be as effective as HIIT but only if you spend more time working out - Metro Newspaper UK

Genetics

Here’s how scientists are tracking the genetic evolution of COVID-19 – The Conversation US

When you hear the term evolutionary tree, you may think of Charles Darwin and the study of the relationships between different species over the span of millions of years.

While the concept of an evolutionary tree originated in Darwins On the Origin of Species, one can apply this concept to anything that evolves, including viruses. Scientists can study the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 to learn more about how the genes of the virus function. It is also useful to make inferences about the spread of the virus around the world, and what type of vaccine may be most effective.

I am a bioinformatician who studies the relationships between epidemics and viral evolution, and I am among the many researchers now studying the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 because it can help researchers and public health officials track the spread of the virus over time. What we are finding is that the SARS-CoV-2 virus appears to be mutating more slowly than the seasonal flu which may allow scientists to develop a vaccine.

Viruses evolve by mutating. That is, there are changes in their genetic code over time. The way it happens is a little like that game of telephone. Amy is the first player, and her word is CAT. She whispers her word to Ben, who accidentally hears MAT. Ben whispers his word to Carlos, who hears MAD. As the game of telephone goes on, the word will transform further and further away from its original form.

We can think of a biological genetic material as a sequence of letters, and over time, sequences mutate: The letters of the sequence can change. Scientists have developed various models of sequence evolution to help them study how mutations occur over time.

Much like our game of telephone, the genome sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus changes over time: Mutations occur randomly, and any changes that occur in a given virus will be inherited by all copies of the next generation. Then, much as we could try to decode how CAT became MAD, scientists can use models on genetic evolution to try to determine the most likely evolutionary history of the virus.

DNA sequencing is the process of experimentally finding the sequence of nucleotides (A, C, G and T) the chemical building blocks of genes of a piece of DNA. DNA sequencing is largely used to study human diseases and genetics, but in recent years, sequencing has become a routine part of viral point of care, and as sequencing becomes cheaper and cheaper, viral sequencing will become even more frequent as time progresses.

RNA is a molecule similar to DNA, and it is essentially a temporary copy of a short segment of DNA. Specifically, in the central dogma of biology, DNA is transcribed into RNA. SARS-CoV-2 is an RNA virus, meaning our DNA sequencing technologies cannot directly decode its sequence. However, scientists can first reverse transcribe the RNA of the virus into complementary DNA (or cDNA), which can then be sequenced.

Given a collection of viral genome sequences, we can use our models of sequence evolution to predict the viruss history, and we can use this to answer questions like, How fast do mutations occur? or Where in the genome do mutations occur? Knowing which genes are mutating frequently can be useful in drug design.

Tracking how viruses have changed in a location can also answer questions like, How many separate outbreaks exist in my community? This type of information can help public health officials contain the spread of the virus.

For COVID-19, there has been a global initiative to share viral genomes with all scientists. Given a collection of sequences with sample dates, scientists can infer the evolutionary history of the samples in real-time and use the information to infer the history of transmissions.

One such initiative is Nextstrain, an open-source project that provides users real-time reports of the spread of seasonal influenza, Ebola and many other infectious diseases. Most recently, it has been spearheading the evolutionary tracking of COVID-19 by providing a real-time analysis as well as a situation report meant to be readable by the general public. Further, the project enables the global population to benefit from its efforts by translating the situation report to many other languages.

As the amount of available information grows, scientists need faster tools to be able to crunch the numbers. My lab at UC San Diego, in collaboration with the System Energy Efficiency (SEE) Lab led by Professor Tajana imuni Rosing, is working to create new algorithms, software tools and computer hardware to make the real-time analysis of the COVID-19 epidemic more feasible.

Based on current data, it seems as though SARS-CoV-2 mutates much more slowly than the seasonal flu. Specifically, SARS-CoV-2 seems to have a mutation rate of less than 25 mutations per year, whereas the seasonal flu has a mutation rate of almost 50 mutations per year.

Given that the SARS-CoV-2 genome is almost twice as large as the seasonal flu genome, it seems as though the seasonal flu mutates roughly four times as fast as SARS-CoV-2. The fact that the seasonal flu mutates so quickly is precisely why it is able to evade our vaccines, so the significantly slower mutation rate of SARS-CoV-2 gives us hope for the potential development of effective long-lasting vaccines against the virus.

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Here's how scientists are tracking the genetic evolution of COVID-19 - The Conversation US

Genetics

How ‘viral load’ and genetics could explain why young people have died from coronavirus – The Independent

The coronavirus pandemic has hit older people far harder than those who are younger, but scientists are yet to fully understand why this is.

Many of the elderly people who have died have had pre-existing health conditions such as heart disease, lung disease and diabetes, all of which make fighting the virus more difficult, but many have not had any such health problems, and occasionally the virus has caused the deaths of younger, apparently healthy people.

Researchers around the world are racing to learn how the virus behaves, which health factors put people most at risk, and are trying to work out whether there may be genetic traits that could mean some people respond to the infection differently to others.

Sharing the full story, not just the headlines

There are various theories to suggest why the virus is so unusually and devastatingly selective.

Some scientists have suggested the greater the amount of virus that infects an individual known as the viral load could make a large difference to how the body is able to respond to infection.

Put simply,the larger the dose of the virus a person gets, the worse the infection is, and the least promising the outcome.

A parallel school of thought is that genetic variations between humans differences in our DNA could affect how susceptible an individual is to the virus.

And another candidate for why apparently healthy young people are dying is they may have a highly reactive immune system, which is sent into overdrive fighting off the virus. In such a scenario, a huge inflammation storm could inadvertently overwhelm vital organs such as the lungs.

None of the theories compete with one another, and aspects of all of them, as well as innumerable other factors, could be at play in an individual case.

Viral load

No hype, just the advice and analysis you need

Dr Edward Parker of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, explained how a high viral load can impact humans. He said: After we are infected with a virus, it replicates in our bodys cells. The total amount of virus a person has inside them is referred to as their viral load. For Covid-19, early reports from China suggest the viral load is higher in patients with more severe disease, which is also the case for Sars and influenza.

The amount of virus we are exposed to at the start of an infection is referred to as the infectious dose. For influenza, we know that that initial exposure to more virus or a higher infectious dose appears to increase the chance of infection and illness. Studies in mice have also shown that repeated exposure to low doses may be just as infectious as a single high dose.

He added: So all in all, it is crucial for us to limit all possible exposures to Covid-19, whether these are to highly symptomatic individuals coughing up large quantities of virus or to asymptomatic individuals shedding small quantities. And if we are feeling unwell, we need to observe strict self-isolation measures to limit our chance of infecting others.

Professor Wendy Barclay, the head of the Department of Infectious Disease at Imperial College London, said existing knowledge of viral load means healthcare workers can be at greater risk of infection.

In general with respiratory viruses, the outcome of infection whether you get severely ill or only get a mild cold can sometimes be determined by how much virus actually got into your body and started the infection off. Its all about the size of the armies on each side of the battle, a very large virus army is difficult for our immune systems army to fight off.

So standing further away from someone when they breathe or cough out virus likely means fewer virus particles reach you and then you get infected with a lower dose and get less ill. Doctors who have to get very close to patients to take samples from them or to intubate them are at higher risk so need to wear masks.

Genetic differences between those infected

Scientists are currently preparing to scour Covid-19 patients genomes for DNA variations that might indicate why some people are more at risk than others.

The findings could then be used to identify groups most at risk of serious illness and those who might be protected, and this knowledge could then inform the hunt for effective treatments.

A huge effort to pool DNA research from patients around the world is now on, with the ultimate goal being to build a body of evidence from people with no underlying health issues, but who have reacted differently to infection by the virus.

One promising strand of research into why some people are more susceptible to the coronavirus is on the gene variation for the cell surface protein angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), found on the outer membranes of cells, and which the coronavirus uses to enter cells in the lungs and airways.

Variations in production of ACE2 could make it easier or more difficult for the virus to enter and infect cells.

We see huge differences in clinical outcomes and across countries. How much of that is explained by genetic susceptibility is a very open question, geneticist Andrea Ganna, of the University of Helsinkis Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, told Science Magazine.

Another fascinating line of inquiry is whether different blood types could lead to differing levels of susceptibility to the disease.

A Chinese research team reported in a non-peer-reviewed article that people with type O blood may be protected from the virus, and those with type A blood could be at greater risk.

Were trying to figure out if those findings are robust, Stanford University human geneticist Manuel Rivas told Science Magazine.

The first results from the investigations into genetic differences and susceptibility are expected in less than two months time.

Continued here:
How 'viral load' and genetics could explain why young people have died from coronavirus - The Independent

Genetics

Genetics shed light on origins of Irish strains of Covid-19 – The Irish Times

Since the Covid-19 virus strain was first identified in early 2020, scientists have been able to track its progress around the world.

The virus is very slowly evolving, but in making copies of itself in its human hosts, it can introduce occasional errors in its genome sequence to make a different sequence.

This means that strains are almost identical but, crucially, differ by the tiniest amount. These tiny differences can be used as a kind of tracker to show how the virus has spread.

Scientists around the world have analysed more than 2,500 publicly shared Covid-19 genomes and identified 100-150 mutations.

They have been able to identify that the outbreak in Washington state, which was one of the earliest places in the United States to record coronavirus cases, came from China in early January and a second strain came from Europe.

The results are available on a public access platform called nextstrain.org where scientists share results from laboratory samples from those who contracted Covid-19.

Having analysed the nextstrain.org data, Irish scientist Prof James McInerney, the head of the school of life sciences at the University of Nottingham, has confirmed there is no single origin of viral strains in Ireland. However, he identified three potentially significant routes of transmission.

Testing laboratories in Dublin, Cork and Limerick each identified separate strains of the virus which were connected respectively to laboratories in Birmingham, Boston and Copenhagen.

While the strain identified in Dublin is associated with Birmingham, this does not mean the virus genome originated in Birmingham. Rather, it originated in the area covered by the testing laboratories based in the city.

This could include Cheltenham which is 80km south of Birmingham though there were cases in Dublin before thousands of Irish racegoers returned from the annual festival in early March.

Prof McInerney stressed it is not possible to say with any certainty that Cheltenham might have been a reservoir for the virus. The strain present in both Dublin and Birmingham could have originated in the Irish capital and been introduced to the UK, he noted.

All I can say is that there is a link we dont know the direction of transmission, only that there is a strong link.

The strain identified with Cork is the same as that from Boston which is understandable given the strong Irish links with the city. Massachusetts is a hot spot in the US for the illness with more than 7,000 cases and 122 deaths to date.

The direction of travel is unknown here too, so it might be the case that the Boston strain of the virus originated in Cork.

The third strain, which has been identified in Limerick, is the same as the one identified in laboratories in Copenhagen.

Prof McInerney said the connection with Copenhagen is more puzzling. It could be that somebody from Copenhagen brought the illness to Ireland, somebody from Ireland picked it up in Copenhagen or that the disease was picked up in a third country.

The bottom line is that Ireland is an open country. The links between this tiny sample of viruses is linked to international travel. This is normal in the early stages of an outbreak. You will see internal links later in the outbreak, he said.

We shouldnt be surprised that there isnt a single source for Ireland and the virus follows the traditional movement of our people.

Many people have blamed the decision by the Government not to shut down flights from northern Italy during the early days of the pandemic as a factor in the spread of the illness in Ireland, but Prof McInerney said there has not been enough genome sequencing done yet to make a definitive judgment on whether or not that was a factor.

The first 13 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Ireland were all people who had returned from northern Italy or who had contact with such people.

Since the first outbreak, foreign travel has become less a significant factor as the virus has spread throughout the community by person-to-person transmission.

Of the 3,894 cases confirmed so far, the percentage of those who contracted the virus abroad has dropped to 18 per cent.

Kevin Mitchell, associate professor of genetics and neuroscience at Trinity College Dublin, said the lineages of the virus make it easier to track its mutations and will help to understand how it travels within countries as well as between countries.

Its very useful for understanding how the virus is spreading. At early stages, it has mostly been being introduced by travel. But now it has changed to community spread in many places. Knowing what phase it is in informs the public health measures that should be taken, he said.

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Genetics shed light on origins of Irish strains of Covid-19 - The Irish Times

Genetics

Indians do not have genetic protection against coronavirus, published research incorrectly interpreted – Deccan Herald

An opinion piece published onLivemintby Sandipan Debclaimedthat COVID-19 will not affect Indians as they have the genetics for a sturdier immune system.

When questioned on Twitter, the author, also a founder of Swarajya Magazine, cited a Nature Asia article titled, More immunity in Indian genes, as his source.

The Nature Asia article (2008), based on the research study by Du and colleagues (2008), published in the journal Genes & Immunity was conducted by a team of scientists from the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA), USA, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, India (AIIMS), and National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), USA.

CLAIM

More immunity in Indian genes The title of Nature Asia magazine article.

Our bodies have one of the toughest immune systems in the world. We have grown up surrounded by so much filth and pollution that our natural resilience is much stronger than people in the developed world. Sandipan Deb in Livemint.

For latest updates on coronavirus outbreak, click here

VERDICT

False.

FACT-CHECK

1. The Livemint article is based on a superficial understanding of the title of the Nature Asia article, not its text.

The Nature Asia article is titled More immunity genes in Indians. However, the article itself does not make any such claims that, on the basis of the research study quoted, that Indians will be protected from the coronavirus pandemic or other infections due to their biologically inherited resilience. It simply states that Indians may have more genes linked with immunity as per the data. Also, one of the authors of the article and the research study Rajalingam Raja wrote, Whether having more activating KIR genes is an advantage or disadvantage for Indians remains to be elucidated.

This means that the genes tested through this study are not a piece of conclusive evidence that the contested tougher immunity will be an advantage for Indians in any way.

2. The Nature Asiaarticle is based on a research study based on a single gene polymorphism in various ethnicities.

The Nature Asia article is based on a research study which relies upon a single gene KIR2DL5 polymorphism in many ethnicities including Indian, East Asian, white (Caucasian) and black (African Americans), suggesting that the gene is not unique to Indians only. Also, no evidence suggests that the presence of gene translates to gene expression or phenotypic change (e.g. higher immunity) in this case.

Nature Asia article based its claim on a gene polymorphism study by Du and colleagues (2008). Genetic polymorphism is the occurrence of multiple forms of a single gene which is expressed in the same population as a trait or a phenotype (Bull, 2004). It is similar, but not the same, as varying levels of pigmentation in eyes, hair or skin colour.

The study quoted showed the nature of polymorphism of one gene KIR2DL5 in four ethnic groups: Caucasians (European race, mostly white), Asian-Indians (South Asians), African-Americans and Asians (East Asians, i.e. Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese and Filipino).

Read:Coronavirus India update: State-wise total number of confirmed cases, deaths

KIR2DL5 (or CD158f) is the last identified KIR gene (the inhibitory receptor expressed on the surface of immune cells), with KIR2DL4, it makes up a structurally divergent lineage conserved in different primate species such as humans. The percentage frequency of this KIR2DL5 gene in Indians is used as an indicator of higher immunity.

The graph from the research study illustrates that the percentage frequency of KIR2DL5 (A and B, polymorphic forms of KIR2DL5 gene) is higher in Asian Indians than the other ethnic populations studied. However, the graph below from the same study suggests that the Individuals carrying the KIR2DL5 gene vary substantially among populations ranging in frequency from 35-85%. Thus, as per the authors conclusions, higher immunity can be found in every ethnicity ranging from 35-85% population, not just in Indians.

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Hence, with such large variability in genes in each population, it is impossible to deduce that the researchers certainly found the KIR2DL5 gene more frequently in Indian ethnicities, as compared to other ethnicities.

Also, the research paper doesnt claim that this higher frequency in Asian-Indians population is linked to a better immune system or more natural killer cells in the body. In fact, there are no conclusions drawn on any ethnic group being genetically superior or inferior regarding immunity.

3. Is the occurrence of genes (KIR2DL5 gene) linked with immunity synonymous with its traits (tougher immunity)?

The occurrence of more genes in a population isnt always synonymous with better traits. This is mainly because a greater amount of genes doesnt always translate to a protein abundance, which consequently becomes a trait. That is, the presence of genes doesnt always lead to the presence of characteristic traits related to the expression of the gene.

Sometimes, polymorphic changes in natural killer cells can also be associated with a susceptibility towards certain diseases (Orange, 2002). Thus, more correlative studies should be conducted where a higher frequency of KIR2DL5 gene results in an increased immunity regardless of ethnicity.

4. Smaller sample size

The beneficial effects of higher frequency of a polymorphic gene in a population can only be established after detailed protein, genomics and evolutionary studies with large sample size. But in this study, only 96 Indian genomes were studied as opposed to 250 Caucasians. Hence, these higher percent frequencies of polymorphs KIR2DL5 gene could also be an artefact resulting from a smaller sample size.

Only 96 non-randomised samples for the Asian-Indian group were sourced from New Delhi, which is a minuscule representation for the Indian population. These sample sizes were further reduced after identification of KIR2DL5 positive individuals.

Also Read:Pune: Dead woman's test samples found coronavirus positive

Also, the Nature Asia article further claims that Indians gained the activating KIR (killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors) genes because of natural selection to survive the environmental challenges during their pre-historic coastal migrations from Africa. This conclusion is not based on any evidence.

Similar claim in The Printopinion piece

Dr Mehra, former Dean of AIIMS, in his opinion piece in The Print mentions the results from the same study that includes SK Sharma of AIIMS, to make his claims about the genetic advantage of Indians over Caucasians with respect to immunity against the coronavirus. Additionally, Dr Mehra also included other factors that may give Indians advantage broad-based immunity due to overexposure to other pathogens, and epigenetic factors such as environment and consumption of Indian spices in cuisine. However, since the novelty of the virus and the increasing pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 in India, these claims remain without any research or evidence in Science.

CONCLUSION

The Nature Asia article published a misleading title on the basis of a genetics study which was termed inconclusive by the authors in their own research study. This title formed the basis of the Livemint article by Mr Deb.

The Nature Asia authors generalised their misleading article about Natural Killer cells (NK) to immunity genes. Natural killer cells are a small component of what makes up human immunity, not the expansive immune system.

Also Read:Old video falsely viral as Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi flouting coronavirus lockdown

Later, in the Livemint article, the Nature Asia article was used to claim a blanket superiority of the immune system of Indians. Mr Deb stated that Indians immune system is more robust than the people in the developed world to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.

Such dangerous opinion pieces with no understanding of the genetics of immunity have the potential to drive people to be careless with the protocols issued by the government on social distancing and other precautions or to encourage reckless behaviour during a critical situation.

Read more here:
Indians do not have genetic protection against coronavirus, published research incorrectly interpreted - Deccan Herald

Genetics

Animal Genetics Market: Increase in Meat Consumption and Demand for High Quality Proteins to Drive Growth – BioSpace

Transparency Market Research (TMR) has published a new report titled Animal Genetics Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 20182026. According to the report, the global animal genetics market was valued at US$ 4,740.5 Mn in 2017. It is projected to expand at a CAGR of 6.0% from 2018 to 2026. Increase in meat consumption, demand for high quality proteins, and rise in purchasing power are likely to drive the animal genetics market from 2018 to 2026.

Genetic diversity provides the raw material for breed improvement and for the adaptation of livestock populations to changing environments and changing demands. Developments in genomic tools have allowed scientists to apply genome-wide information in the investigation of various aspects of livestock species. The animal genetics industry has witnessed robust expansion in the last two decades, particularly in developing countries where consumption of animal source food increased rapidly.

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Purchasing power is considered to be a key driver for livestock products. Lower-and middle-income consumers have a strong influence on consumption trends, as the effect of increased income on diet is greatest in this group. Increasing income in developing countries is an important factor that drives the consumption of livestock products, particularly meat. Poultry and dairy products have been found to have higher income elasticities of demand than other animal-source foods, i.e., the consumption levels are more responsive to income. This effect is particularly strong in low-income populations.

Furthermore, the animal genetics industry is pursuing alternative solutions in the fight against animal disease and suffering. These include using data and health-focused breeding indices and exploring breakthrough technology, including gene editing, which is likely to have a significant impact on farming and animal well-being. Adoption of semen sexing technology and IVF (invitro fertilization) is rising rapidly across dairy and beef herds. Access to such technology helps farmers to accelerate genetic progress in their herds.

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Live animals segment to account for major share

In terms of product type, the live animals segment accounted for a dominant share of the animal genetics market in 2017. Growing urban population coupled with changes in consumer preference resulted in greater demand for assured food safety and quality. These developments favored large-scale production and processing of live animals. Moreover, increasing demand for meat has further propelled the segment. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, demand for food is expected to double food production in order to feed the global population, which is estimated to reach around 9.1 billion by 2050. Cost-effective production of safe, high-quality, animal protein is necessary to cater to this surge in demand.

Market in Asia Pacific to expand at a significant pace

North America held a major share of the global market, in terms of revenue. It is expected to maintain its position during the forecast period. North America is home to several key market players, such as Zoetis, Inc., Neogen Corporation, and VetGen, who have their headquarters in the U.S., where they generate significant sales. Hence, North America is a leading market for animal genetics, globally. High awareness about latest technologies and higher purchasing power are anticipated to boost the animal genetics market in North America. The animal genetics market in Asia Pacific is expected to expand at a rapid pace, primarily due to increasing disposable income, rising population and increasing urbanization. Asia Pacific is home to major pork producing countries such as China, Russia, and Japan.

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Key players such as Genus plc, CRV Holding B.V., and Neogen Corporation to lead the market

The report also provides profiles of other major players operating in the global animal genetics market. Major players include Zoetis, Inc., Groupe Grimaud, Topigs Norsvin, VetGen, Animal Genetics Inc., and Hendrix Genetics BV.

About Us

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Our reports are single-point solutions for businesses to grow, evolve, and mature. Our real-time data collection methods along with ability to track more than one million high growth niche products are aligned with your aims. The detailed and proprietary statistical models used by our analysts offer insights for making right decision in the shortest span of time. For organizations that require specific but comprehensive information we offer customized solutions through ad hoc reports. These requests are delivered with the perfect combination of right sense of fact-oriented problem solving methodologies and leveraging existing data repositories.

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Animal Genetics Market: Increase in Meat Consumption and Demand for High Quality Proteins to Drive Growth - BioSpace

Genetics

Genetics expert condemns FG over alleged invitation of Chinese doctors to fight COVID-19 pandemic – Vanguard

A genetics expert of Novena University, Delta State, Prof Cyril Otoikhian

A genetics expert of Novena University, Delta State, Prof Cyril Otoikhian, has joined some Nigerians and organisations to condemn the Federal Government over the alleged invitation of Chinese doctors to lead in fight spread of Coronavirus, COVID-19, pandemic in the country.

Otoikhian who is Founder of EO Foundation, a non-governmental organisation that advocates stop on sickle cell transfer in Africa, said it is dangerous importing doctors and materials from countries with a

high burden of the virus that has killed thousands of their citizens, which calls for total rejection.

According to him Nigerian medical doctors and other health professionals have the expertise to tackle the spread of the virus if they will be equipped with necessary materials and incentives.

He said: Importing doctors and materials from a biochemical war zone to our country that is yet to record genuine and authenticated case is dangerous and may result in waking up the sleeping kettle of poisonous substances called COVID-19.

Our doctors are professional enough to handle any eventuality. All that we expect from the Federal Government and the Ministry of Health is to make available all necessary equipment and stop top government representatives from travelling to war zones.

It will be recalled that the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, also in a statement expressed worry and cautioned the Federal Government on bringing in Chinese medical doctors to the virus.

It also pleaded with the government to rescind its plan and stop the Chinese medial team from coming to the country, which alleged that the rapid increase of infected persons and deaths in Italy caused by the virus was during the arrival of Chinese doctors in that country.

Also, the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, NARD, decried the alleged move by the Federal Government to invite an 18-man Chinese team of medical experts made up of doctors and nurses to render assistance to Nigerians to stop the spread of the virus.

However, the Director-General, National Orientation Agency, NOA, Garba Abari, recently refuted claims and assertions made by some people and organizations over the alleged invitation of Chinese medical experts to lead in the fight against the deadly virus in Nigeria.

According to Abari the Chinese medical experts are only coming to share their experience on the approaches they used in the fighting outbreaks of the COVID-19 crisis in their country with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC.

Vanguard

Related

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Genetics expert condemns FG over alleged invitation of Chinese doctors to fight COVID-19 pandemic - Vanguard