Human Behavior

The US is reopening. It should try Canadas double bubbles first. – Vox.com

The United States is charging ahead with reopening. All 50 states are now moving to reopen their economies, even though only three meet basic criteria to do so safely. Coronavirus cases are rising in some states, yet public officials there are still choosing to open bars, restaurants, and more.

Meanwhile, Canada is trying out a much more modest experiment in easing social distancing. Based on early data, it seems to be working out.

Our northern neighbor has been doing far better than the US at keeping case numbers down, partly because its political system works. Its per capita Covid-19 death rate is roughly half that of Americas.

So, lately, some Canadian provinces have begun allowing people to form double bubbles. That means two households can now make a pact to hang out with and even hug each other, so long as they agree to stay distanced from everyone else. The hope is that doubling the family bubble will reduce isolation and its toll on mental health, while also helping with things like child care. This is meant to be an intermediate step before opening up further.

Canada borrowed the strategy from New Zealand, which used it to great effect before virtually eliminating the coronavirus. A few European countries, such as Germany, have also tried it before progressing to more drastic reopening measures.

In Canada, New Brunswick became the first province to permit its population to double-bubble on April 24. Newfoundland and Labrador followed on April 30. And Nova Scotia gave the go-ahead on May 15.

These provinces could afford to ease social distancing restrictions because they have very low case numbers. (Throughout all of May, none of them surged above 15 new cases per day.) Its still deemed too risky to do this right now in Quebec or Ontario, where community transmission is much higher.

Now that more than two weeks have passed since some provinces allowed people to double-bubble, we can expect that any resultant rise in daily new cases would be showing up in the data. But the data show no such rise.

In the last few weeks, there has not been a rise in cases in fact the opposite is true, Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease specialist at Toronto General Hospital, told me. This is a very smart and creative approach to the early phases of lifting the public health restrictions were living under.

Some American experts, meanwhile, sounded a note of frustration that the US is adopting a more aggressive approach in its rush to return to normal. There are many gradations in between total shutdown and wholesale reopening, and although the US is adopting a phased approach to reopening, it seems to be leapfrogging over some of the more modest gradations like the double bubble. Rather than telling people they can link up with one other household, some states are telling them they can go to bars, where theyll come into contact with far more people.

That raises the question: Would it be wise to try double-bubbling even before opening up a bunch of businesses?

Yes, I think this is something we need to be considering, said Julia Marcus, an infectious disease epidemiologist at Harvard. To me it seems like theres a much higher risk when were considering something like opening bars, compared with two families carefully agreeing to have playdates between their kids.

She added that what we particularly want to avoid is the occurrence of super-spreader events, where one person can infect many others at once. Thats less likely to happen in the scenario of two families whove agreed to be in a bubble together. Even if one of them is exposed and the infection is passed between those two families, the overall risk to the community is lower than in a situation where you have 300 people in a crowded bar, Marcus said.

Plus, she added, if we can give people some choices for human contact with relatively low risk, they may not feel the need to go to a bar.

Canadas embrace of double bubbles seems to have inspired some individuals in the US to adopt the approach, too, even in the absence of official US recommendations to that effect. But just because it makes for reasonable policy in New Brunswick or New Zealand does not mean its advisable everywhere else.

First, the double-bubble approach shouldnt be tried in a city where community transmission is high and new cases are rising. For example, the experts I spoke to said this wouldnt have been appropriate in New York City at the peak of its outbreak, and its probably still too risky there. But they said its something that should be done in areas that are ready.

Assuming that a region is doing well in terms of new cases and the amount of community spread, this seems to me like a perfect example of how harm reduction can be applied to social distancing, Marcus said. She argues that social contact is a basic human need and people are going to engage in it whether experts like it or not, so giving them a way to do it thats as low-risk as possible is better than insisting on total abstinence from socializing.

But how low do a regions numbers have to get before its safe enough to double-bubble?

Theres no magic number. Its going to be a value judgment, an opinion, Bogoch said. I know its not nice to talk about, but we have to make a value judgment on whats an acceptable number of cases and deaths. It falls to government officials, under the guidance of public health specialists, to make these determinations.

Carolyn Cannuscio, a social epidemiologist at the University of Pennsylvania, warned me in April that attempts to form a closed circle of people who can safely socialize are not as safe as they might seem. Each household will have some baseline risk of exposure from going to get necessary items like groceries. And even if both households agree to the same stringent set of rules (for example, always wearing masks when outside the home), not everyone will stick to them with the same fidelity. People sometimes cheat on their social contracts or simply forget to communicate small lapses, especially to people who live outside their household.

This becomes riskier when youre in a place with higher rates of community transmission. So, even now, Cannuscio said shed avoid double-bubbling if she were in such a place.

But, she added, In areas of low transmission, I would be willing to consider this. However, the person I most want to see is my mother, so I personally would prioritize her safety over all other considerations. For people with elderly or infirm family members they want to visit, they should limit other social contacts and not make their vulnerable family members susceptible to popped bubbles!

In other words, its not necessarily a bad idea to double-bubble with a senior or an immunocompromised friend, but if you choose to do that, you need to be extra careful about maintaining social distance from everybody else.

If its prudent to try double-bubbling even before opening up various businesses, why havent US authorities promoted it? Why has the country skipped over that phase?

One obvious answer is the economy. The fact that some 40 million Americans are unemployed is certainly fueling the push to reopen as many businesses as possible, as fast as possible. People need incomes, and some think that economic collapse must be averted even if that means the death toll rises.

But Marcus said theres another reason why US authorities jumped straight from total lockdown to relatively dramatic reopening measures (like allowing barbershops and bars to operate again) without considering the options in between.

We have a reluctance in this country to embrace harm reduction, Marcus said. Telling Americans in certain areas that they can see one other household would require trusting that giving them an inch wont mean they take a mile. Historically, one of the concerns about harm reduction that always comes up is this fear that if we give people any ideas about risky behavior, it will promote more risk-taking.

In a sense, the USs phased reopening could be seen as a form of harm reduction; its certainly safer than opening everything up immediately, without any phases at all. But the point is that to go from telling everybody to shelter-in-place to reopening certain businesses is still a big leap and the US has failed to give individuals choices in between.

While Canada tends to look relatively favorably on harm reduction, Marcus said she sees a lot of the opposite approach in the US. She cited resistance to sex education and to the HPV vaccine (for fear that they will lead teens to have sex earlier) and opposition to syringe service programs (for fear that they will promote drug use).

I think it comes down to having a more puritanical outlook on human behavior, Marcus said. The concerns often come from a place of moral judgment about what constitutes responsible behavior thats why we see the concerns come up most often in a context of sex and drugs.

Study after study has shown that these concerns are misguided: Harm reduction tends to improve health outcomes, while more moralizing or black-and-white approaches (like abstinence-only education) tend to backfire.

This is as likely to apply to pandemic-era socializing as to anything else.

If we dont provide harm reduction guidance that acknowledges the risks people are already taking and in some cases need to take, we are missing an opportunity to mitigate risk, Marcus said. Instead, people might choose to see lots of different people one after another, with more potential to expose themselves or others.

Unfortunately, in the US, many of us are already seeing examples of the latter behavior among our friends, families, and neighbors who want to socialize.

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Continued here:
The US is reopening. It should try Canadas double bubbles first. - Vox.com

Human Behavior

Should you fly yet? Here’s what expert scientists say – WBAL Baltimore

Video above: Virus impact forcing massive job cuts at BoeingAs restrictions open up, and more Americans consider traveling to shake off the quarantine cabin fever, the safest way to travel may not seem so safe. Riding in an airplane, enclosed with people around you, seems like the opposite of social distancing. But with some workplaces requiring travel again, and the prospect of getting away becoming all the more tempting, how, if at all, do you air travel safely?Why the fear of flying?The primary concern with flying or traveling by bus or train is sitting within six feet of an infected person. Remember: Even asymptomatic people can transmit. Your risk of infection directly corresponds to your dose of exposure, which is determined by your duration of time exposed and the amount of virus-contaminated droplets in the air.A secondary concern is contact with contaminated surfaces. When an infected person contaminates a shared armrest, airport restroom handle, seat tray or other item, the virus can survive for hours though it degrades over time. If you touch that surface and then touch your mouth or nose, you put yourself at risk of infection.Before you book, thinkWhile there is no way to make air travel 100% safe, there are ways to make it safer. It's important to think through the particulars for each trip.One approach to your decision-making is to use what occupational health experts call the hierarchy of controls. This approach does two things. It focuses on strategies to control exposures close to the source. Second, it minimizes how much you have to rely on individual human behavior to control exposure. It's important to remember you may be infectious and everyone around you may also be infectious.The best way to control exposure is to eliminate the hazard. Since we cannot eliminate the new coronavirus, ask yourself if you can eliminate the trip. Think extra hard if you are older or have preexisting conditions, or if you are going to visit someone in that position.If you are healthy and those you visit are healthy, think about ways to substitute the hazard. Is it possible to drive? This would allow you to have more control over minimizing your exposures, particularly if the distance is less than a day of travel.You're going, now what?If you choose to fly, check out airlines' policies on seating and boarding. Some are minimizing capacity and spacing passengers by not using middle seats and having empty rows. Others are boarding from the back of the plane. Some that were criticized for filling their planes to capacity have announced plans to allow customers to cancel their flights if the flight goes over 70% passenger seating capacity.Federal and state guidance is changing constantly, so make sure you look up the most recent guidance from government agencies and the airlines and airport you are using for additional advice, and current policies or restrictions.While this may sound counterintuitive, consider booking multiple, shorter flights. This will decrease the likelihood of having to use the lavatory and the duration of exposure to an infectious person on the plane.After you book, select a window seat if possible. If you consider the six-foot radius circle around you, having a wall on one side would directly reduce the number of people you are exposed to during the flight in half, not to mention all the people going up and down the aisle.Also, check out your airline to see their engineering controls that are designed or put into practice to isolate hazards. These include ventilation systems, on-board barriers and electrostatic disinfectant sprays on flights.When the ventilation system on planes is operating, planes have a very high ratio of outside fresh air to recirculated air about 10 times higher than most commercial buildings. Plus, most planes' ventilation systems have HEPA filters. These are at least 99.9% effective at removing particles that are 0.3 microns in diameter and more efficient at removing both smaller and larger particles.How to be safe from shuttle to seatFrom checking in, to going through security to boarding, you will be touching many surfaces. To minimize risk:Bring hand wipes to disinfect surfaces such as your seat belt and your personal belongings, like your passport. If you cannot find hand wipes, bring a small washcloth soaked in a bleach solution in a zip bag. This would probably freak TSA out less than your personal spray bottle, and viruses are not likely to grow on a cloth with a bleach solution. But remember: More bleach is not better and can be unsafe. You only need one tablespoon in four cups of water to be effective.Bring plastic zip bags for personal items that others may handle, such as your ID. Bring extra bags so you can put these things in a new bag after you get the chance to disinfect them.Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer as often as you can. While soap and water is most effective, hand sanitizer is helpful after you wash to get any parts you may have missed.Once you get to your window seat, stay put.Wear a mask. If you already have an N95 respirator, consider using it but others can also provide protection. We do not recommend purchasing N95 until health care workers have an adequate supply. Technically, it should also be tested to make sure you have a good fit. We do not recommend the use of gloves, as that can lead to a false sense of security and has been associated with reduced hand hygiene practices.If you are thinking about flying with kids, there are special considerations. Getting a young child to adhere to wearing a mask and maintaining good hygiene behaviors at home is hard enough; it may be impossible to do so when flying. Children under 2 should not wear a mask.Each day, we are all constantly faced with decisions about our own personal comfort with risk. Arming yourself with specific knowledge about your airport and airline, and maximizing your use of protective measures that you have control over, can reduce your risk. A good analogy might be that every time you get in the car to drive somewhere there is risk of an accident, but there is a big difference between driving the speed limit with your seat belt on and driving blindfolded, 60 miles an hour through the middle of town.

Video above: Virus impact forcing massive job cuts at Boeing

As restrictions open up, and more Americans consider traveling to shake off the quarantine cabin fever, the safest way to travel may not seem so safe. Riding in an airplane, enclosed with people around you, seems like the opposite of social distancing. But with some workplaces requiring travel again, and the prospect of getting away becoming all the more tempting, how, if at all, do you air travel safely?

The primary concern with flying or traveling by bus or train is sitting within six feet of an infected person. Remember: Even asymptomatic people can transmit. Your risk of infection directly corresponds to your dose of exposure, which is determined by your duration of time exposed and the amount of virus-contaminated droplets in the air.

A secondary concern is contact with contaminated surfaces. When an infected person contaminates a shared armrest, airport restroom handle, seat tray or other item, the virus can survive for hours though it degrades over time. If you touch that surface and then touch your mouth or nose, you put yourself at risk of infection.

While there is no way to make air travel 100% safe, there are ways to make it safer. It's important to think through the particulars for each trip.

One approach to your decision-making is to use what occupational health experts call the hierarchy of controls. This approach does two things. It focuses on strategies to control exposures close to the source. Second, it minimizes how much you have to rely on individual human behavior to control exposure. It's important to remember you may be infectious and everyone around you may also be infectious.

The best way to control exposure is to eliminate the hazard. Since we cannot eliminate the new coronavirus, ask yourself if you can eliminate the trip. Think extra hard if you are older or have preexisting conditions, or if you are going to visit someone in that position.

If you are healthy and those you visit are healthy, think about ways to substitute the hazard. Is it possible to drive? This would allow you to have more control over minimizing your exposures, particularly if the distance is less than a day of travel.

If you choose to fly, check out airlines' policies on seating and boarding. Some are minimizing capacity and spacing passengers by not using middle seats and having empty rows. Others are boarding from the back of the plane. Some that were criticized for filling their planes to capacity have announced plans to allow customers to cancel their flights if the flight goes over 70% passenger seating capacity.

Federal and state guidance is changing constantly, so make sure you look up the most recent guidance from government agencies and the airlines and airport you are using for additional advice, and current policies or restrictions.

While this may sound counterintuitive, consider booking multiple, shorter flights. This will decrease the likelihood of having to use the lavatory and the duration of exposure to an infectious person on the plane.

After you book, select a window seat if possible. If you consider the six-foot radius circle around you, having a wall on one side would directly reduce the number of people you are exposed to during the flight in half, not to mention all the people going up and down the aisle.

Also, check out your airline to see their engineering controls that are designed or put into practice to isolate hazards. These include ventilation systems, on-board barriers and electrostatic disinfectant sprays on flights.

When the ventilation system on planes is operating, planes have a very high ratio of outside fresh air to recirculated air about 10 times higher than most commercial buildings. Plus, most planes' ventilation systems have HEPA filters. These are at least 99.9% effective at removing particles that are 0.3 microns in diameter and more efficient at removing both smaller and larger particles.

From checking in, to going through security to boarding, you will be touching many surfaces. To minimize risk:

Bring hand wipes to disinfect surfaces such as your seat belt and your personal belongings, like your passport. If you cannot find hand wipes, bring a small washcloth soaked in a bleach solution in a zip bag. This would probably freak TSA out less than your personal spray bottle, and viruses are not likely to grow on a cloth with a bleach solution. But remember: More bleach is not better and can be unsafe. You only need one tablespoon in four cups of water to be effective.

Bring plastic zip bags for personal items that others may handle, such as your ID. Bring extra bags so you can put these things in a new bag after you get the chance to disinfect them.

Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer as often as you can. While soap and water is most effective, hand sanitizer is helpful after you wash to get any parts you may have missed.

Once you get to your window seat, stay put.

Wear a mask. If you already have an N95 respirator, consider using it but others can also provide protection. We do not recommend purchasing N95 until health care workers have an adequate supply. Technically, it should also be tested to make sure you have a good fit. We do not recommend the use of gloves, as that can lead to a false sense of security and has been associated with reduced hand hygiene practices.

If you are thinking about flying with kids, there are special considerations. Getting a young child to adhere to wearing a mask and maintaining good hygiene behaviors at home is hard enough; it may be impossible to do so when flying. Children under 2 should not wear a mask.

Each day, we are all constantly faced with decisions about our own personal comfort with risk. Arming yourself with specific knowledge about your airport and airline, and maximizing your use of protective measures that you have control over, can reduce your risk. A good analogy might be that every time you get in the car to drive somewhere there is risk of an accident, but there is a big difference between driving the speed limit with your seat belt on and driving blindfolded, 60 miles an hour through the middle of town.

See the original post:
Should you fly yet? Here's what expert scientists say - WBAL Baltimore

Human Behavior

AI And Remote Monitoring Technologies Play A Critical Role In Tackling Pandemics Like The COVID-19 – BW Businessworld

In December 2019, Canada-based Artificial Intelligence backed platform BlueDot spotted a cluster of pneumonia-like illnesses spreading in Wuhan, China. Scanning health data from multiple sources, the platform was able to identify the contagion, warning its clients about an impending global outbreak. BluDots prediction came much before WHO officially warned the world about the novel coronavirus threat.

AI-based data analytics and predictive modelling techniques give an in-depth insight into the spread of diseases and helps forecast future outbreaks in time to be able to prevent them. This is just one example of how the use of Artificial Intelligence is helping the human race identify, tackle and manage such diseases. To be fair, the world is not new to pandemics. In fact, over the past 10 years a series of such outbreaks have jolted the world --- be it SARS, Ebola, Nipah or COVID -19 -- the latest and the most devastating of zoonotic diseases to have hit the globe. While the world is still grossly under-prepared to deal with such pandemics, new age digital and Artificial Intelligence backed technology using biosensors and remote monitoring is offering remarkable new ways to tackle such health crisis.

Much like other fields, AI has also boosted healthcare with intelligent machines that can emulate human behavior, offer greater precision and can analyze loads of scattered data and make sense of it. According to a market research, the global artificial intelligence in healthcare market is expected to reach USD 31.3 billion by 2025.

Some factors fueling this surge include increasing adoption of precision medicine, use of big data in healthcare and co-opting of cost cutting technologies in healthcare.

Speeding diagnosis and flattening the disease curve

With faster diagnosis critical to containing the disease spread and flattening the curve, Artificial Intelligence backed interventions are emerging key solutions in the global fight against COVID-19. A number of new AI-based inventions are helping the medical fraternity improve its diagnosis capability. Researchers in China have claimed to have successfully used AI to diagnose COVID-19 from CT Scans of lungs, which is a much faster diagnostic solution that the sputum test currently being used. Another set of researchers in the US and UK have developed an AI model that can predict whether someone is likely to have COVID-19 based on their symptoms. According to the researchers this may provide help for populations where access to testing is limited.

Similarly, a team of biotechnology students and a professor from Mumbai has claimed to have developed an AI tool to test COVID-19 through voice-based diagnosis using a smartphone.

Clearly, AI based tools offer the new age solution to diagnose, tackle and address such pandemics in the future.

Mass screening of patients

Experience has shown that countries that were successful in widening their testing net were the ones that fared better in the fight against COVID-19. A wider testing net allows access to more accurate information about disease penetration and Spread. This in turn allows for better informed policy decisions. Screening of people in public places, offices, hospitals or public transport systems such as airports, railway stations etc is another area that needs to be taken seriously. Accurate screening can allow authorities to better curtail entry of suspected people ad contain the disease spread. However, thermally screening thousands of people every day at such joints is an uphill difficult task and also raises the threat of a large crowd gathering in waiting queues to be screened. AI-based mass screening technology can be an effective answer to this. In fact, Baidu, a Chinese multinational has already built AI-based solutions to effectively screen large populations and detect a change in their body temperature while they are on the move. This system can examine about 200 people per minute without disrupting the flow of people. Such technologies are ideal to be implemented in crowded areas, hospitals, railway stations, airports, etc to quickly identify suspected patients and quarantine them.

In Israel, a health insurance providing organization is using AI technology to run a data screening on its members to identify those who are most at risk of severe COVID-19 complications. This tool draws upon data such as age, BMI, existing health conditions and previous history of hospital admissions to spot at-risk individuals and fast track their diagnosis.

Effective monitoring of patients

Another critical usage of AI technology is in improving treatment outcomes and installing better patient monitoring mechanisms. COVID-19 patients, particularly those deemed high risk, need constant monitoring of health parameters. However, with hospitals inundated with patients, manual monitoring of patients is not easy. AI based tools offer a valuable solution to automate monitoring of patients parameters such as heart rate, temperature, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, among others. Digital solutions such as the ones created by Helyxon in collaboration with IIT Madras are helping hospitals across the world institute better patient monitoring mechanisms. Not just in hospitals, these digital systems offer an effective way to monitor patients quarantined at home as well. Helyxons devices use biosensors and keep a track of the bodys vital parameters. The devices keep a track of the spikes and aberrations and whenever an anomaly is observed a system-generated call alert is made to the user while an automatic escalation to the local provider is done. Interestingly, the devices are also equipped with Geo-fencing tracking alerts to keep a track of patients movements and ensure isolated patients do not violate the provisions of quarantine.

Use of AI platforms, biosensor devices and remote monitoring technologies is helping create better disease management protocols by improving diagnosis, screening and monitoring drives. The use of such technology has also made it easier for researchers to find relevant data and studies to acquire new insights or approaches to address the COVID-19 outbreak.

Here is the original post:
AI And Remote Monitoring Technologies Play A Critical Role In Tackling Pandemics Like The COVID-19 - BW Businessworld

Human Behavior

Confronting Past and Present Evils with Constructive Responses – The Times of Israel

The evils imposed on us by this weeks crisis might be better channeled into proactive rather than reactive measures designed to foment hatred at institutions designed to serve and protect all the people. Although sincerely motivated, grandiose acts of protests such as rallies and marches must be weighed against staying safe during this pandemic.

How then can we who are filled with horror express our intense desire to seek an immediate justice for those responsible for the unjust killing of a handcuffed African-American? The video of this tragic event vividly captures a police officer holding a mans neck in a choke-hold with his knee. That man, George Floyd, gasped that he could not breathe. Yet, the officer did nothing to ease the fatal pressure. Nor did the other three officers who just stood by and watched. The actions of the four are recorded for all to watch and hear the reality of racism being carried out, yet again, to its extreme. The question posed now, is how to best respond and achieve some lasting changes in the system? Pandemic crisis notwithstanding, surely fairness, morality and ethical behavior is the stuff that law is made of in democratic societies. A zero tolerance for acts of abuse should be the standard of practice of any police department in any place or time. Complete transparency of all who serve should be a matter of public record.

A heartfelt sorrow goes out to the victim, to George Floyds family and friends, and to all those in the past who had to pay the ultimate price for racists in power. Still, whatever our color, religion or ethnicity, we cannot go out and advocate a take-over of streets, shops and businesses, along with breaking windows and otherwise giving vent to deep-seated feelings of injustice. In the words of black business leader Robert Woodson, The violent protests in Minneapolis and around the country are devastating the people in whose name they demand justice.

That said, is it too much to ask that we will learn from what we see? Whether in time of crisis or not, public pressure expressed through social media, TV and newspapers, should be placed on any agency or institution to immediately fire any official who uses his or her authority to practice discrimination. In cases where physical harm is committed, the offender should face a court of law.

Dr. Bernice King reminded us recently of her fathers enduring message in the power of togetherness that we all must stand together and fight injustice by non-violent methods. We want to change things and we want it now. But change never comes through violence. It is not a solution. Violence in fact creates more violence. The black mayor of Minneapolis understood this notion of standing together. Mayor Jacob Frey did not state that it is the right of retribution for blacks and other minorities who have been singled out for abuse by those agencies designed to protect the people. Instead he speaks of what is right for our city, our community.

Jews are no strangers to acts of bias, hatred and murder. Six million paid the ultimate price when bigotry was the legal order of the day. In the years since World War II, we have witnessed three generations of a resurgence of anti-Semitic outbreaks and hate crimes. Perhaps the massive media coverage that the coronavirus has generated will also focus light on the odious breakdown of just and moral human behavior. Perhaps had there been press coverage of what was known or surmised about where the trainloads of Jews were heading, they could not have operated so effectively. Let us ensure that never happens again. Let us speak up individually and collectively for justice and for peace and work together to prevail over racism and prejudice without resorting to violence.

Dr. Karen Sutton is associate professor of history at the Lander College for Women, a division of Touro College, in New York City.

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Confronting Past and Present Evils with Constructive Responses - The Times of Israel

Human Behavior

Anxiety in kids: Symptoms and solutions – Reviewed

All kids have worries and fears. In typical times, a scary movie may inspire a week of a child running to your bedroom to sleep, a big neighborhood dog may alter your walking route for months, and a new school year may result in weeks of worry. Oftentimes, anxiety triggers will come and go in children, but the disruption of children's lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other events is causing heightened and prolonged anxiety in children.

"Everybody's baseline is changing right now and kids are feeling that. They are looking for grounding. They are looking to connect," says John Piacentini, Ph.D., ABPP and the director of both the Center for Child Anxiety, Resilience, Education and Support (CARES) and the Child OCD, Anxiety and Tic Disorders Program at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior.

If your younger child is more clingy, is regressing in sleep, or if bathroom accidents and baby-talk have suddenly reemerged after both seemed long behind you, you aren't alone.

Since so many routines of daily life are on hold and children's means of emotional outlets, like playgrounds, playdates, and after-school programs, are off-limits, you may have started to see the telltale signs of anxious behavior in your child. If your younger child is more clingy, is regressing in sleep, or if bathroom accidents and baby-talk have suddenly reemerged after both seemed long behind you, you aren't alone.

"Children are seeking predictability and control and we see anxious, aggressive, and regressive behaviors when they feel out of control or overwhelmed," says Lynn Lyons, LICSW and the author of Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents: 7 Ways to Stop the Worry Cycle and Raise Courageous and Independent Children.

Credit: Getty Images / Melpomenem

Look for more tantrums when kids are anxious.

Stress and anxiety can show up in all kinds of ways in children of all ages. You may see tantrums, irritability, aggression, anger, andcommonlyregressive behaviors. "Regression is not unusual in normal times, and these are not normal times. Development isnt a straight line, but we do see these behaviors when a child is stressed or there is a lot of change going on, says Lyons.

Sleep regression and bathroom training regressions are common in smaller children, but according to the experts we spoke to, all children can experience some form of regression in times of high stress. For older kids, you may see them lose confidence in tasks they've mastered, their sleep may be disrupted, or they may ask for more help than usual with their homework. When you see clinginess at any age it could be a sign of a child feeling anxious or distressed.

Look for kids avoiding tasks that may have been second nature a few months ago.

Piacentini also says to look for physical symptoms, like nausea and headaches, and he points out that avoidance behaviors are also a sign of stress. An older child may resist filling out applications or finishing their homework, and a younger one may resist washing their hands, picking up toys, or leaving the house. Look for kids avoiding tasks that may have been second nature a few months ago.

According to Piacentini, anxiety is completely normal. Its expected in new challenges or situations. "Anxiety is a part of our existence. It serves to keep us safe," he says. You may now see kids lashing out and showing belligerent or angry behaviors, and this is their way of dealing with something that they can't fully comprehend.

He says that now is not the time to focus on what they may say or do, but why they may be doing it. "This is really a time for empathy and connection. It's OK for you to acknowledge their feelings and let them know that Mommy and Daddy feel that way, too. If a child is anxious and a parent reacts with their own anxiety or anger it can lead to worsening a kid's anxiety. Now is the time to be predictable and as even-keeled as possible with our kids."

Both Lyons and Piacentini advise parents to take a look at themselves and what sort of anxiety they might be having that they are passing on to their children. "I put a big emphasis on parental behaviors," says Lyons. "Little kids dont really know whats going on right now. They arent picking up the details of what's on the news. They are picking up on their parents' behaviors and older kids are using parents as means for knowing how much to worry," says Lyons.

"If you are emotionally reactive your children will absorb that and they'll give it back to you in their own way."

She advises that parents pay attention to the emotional tone they set in the home. "You really want to pay attention to catastrophic language. What are they hearing on the news and what are they hearing when you're talking to your partner? Are you a worrier? If so, the first step is to manage that," she says. Lyons recommends that parents really pay attention to their own facial expressions, body language, and the tone of how they speak. "If you are emotionally reactive your children will absorb that and they'll give it back to you in their own way," she says.

During anxious times, children are looking to parents for grounding. It can be tempting for parents to throw structure out the window when a child is showing signs of stress, but all of the experts we spoke to say it's important to maintain structure when kids are feeling like their world is out of control.

"Kids are more dependent on parents than ever right now, and parents need to be predictable," says Piacentini. He says if a child is feeling sad or upset, it shouldn't mean that they can avoid what they are expected to do. "If we give in to their anxiety and let them get out of what they need to do, we are rewarding the anxiety." He recommends staying on routine, giving choices, and rewarding children for making a positive effort. "Kids need to stay active and they need to keep doing what we expect them to do."

He says you can build in choice to make them feel more in control, but only give them choices that you are comfortable with, such as you can eat the carrots or the tomatoes, or you can get dressed before you brush your teeth or after. If your child doesn't want to sleep in their own bed, or they are avoiding cleaning up after play time, it may seem like giving into those little habits aren't a big deal, but Piacentini says that the more the negative habits are reinforced the more insidious they become. "Maintain the rules, structures and routines that have always been in place. You can give a little leeway, you can give extra comfort and support, but don't fully collapse the structure," he says.

Credit: Getty Images / fizkes

Take the time to talk with your children about their concerns.

Lyons cautions that trying to eliminate worry is the furthest thing from productive. As soon as you try to eliminate worry and anxiety you exacerbate it. "When parents try to fix things and try to make worry go away they feed into it," says Lyons. "The more you try to get rid of worry the stronger it gets."

She says it's natural to want to jump in and prevent distress, but when we do so we turn anxiety and fear into a beast that needs to be avoided. She recommends talking with kids in simple terms and letting them know that there is uncertainty all around us and that it's scary but it's also OK to be uncertain. "It's OK not to have all the answers for your child. Let them work through their questions and let them know that you are OK without knowing the outcome. It's a fact of life that we aren't always going to be able to predict the future and it's a skill or kids to learn to be OK with that," says Lyons.

Credit: Getty Images / fizkes

Connect with your children through daily play.

Schedules are awry and parents are overwhelmed but now is really the time to factor in any connection time you can. According to Jeanine Rousso, LMHC, LPC, RPT-S a play therapist in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, when you give time for cuddles, or stop to play, it helps to stop a child's nervous system from going into fight or flight mode.

"If everyone is stressed and high anxiety, then that's where the kids are going to be during this time. If you're able to stop, connect, play with them, and cuddle them, that's how you can protect them against feeling trauma during this time," says Rousso.

When you give time for cuddles, or stop to play, it helps to stop a child's nervous system from going into fight or flight mode.

She recommends daily connection in the form of play and 30 minutes per week, per child, of what she calls "hardcore play." "Its rare that a kid will talk through their anxiety. Play can be such a great way for kids to process things," she says. She recommends 100% child-lead play. "This is their time for them to feel in control. Don't ask questions, don't give suggestions. Just allow them to take the lead." If youre looking for ideas, consider some of our favorite outdoor games that kids and adults enjoy.

Rousso also recommends play that can redirect a child's behavior. She likes play that focuses on breathing techniques. "I like to encourage kids to blow out a pretend cup of hot chocolate. Or get them blowing bubbles. Incorporate deep breaths into play to help them calm and redirect themselves."

If your child lashes out or if they struggle with simple tasks that they seemed to master in the past, it may be tempting to scold them or put pressure on them to complete tasks expected of them in the way they've always done. It's OK to cave in and help them when they are asking for your support.

When they are asking for help cleaning their room or washing their hands, or when they are having a hard time going to sleep or they are wetting their pants, they are exhibiting stress in those moments as a stand-in for the overall stress they are feeling, says Lyons. "It's OK to be with them and to reassure them," she says. "I like to say, 'It looks like you are having a rough time, what can we do about that?' and offer help. If they are showing anger, offer them support, have them sit on your lap and have a hug and then get up together to help them do what they need to do."

Help a child into bed and tell them you'll be back in five minutes to check on them. Hand them the toys to clean their room. Stand by them as they wash their hands and reassure them they are doing it just right. This isn't about rewarding bad behavior, it's about understanding your child's way of communicating stress when they aren't able to find the words themselves.

Perhaps the most important thing to remember is, these behaviors aren't personal and they aren't about your child disrespecting you or the rules you have at home. "It may be hard to hear but they are most likely reflecting your stress back at you in the only way they know how," says Lyons.

If a parent is anxious or distressed, angry or disconnected, the likely of that child having anxiety is greater. "These things are contagious. Check your own distress and what you are demonstrating to your child. If you can remind yourself to remain calm when your child is exhibiting stressful behaviors, you are teaching your child how to respond more positively to stress."

Originally posted here:
Anxiety in kids: Symptoms and solutions - Reviewed

Cell Biology

Using big data approaches to develop cell therapies – Drug Target Review

An area where stem cell biology and medicine are combining effectively is the establishment of new cell therapies. However, current therapies are limited to a narrow set of cell types that can be isolated or created and expanded in vitro. Dr Owen Rackham discusses how utilising computational approaches will further enhance applications of stem-cell-derived therapies in the future.

For decades (or perhaps centuries) the approach in cell biology has remained relatively unchanged. We isolate cells and with our confined knowledge of their endogenous conditions, begin to experiment until we can sustain them in vitro. Once established, we can conduct further investigation to assess a cells response to different conditions, changes over time or response to manipulation. This is especially true of stem cell biology, established from tireless efforts to incrementally improve culture conditions or differentiation protocols based on fragmented knowledge of developmental processes. Despite this, the promise of stem-cell therapies is already being realised in the clinic, but the breadth of cell types being used is still relatively narrow. Recent technological advances in the field have been focused on the safe and scalable manufacture of therapies. While these are revolutionary breakthroughs, the applications are largely limited to T cells, haematopoietic- and pluripotent-stem cells (HSCs and PSCs), a small fraction in the grand heterogeneity of cell types. Consequently, the lack of cell source diversity prevents cell therapy from fulfilling its clinical potential, pointing to the need for new means to isolate or generate source cells.

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Using big data approaches to develop cell therapies - Drug Target Review

Cell Biology

Less than 10% of people in Britain are immune to coronavirus. There’s no room for mistakes – The Guardian

The lockdown approach to combating Covid-19 has been undeniably effective. The surge in cases was stopped, the NHS was not overwhelmed, and many deaths were prevented. At the Francis Crick Institute, we could see the dramatic effect on cases, as weve been testing for Sars-CoV-2 to support our local hospitals. When we ran our first samples, at the peak of the first wave, nearly half were positive. Now we see perhaps one or two positive samples in a thousand.

But its not quite a fair comparison. Our earliest samples were from symptomatic self-isolating healthcare workers and we immediately realised that many other colleagues with no symptoms, or milder symptoms, would not be self-isolating. That meant they might be transmitting the virus. After a very regrettable delay, we persuaded our colleagues that it would be of critical importance to test asymptomatic healthcare workers too. One of many blunders in the first phase of the UKs response was to allow substantial transmission within hospitals and care homes.

I dont wish to dwell on past mistakes. When Boris Johnson recovered sufficiently to address the nation on 10 May, he outlined a new approach: suppressing this virus, keeping R below 1. The following day, flanked by Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance, he emphasised this message again. I was delighted. Finally, we were pursuing the correct strategy, the one adopted early on by Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, New Zealand the strategy that Sage advice had hitherto failed to identify. An acquaintance responded somewhat sardonically to my jubilation that this was exactly right with, Yes, in the sense that score more goals than the other team is exactly the right strategy for winning at football. Hes not a scientist, but a freelance singer; you can imagine how the lockdown has affected his income.

We now have the right mindset, but the challenge confronting Britain is greater than that faced by the countries that locked down early. To extend my friends analogy, weve been on the pitch with 11 playmakers nonchalantly passing the ball around, but with nobody who can either shoot or tackle. Testing, tracing and isolation is of course right, but mildly symptomatic people must be encouraged to request a test immediately. We have to turn those tests around more quickly, and we must be able to persuade their asymptomatic contacts to self-isolate. The app that could help with identification of contacts must have the broad support and trust of the public, as well as be technically beyond reproach.

Until last nights announcement by Grant Shapps, mandating masks on public transport from 15 June, we have been given only lukewarm encouragement for their use; yet just about every successful country has had mask-wearing at the heart of its success. There is good reason to believe that mask-wearing will only have a substantial effect when most people wear one. We must enact the new policies with greater efficiency if we are to succeed.

If you want to, you can extend the analogy further: as with any fan, you might complain about the owners, or want a different manager. But this isnt a game. Recent data from both Public Health England and the Office for National Statistics shows that less than 10% of the UK population is now immune to this virus. Reliable antibody tests at scale from multiple sources indicate approximately the same figure. We must discard any foolish optimism about immunological dark matter that will mysteriously prevent infection, or any other clutching at straws. The great majority of us are still susceptible to this virus, and if we allow it to transmit easily between us we will see a second wave possibly during the winter, where it may be even more deadly.

There will be mistakes, and no doubt there will still be hypocrisy and incompetence

Fundamentally, it is not just the government that has to get this right it is all of us. If we want to preserve our economy and our NHS, we must behave with personal integrity and responsibility. There will be mistakes, and no doubt there will still be hypocrisy and incompetence. These are human characteristics from which no government will ever be entirely free. What matters now is that suppressing the virus is the correct approach and that we have the means to carry it out. Matt Hancock has been upbraided by the chief government statistician for misrepresenting the number of tests, but however you count it, the capacity of 200,000 tests per day is a vast improvement on the situation in March. Credit where credit is due: its involved a huge effort from volunteer scientists at all the public health labs, hospital and academic labs and the Lighthouse labs. We can push this capacity even higher. If we can now target our testing effectively, we can loosen the lockdown and revive our economy.

If we get the next phase of our response testing, tracing and isolation wrong, our two remaining options are semi-permanent lockdown, or hundreds of thousands of deaths in an uncontrolled epidemic. Both possibilities will come with enormous economic damage, as well as a terrible cost in lives. The absolute worst thing we can do is give up hope. I wouldnt despair too much about pictures of crowds. The virus transmits less well outdoors. But we should be keeping 2 metres apart, and its irresponsible not to for any reason, even for highly justified protests. We cannot afford to mess this up.

I shall be supporting the government over testing and tracing, and helping to do all I can to make it as efficient as possible. I shall download the app when it becomes available, and I shall use it. I expect every government minister, and every government adviser to do the same. This would reassure me greatly that the app was safe to use. I have high confidence that recent events will have reminded key government advisers of the importance of privacy, and of the importance of leading by example.

New data on several vaccine candidates seems promising. If any prove successful, they will be deployed in record time.If we give up, we will see even more lives lost needlessly. If we keep up our collective effort, we can control this virus and prevent an overwhelming second wave.

Dr Rupert Beale heads the cell biology of infection laboratory at the Francis Crick Institute in London

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Less than 10% of people in Britain are immune to coronavirus. There's no room for mistakes - The Guardian

Cell Biology

Cells inside Cells: The Bacteria That Live in Cancer Cells – ETHealthworld.com

In a research conducted by Dr. Ravid Straussman's supported by the Roel C. Buck Career Development Chair and the European Research Council.

Dr. Ravid Straussman stated that cancer cells are comfy havens for bacteria. The conclusion arise from a rigorous study of over 1,000 tumor samples of different human cancers. The study, headed by researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science, found bacteria living inside the cells of all the cancer types from brain to bone to breast cancer and even identified unique populations of bacteria residing in each type of cancer. The research suggests that understanding the relationship between a cancer cell and its mini-microbiome may help predict the potential effectiveness of certain treatments or may point, in the future, to ways of manipulating those bacteria to enhance the actions of anticancer treatments. The findings of this study were published in Science.

Dr. Ravid Straussman of the Institutes Molecular Cell Biology Department had, several years ago, discovered bacteria lurking within human pancreatic tumor cells; these bacteria were shown to protect cancer cells from chemotherapy drugs by digesting and inactivating these drugs. When other studies also found bacteria in tumor cells, Straussman and his team wondered whether such hosting might be the rule, rather than the exception. To find out, Drs. Deborah Nejman and Ilana Livyatan in Straussmans group and Dr. Garold Fuks of the Physics of Complex Systems Department worked together with a team of oncologists and researchers around the world. The work was also led by Dr. Noam Shental of the Mathematics and Computer Science Department of the Open University of Israel.

Ultimately, the team would produce a detailed study describing, in high resolution, the bacteria living in these cancers brain, bone, breast, lung, ovary, pancreas, colorectal and melanoma. They discovered that every single cancer type, from brain to bone, harbored bacteria and that different cancer types harbor different bacteria species. It was the breast cancers, however, that had the largest number and diversity of bacteria. The team demonstrated that many more bacteria can be found in breast tumors compared to the normal breast tissue surrounding these tumors, and that some bacteria were preferentially found in the tumor tissue rather than in the normal tissue surrounding it.

The team also reported that bacteria can be found not only in cancer cells, but also in immune cells that reside inside tumors. Some of these bacteria could be enhancing the anticancer immune response, while others could be suppressing it a finding that may be especially relevant to understanding the effectiveness of certain immunotherapies, says Straussman. Indeed, when the team compared the bacteria from groups of melanoma samples, they found that different bacteria were enriched in those melanoma tumors that responded to immunotherapy as compared to those that had a poor response.

Straussman thinks that the study can also begin to explain why some bacteria like cancer cells and why each cancer has its own typical microbiome: The differences apparently come down to the choice of amenities offered in each kind of tumor-cell environment. That is, the bacteria may live off certain metabolites that are overproduced by or stored within the specific tumor types. For example, when the team compared the bacteria found in lung tumors from smokers with those from patients who had never smoked, they found variances. These differences stood out more clearly when the researchers compared the genes of these two groups of bacteria: Those from the smokers lung cancer cells had many more genes for metabolizing nicotine, toluene, phenol and other chemicals that are found in cigarette smoke.

In addition to showing that some of the most common cancers shelter unique populations of bacteria within their cells, the researchers believe that the methods they have developed to identify signature microbiomes with each cancer type can now be used to answer some crucial questions about the roles these bacteria play: Are the bacteria freeloaders on the cancer cells surplus metabolites, or do they provide a service to the cell? At what stage do they take up residence? How do they promote or hinder the cancers growth? What are the effects that they have on response to a wide variety of anticancer treatments?

Tumors are complex ecosystems that are known to contain, in addition to cancer cells, immune cells, stromal cells, blood vessels, nerves, and many more components, all part of what we refer to as the tumor microenvironment. Our studies, as well as studies by other labs, clearly demonstrate that bacteria are also an integral part of the tumor microenvironment. We hope that by finding out how exactly they fit into the general tumor ecology, we can figure out novel ways of treating cancer, Straussman says.

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Cells inside Cells: The Bacteria That Live in Cancer Cells - ETHealthworld.com

Cell Biology

Power Electronics Products of the Week (5/31 – 6/6) – Electronic Design

Unless youre involved in cellular-biology research, you may not know about electroporation, which is a powerful yet basic method for delivering small molecules (RNA, DNA, drugs) across cell membranes by application of an electrical field. Its used in situations such as genetic engineering of cells related to drug- and DNA-based vaccine delivery, whereby a tool called an electroporator applies a jolt of electricity to temporarily open cell walls.

(Technical aside for non-biology-lab audience: One of the roles of a cell membrane is to serve as a protective border, isolating the inner workings of a living cell from the outside environment. But with a brief jolt of electricityelectroporationthat membrane will temporarily open and allow foreign molecules to flow in. This process has been used for decades in molecular biology labs for tasks ranging from bacterial detection to genetic engineering.)

Quality test equipment and tools can be expensive, even for relatively simple ones such as electroporators, which deliver a controlled, high-voltage spark and can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. To enable smaller labs and schools to do experiments, a team at Georgia Institute of Technology (better known as Georgia Tech) developed a simple, inexpensive, handheld electroporator dubbed the ElectroPen, inspired by and derived from a common household piezoelectric stove/barbecue lighter (Fig. 1).

1. Shown is a common butane lighter (left) from which researchers obtained a piezoelectric component used in the ElectroPen (right)an inexpensive electroporator that has a 3D-printed case. (Source: Georgia Tech)

Unlike commercial units that require batteries or an ac power source, this electroporator is self-powered by a piezoelectric crystal, thus reducing cost and complexity. It delivers repeatable exponentially decaying pulses of about 2,000 V in 5 ms.

This electroporator wasnt a one-time hack where the objective was simply to successfully repurpose the lighter to another role and then conclude good enough, now were done. Instead their project encompassed upfront material analysis including measurement of various piezoelectric crystals, performance tests like assessing consistency of applied force and resultant voltage output, and even issues of manufacturability at the Georgia Tech location and independent sites (Fig. 2). In addition to electrical and mechanical evaluations at the bench, they also used their device successfully for its intended electroporation experiments.

2. ElectroPen platform: (a) Design of the 3D-printed low-cost electroporation device along with a depiction of its size scale, demonstrating portability. The device is operated simply by pressing down the toggle to trigger the piezoelectric mechanism, resulting in electrical discharge. (b) Design of the alternative electroporation millifluidic channel. The millifluidic-channel design consists of two blocks (shown here in acrylic) covered with aluminum tape to act as electrodes and placed on a base with a gap distance of 0.1 cm. The millifluidic channel can be built out of other materials as an alternative for industrial equivalents. (c) Depiction of the origin of the piezoelectric ignition mechanism found within the common stove lighter. The inset is the striker/piezoelectric mechanism of the lighter. The region with the red cap consists of a metal housing encasing the piezoelectric crystal. The middle black region consists of the spring-latch mechanism that strikes the crystal. The bottom black region (rightmost) consists of a wedge thats the origin for user-applied force and triggers the spring mechanism. The toggle on a lighter directly exerts a force on this mechanism to produce a spark. (d) Illustration of the general protocol for using the ElectroPen system. The cellular suspension is added to the gap in the millifluidic channel, after which the ElectroPen is connected and pressed to trigger a voltage potential. The cell suspension is then recovered in Luria Bertani broth (a commonly used nutritionally rich medium for culturing bacteria) and plated. (e) Illustration of the individual components of the 3D-printed ElectroPen platform and custom millifluidic channel. (Source: Georgia Tech)

For example, the team tested several different lighter crystals to find ones that produced a consistent voltage using a spring-based mechanism with a 1000-frame/s camera to study the device mechanics in slow motion (Fig. 3). The final bill of materials (BOM) included copper-plated wire, heat-shrink wire insulation, and aluminum tape. To hold it all together, the researchers designed a 3D-printed casing that also serves as its activator. With all of the parts on hand, the device can be assembled in 15 minutes.

3. Spring-latch mechanisms for repeatable generation of high-voltage pulses. (a) Image of the striking mechanism (hammer action) found within the piezo igniter in a lighter (arrow indicates location of crystal) (i). The parts include, from top to bottom, metal conductor (gold-colored region) housing the piezoelectric crystal, springs, hammer, release spring, and geometrical latch (ii). The presence of two springs is to decouple the loading and release phase for consistent voltage output. (b) Images of the hammer and PZT crystal. The circular surface area of the hammer comes into direct contact with a pin that strikes the piezoelectric crystal, generating a voltage through the piezoelectric effect. (c) Snapshots from high-speed video illustrating the position of the hammer during the loading, latch-release, and relaxation phases (i). Free-body diagram indicating movement of each part through each phase of the hammer action, including activation and deactivation of spring forces (ii). (d) Plot of displacement of the hammer and the lower case as a function of time obtained using high-speed image video. (e,f,g) Zooming into the dynamics of the hammer during the latch-release phase reveals that the hammer achieves a peak velocity of 8 ms1 in 0.5 m/s, which corresponds to an acceleration of 30,000 m/s2. The explosive acceleration results in a 10-N force (mass of hammer is 0.3 grams) exerted over a tiny area of the PZT crystal. (Source: Georgia Tech)

Noted M. Saad Bhamla, assistant professor in Georgia Techs School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, One of the fundamental reasons this device works is that the piezoelectric crystal produces a consistently high voltage, independent of the amount of force applied by the user. Our experiments showed that the hammer in these lighters is able to achieve acceleration of 3,000 gs, which explains why it is capable of generating such a high burst of voltage.

As a final confirmation of the designs practicality, they shared the design files, sample protocols, and digital instructions with research teams at other institutions, who were then able to build and use their own low-cost, DIY electroporators.

A detailed schematic, BOM, links to component sources, assembly instructions, and related documentation for the ElectroPen device project are in their published paper or being made available along with the files necessary for creating a 3D-printed enclosure. The paper ElectroPen: An ultra-lowcost, electricity-free, portable electroporator, published in PLOS Biology, closes with a realistic assessment of the capabilities and limitations of this device compared to commercial ones. The Supplemental Information available via the same link also includes numerous text and video files covering design, test, and evaluation. The project was supported by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.

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Power Electronics Products of the Week (5/31 - 6/6) - Electronic Design

Cell Biology

Something in the Water: Environmental Pollutant May Be Much More Hazardous Than Previously Thought – SciTechDaily

Sometimes toxins, such as hazardous wastes and industrial byproducts, seep into groundwater, the source of our drinking water. One such pollutant is perchlorate, a chemical compound used in rocket fuels, fireworks, fertilizers, and other materials. The compound is thought to contribute to health issues in humans such as hypothyroidism, the decreased production of hormones from the thyroid gland, which can impact development.

In a new study published on May 25, 2020, in the journal Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine, Vanderbilt University and the University of California, Irvine, report on the mechanism that perchlorate uses to impact and damage normal functioning of the thyroid gland.

The findings, they say, suggest that an acceptable safe concentration of perchlorate in drinking water is 10 times less than previously thought.

The researchers focused on how perchlorate blocks a main route by which iodide, the negatively charged form of the element iodine, enters thyroid cells. Iodide helps the thyroid make hormones that are essential to the bodys regulation of metabolism, temperature and other important functions.

Perchlorate, a chemical compound used in rocket fuels (such as the Space Shuttles solid propellant seen here during the programs final launch in 2011) and other materials, may be a more hazardous pollutant than previously thought. Credit: M.E. Newman, Johns Hopkins Medicine, using NASA and public domain images.

Thyroid cells control the incoming flow of iodide by using a protein channel called the sodium/iodide symporter, also known as the Na+/I- symporter or NIS. Like other cellular transport systems, a lock-and-key approach is used to move iodide, with NIS acting as the lock and sodium as the key. Sodium fits into NIS at two binding sites to unlock the channel, enabling iodide to pass through and accumulate inside a thyroid cell.

The team, led by L Mario Amzel, Ph.D., professor of biophysics and biophysical chemistry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and Vanderbilt University researcher Nancy Carrasco, M.D., determined that perchlorate blocks the channel by latching onto the NIS protein and changing its shape. Less sodium binds to the misshaped channel, thereby significantly lowering the amount of iodide that can be moved inside thyroid cells.

The researchers studied how varying concentrations of perchlorate affects iodide transport by first growing thyroid cells that expressed the gene SLC5A5, which encodes the instructions for building NIS channels. Next, perchlorate and radioactive iodine were placed outside of some of the cells and just radioactive iodine outside the others. Finally, the researchers tracked how much glowing iodide was allowed to enter the cells in both groups. They found that there was much less iodide inside thyroid cells treated with perchlorate than in untreated ones, even at very low concentrations of the chemical.

In May 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ruled not to place regulations on the amount of perchlorate that can be allowed in drinking water. The findings from the new study strongly suggest that this environmental pollutant is more hazardous than previously thought, raising serious concern about the decision.

We hope that these findings will prompt the EPA to change its mind, Amzel says.

Reference: Allosteric regulation of mammalian Na+/I symporter activity by perchlorate by Alejandro Llorente-Esteban, Ran W. Manville, Andrea Reyna-Neyra, Geoffrey W. Abbott, L. Mario Amzel and Nancy Carrasco, 25 May 2020, Nature Structural & Molecular Biology.DOI: 10.1038/s41594-020-0417-5

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Something in the Water: Environmental Pollutant May Be Much More Hazardous Than Previously Thought - SciTechDaily