Human Behavior

One Of A Kind Shelter Helps Traumatized Dogs Learn To Trust Humans Again – WBHM

In the gold-brown mountains around Weaverville, N.C., theres a dormitory filled with dysfunctional and depressed dogs. Its part of the ASPCAs Behavioral Rehabilitation Center, a cutting-edge program designed specifically to teach traumatized canines to be trustful human companions.

This is, as far as we know, the only facility in the U.S. and perhaps the world exclusively dedicated to the rehabilitation of extremely fearful, undersocialized dogs, says Kristen Collins, senior director of operations.

A former New York City copywriter turned animal cruelty investigator, Collins now oversees the care and treatment of up to 65 dogs housed in this long low building. Most have been rescued from puppy mills or hoarding situations. Right now, Ryan, an 8-month-old brown shepherd is bouncing around an outdoor space, confidently interacting with a stranger instructed to feed him cheese.

He was one of 42 other dogs living in a single family house, on the second story, explains Christine Young, a preternaturally calm behavior specialist whos worked with Ryan since he arrived at the center a few months ago from New Mexico. He was a cowering mess who, she says, had probably never been outside or affectionately handled. Nothing in these dogs life experiences prepared them to be proper pets.

Youd put a leash on them and they would panic and try to climb the wall and do what we call gater rolling,' adds Collins. Theyd thrash around on a leash, or even if you just tried to pet them sometimes even if you tried to approach them theyd lose control of their bladder or bowels or become catatonic. It was really heartbreaking to see.

Collins came up with the idea for the Behavioral Rehabilitation Center a decade ago, along with Dr. Pamela Reid and Dr. Katherine Miller. It became a reality in 2013. Since then, the BRCs full-time staff has expanded from five to more than 30 employees, including veterinarians, research scientists studying behavioral therapy and trainers such as Young, who admits that no one predicted the BRCs current success rate of 87%.

We thought we could save maybe half of them, she says, of the dogs entering the program. More than 500 have graduated, after undergoing a roughly 3-month long training course that slowly and gently teaches these animals to enjoy human company and respond to basic commands.

Basically, counter conditioning, Young explains. So, creating a new emotional association with things that scare them. She uses a reporters introduction to Ryan as an example. So instead of being a scary thing, you become a great thing, because it means Ryan gets more cheese.

Thats the magic part, Collins says. Watching, for the first time, a dog thats been terrified lean towards you, or play thats just amazing. And I cant talk about it without getting choked up. (You may get choked up, too, if you watch an upbeat, ASPCA-produced documentary, Second Chance Dogs, thats appeared on Animal Planet and Netflix.)

During the first few months of the pandemic, the ASPCA saw about a 400% increase in foster applications, according to spokesperson Alyssa Fleck. It was among many animal welfare organizations reporting spikes in adoptions and fostering, but those numbers seem to have leveled off since last spring.

These overall statistics do not account for regional differences in how the pandemic has played out with regard to pet adoptions and, more broadly, the well-being of animals in communities, Fleck wrote in an email to NPR. In short: The problem of animals needing homes has not been solved, but the issue of treating traumatized dogs is evolving.

When COVID-19 started to spread across the country, the Behavioral Rehabilitation Center had to put the brakes on one of the most exciting parts of its program bringing staff from shelters all over the country for residencies here in North Carolina, to learn how the program works and take it back home. Now that the centers switched to online teaching for the time being, at least, that means reaching more people. And by extension, more very good boys, and very good girls, will be able to find very good homes.

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One Of A Kind Shelter Helps Traumatized Dogs Learn To Trust Humans Again - WBHM

Human Behavior

Love and Hate in the Mouse Brain – ScienceBlog.com

Mounting behavior, that awkward thrusting motion dogs sometimes do against your leg, is usually associated with sexual arousal in animals, but this is not always the case. New research by Caltech neuroscientists that explores the motivations behind mounting behavior in mice finds that sometimes there is a thin line between love and hate (or anger) in the mouse brain.

The research, which appears in the journalNature, was conducted in the lab ofDavid Anderson, the Seymour Benzer Professor of Biology, Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience Leadership Chair, investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and director of the Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience.

Our lab is interested in understanding how social behaviors and underlying emotional states are controlled by the brain, explains lead author Tomomi Karigo, a postdoctoral scholar at Caltech. While we were studying social behaviors in mice, we sometimes noticed that male mice would mount other males, in a way similar to how they would mount females, Karigo says.

It was unclear whether these male mice tried to mate with a male because they simply mistook it for a female or if they knew it was a male but intended to establish dominance over it. The researchers hoped to understand whether a male mouse mounting another male mouse reflects a different intent than a mouse mounting a female mouse, and how mounting behavior is regulated in the brain.

To find out, the researchers first recorded videos of males mounting both male and female mice. Using machine learning, a type of software that learns and adapts through experience, they analyzed the videos to see whether there was anything different in the mounting behavior that was exhibited toward a male versus that toward a female mouse. The machine-learning analysis revealed no obvious difference in the mechanics of the mounting behavior.

The researchers then looked for other clues in the mounting males behavior that might differentiate female-focused versus male-focused mounting.

One clue was that male mice appear to sing to females while mating with them. These songs, known as ultrasonic vocalizations, are too high-pitched for humans to hear, but can be picked up with a special microphone. Karigo and the team found that mounting mice sing only to female mice, not to males. In addition, when a male is mounting another male, the two animals usually end up fighting after a short period of mounting. This does not happen in the case of a female mounting partner.

These results suggested that mounting behavior toward a female has a different meaning than mounting behavior toward a male. Specifically, mounting toward a male is probably the expression of dominance or mild anger (aggressive mounting) and not a reproductive (or so-called affiliative) behavior.

Next, the researchers explored which brain regions are responsible for each type of mounting behavior.

When a male mouse mounted male or female mice, the researchers observed neural activity in an area of its brain called the hypothalamus, which controls, among other things, hunger, thirst, metabolism, and defensive behaviors. In particular, two regions of the hypothalamus seemed to be involved: the medial preoptic area (MPOA) and the ventrolateral subdivision of the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMHvl). The MPOA showed high levels of activity when the male mouse was mounting, and singing to, a female; conversely, the VMHvl showed high levels of activity when the male mouse was mounting, but not singing to, a male.

The team then took a closer look at the activity of individual neurons in the MPOA and VMHvl. They found that distinct groups of neurons were activated during reproductive mounting and aggressive mounting, in each brain region. In addition, the researchers discovered that they could train a computer to correctly predict whether the mounting was sexual or aggressive, based purely on the pattern of neuronal activity in these two regions.

The researchers then tested to see if those brain regions actually controlled the two mounting behaviors, or if activity in the regions was simply correlated with the behaviors. They did this using a technique called optogenetic stimulation, in which light is used to trigger the firing of neurons. By directing the light to specific areas of the brain, researchers can induce neuronal activity there, and thus induce behaviors.

When the researchers presented a female mouse to a male mouse, the male mouse began to sing and mate with a female. But when the researchers stimulated the males VMHvl, the male stopped singing and started to show aggressive mounting behavior toward the female. Conversely, if a male mouse was engaging in aggressive behaviors toward another male and the researchers stimulated its MPOA, the aggressive mouse would stop fighting, begin to sing, and attempt to mate with the other male.

Karigo and Anderson liken this to a seesaw of love and hate. Activity in the MPOA tilts the seesaw toward love, while activity in the VMHvl tilts it toward hate (or aggression).

In this study, we used mounting behavior as an entry point to understand the underlying neural mechanisms that control emotional or motivational states, Karigo says. She says their findings advance our understanding of how the mouse brain, and more broadly the mammalian brain, works to control emotions, and she adds that they may one day help us to better understand human behaviors.

The paper describing their findings, titled, Distinct hypothalamic control of same- and opposite-sex mounting behaviour in mice, was published online byNatureon December 2. Co-authors are Ann Kennedy, formerly of Caltech and now at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University; neurobiology graduate students Bin Yang and Mengyu Liu of Caltech; Derek Tai, formerly a research assistant at Caltech and now at the Touro University Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine; Iman A. Wahle (BS 20), a Schmidt Scholar at Caltech; and David J. Anderson.

Funding for the research was provided by the National Institutes of Health, the Simons Collaboration on the Global Brain Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience, of which Anderson is the director.

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Love and Hate in the Mouse Brain - ScienceBlog.com

Human Behavior

MSF-OCBA is looking for a MOBILE BEHAVIOR AND ETHICS BASED IN MIDDLE EAST (ONE YEAR CONTRACT) – ReliefWeb

GENERAL CONTEXT

Mdecins Sans Frontires is an international independent medical-humanitarian organization, which offers assistance to populations in distress, to victims of natural or man-made disasters and to victims of armed conflict, without discrimination and irrespective of race, religion, creed or political affiliation.

MSF is a civil society initiative that brings together individuals committed to the assistance of other human beings in crisis. As such MSF is by choice an association.Each individual working with MSF does it out of conviction and is ready to uphold the values and principles of MSF.

The MSF movement is built around five operational directorates supported by MSFs 21 sections, 24 associations and other offices together worldwide. MSF OCBA is one of those directorates. The operations are implemented by field teams and the mission coordination teams; together with the organizational units based in Barcelona, Athens and decentralised in Nairobi, Dakar and Amman. The field operations are guided and supported by 5 Operational Cells, the Emergency Unit and other departments supporting operations, including Projects & IT.

GENERAL OBJECTIVE

She/he will be hierarchically and functionally accountable to the Abuse Prevention Manager and part of the Behaviour Unit in OCBA.

MAIN FUNCTIONS, RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS

Update, conduct and propose new training solutions for the missions/unit.

Map possible external resources (communication and trainings).

Participate in training sessions as a facilitator upon request.

Context analysis in relation to Behaviour:

a. Analyses existing sensitiveness, knowledge, barriers and awareness in relation to Behaviour and Medical Ethics in the region and in OCBA settings.

b. Awareness sessions in MSF Missions of the region: adapts the awareness sessions to each context.

Specific focus on training of trainers (TOT) for focal points.

Collaborates with other MSF sections and NGOs in facilitating awareness sessions.

Awareness sessions in the Unit:

a. In collaboration with the Abuse Prevention Manager she/he will organize regular debates, awareness activities and trainings in the Unit.

b. Provides CMT members at mission level with sufficient tools to escalate cases following the guidance and directions of the Behaviour Lead and Medical department.

Briefings on abuse prevention to all new members of the Unit.

Participates in Briefings for CMT members upon request in collaboration with the Abuse and Ethics Lead, the Abuse Prevention Manager and the Behaviour Officer.

Briefings on abuse prevention to Medcos and PMRs (face to face/ by distance).

Data collection of awareness activities in the region.

Elaborates TOR for each visit in collaboration with the Abuse Prevention Manager and produce visit reports including: assessment of the context related to barriers, weaknesses and strengths of each mission, main topics of discussion and problems encountered, sessions and trainings done, reporting and communication systems.

Participate in meetings at the department, from decentralized units and in in-house discussion forums.

Coordination with HRCOs in the field and HR responsible of the Unit. Supports the OCBA fields, HQ and decentralized units in the implementation of the Behavioural Commitments and other relevant documents regarding abuse and discrimination.

Liaise with Abuse and Ethics Lead, the Medical department and the Abuse Prevention Manager to update on findings and progresses in missions.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Academic Background: psychology, social and cultural anthropology, sociology, philosophy, history, public health or similar/ complementary areas.

Fluent in Arabic and English.

Minimum 3 years experience in teaching and coordinating teams within a multicultural setting. Facilitation skills for the sensitization sessions are a strong asset.

Solid experience in social, health, humanitarian and/or cultural projects or frameworks.

Experience with challenging settings within social or humanitarian projects (vulnerable populations or contexts, multiple stakeholders, activist agendas, human rights agendas).

Experience where sensibility and sense of respect towards people from different origins and horizons made the difference.

Field experience within MSF is desirable. Relevant experience in similar organizations will be taken into consideration.

Familiar (and willing to remain updated) with MSF tools and policies in the relevant field.

Exposure to trainings or previous professional experience on Behavioral and medical Ethics issues and Abuse prevention is a strong asset.

TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE

Good command of Microsoft Office package and/or Open Office.

Good command of social media applications.

Desirable: focus group discussion programs or applications/ Data collection Kobo Toolbox.

COMPETENCIES

Commitment to MSFs Principles

Cross-cultural Awareness

Behavioral Flexibility

Stress Management

Analytical Thinking

Results and Quality Orientation

Service Orientation

Planning and Organizing

Teamwork and Cooperation

People Management and Development

CONDITIONS

Homebased position or at any OCBA Hub.

Full time job.

One year contract

Annual gross salary: (divided into twelve monthly payments) + Secondary Benefits based on the MSF-OCBA Reward Policy.

Starting date: February 2021.

MSF OCBA is a people-focused humanitarian organization that offers a diverse, collaborative and inclusive work environment. We believe this approach enhances our work and we are committed to equity in employment. We embrace diverse backgrounds of people working together to exhibit their passion in action for the social mission of MSF.

Mdecins Sans Frontieres, as a responsible employer, under article 38 of Ley de Integracin Social del Minusvlido de 1982 (LISMI) invite those persons with a recognized disability and with an interest in the humanitarian area to apply for the above-mentioned position.

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MSF-OCBA is looking for a MOBILE BEHAVIOR AND ETHICS BASED IN MIDDLE EAST (ONE YEAR CONTRACT) - ReliefWeb

Embryology

Eating Nuts Makes Sperm More Robust, Study Says (So Thats Why Mr. Peanut Is So Cocky) – Mandatory

Nuts are a crunchy, tasty, often salty snack. They pair well with beer (if were being bad) or salad (if were being good) or trail mix (if we think were being good but actually being bad). We know theyre beneficial for our heart and brain health. But a new study suggests that men have yet another reason to chow down on the popular snack: superior sperm.

Research funded by the International Nut and Dried Fruit Council found that eating nuts can improve the DNA quality of sperm. This is the latest in a trio of studies that confirm that popping nuts on the regular can help your little swimmers go the distance.

A 2018 study from the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology studied 119 men and found that those who consumed 60 grams per day of almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts experienced boosts in sperm count, vitality, motility and morphology. In laymans terms, they were more virile.

And yet another study by the American Society of Andrology and the European Academy of Andrology of 72 men found that those who added nuts to their diet experienced DNA alterations in their sperm that might make them more likely to fertilize an egg.

So now you know why Mr. Peanut is so cocky though he shouldnt be, because peanuts are at the bottom of the nut hierarchy when it comes to health benefits. (Technically, theyre a legume.)

And you have to take these studies with a grain of salt (which is how we happen to like our nuts anyway sprinkled in sea salt to be exact) because they were all funded by Big Nut, which obviously has a vested interest in finding out good things about nuts.

Cynicism aside, how many nuts do you need to, um, nut more effectively? About 40 almonds, 40 hazelnuts or 20 walnuts a day which is a pretty hefty serving. If you do add that many nuts to your daily diet, make sure you reduce your caloric intake elsewhere or youll not only have beefier sperm but a beer belly as well and that will definitely not help you get laid.

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Eating Nuts Makes Sperm More Robust, Study Says (So Thats Why Mr. Peanut Is So Cocky) - Mandatory

Embryology

The sperm race: How an Irish firm is finding the strongest swimmers – The Irish Times

Every year roughly a million fertility treatment cycles are carried out in the EU and the US, and two-thirds of them fail. Fertility problems affect one in six couples and treatment costs about 5,000 for a single cycle in Europe and twice that or more in the US.

It takes an average of three cycles for a couple to conceive. When the treatments fail, those involved pay a heavy emotional and financial price.

Infertility is often wrongly seen as predominantly a female problem. But in up to 50 per cent of cases, issues with the sperm are a major contributing factor, says reproductive specialist Dr Sean Fair, who is also the driving force behind a new technology that dramatically improves sperm selection and increases the chances of a successful pregnancy.

Sperm is produced in the hundreds of millions, which suggests that a reasonable proportion will successfully make it up the female reproductive tract. This is not the case. Even in men considered to have robust fertility levels, only 4-8 per cent of their sperm have what is considered the normal shape required to go the full distance and fertilise an egg.

In a fertility clinic setting, most eggs are fertilised by an intra cytoplasmic sperm injection. This involves the embryologist selecting a sperm and injecting it directly into the egg, Fair says.

An experienced embryologist will select the best sperm available with a normal shape but they have no information about its DNA integrity which can fragment as the only test available to check it would destroy the sperm. We know that high sperm DNA fragmentation leads to lower fertilisation rates and doubles the risk of miscarriage, so the selection of sperm with the best DNA integrity is crucial.

Fairs background is in animal science, and he has been researching for the past 15 years how sperm interact with the female reproductive tract. Although much of his professional life has been spent on animal reproduction, he says there are close parallels with humans and it was a small step to transfer what he knew in one context to another.

Im guessing that not a lot of people know that Ireland has been at the leading edge of animal reproductive science for probably 40 years now, and there is a huge reservoir of knowledge here on the subject, says Fair. I felt there was significant potential to apply what we already knew about animals to humans given the mammalian similarities and I spoke to numerous fertility specialists who immediately identified with the science and saw it as a significant step forward in helping couples to overcome their infertility problems.

In August his research took a giant step towards commercialisation with the formation of NeoMimix, which will take the technology to market. The companys co-founder is embryologist Declan Keane (also founder of the ReproMed fertility group), and NeoMimix will be spun out from the University of Limerick, where Fair is based at the Bernal Institute. Market launch has been set for 2023.

We knew from looking at how sperm progress up the female reproductive tract in farm animals that they swim up small grooves along the edges of the cervix against outward-moving mucus. I discussed replicating this process in the lab with my engineering and product design teams and this led to our first basic prototype, which allowed us to see the sperm swimming against a fluid flow, says Fair.

Whats developed from there is NeoMimixs proprietary technology, which works by naturally stimulating the sperm to swim in microchannels against an active fluid flow. In other words, its exactly how sperm naturally orientate and swim up the female reproductive tract against an outward flow of mucus produced under the influence of oestrogen around the time of ovulation.

We can complete the selection process in about half the time it takes with current methods, and environmentally what were doing is also a step forward, as our technology requires the use of a single disc, not multiple test tubes that have to be discarded after use.

NeoMimixs microfluidics-based technology comprises a small reusable control unit and a disposable plastic disc with multiple tiny channels that act like the grooves of the cervix. The sperm sample is placed on the disc and the system then mimics the way the female body naturally conducts its selection process. In short, its all about survival of the fittest, and whats left at the end of the process is an elite group of super swimmers.

The embryologist then works with this elite cohort alone to fertilise the egg, thereby enhancing the potential for pregnancy and reducing the number of IVF cycles a couple has to go through.

Shaun Rogers is an embryology clinical scientist at the Gennet City fertility clinic in London, which is part of Europes third-largest provider of IVF. He has spent almost three decades in the field and is encouraged by what he has seen and heard so far about the NeoMimix technology.

There have been big advances in fertility treatment in the last 10 years but a lot of it has been focused on the embryo and improving the implant potential, says Rogers. The preparation of sperm samples has received less attention so there have been fewer big developments, which is why what NeoMimix is doing is particularly relevant. There are significant advantages to a sperm sorting system that will give us a better functional population to work with.

In my experience the ideas with the best potential usually come from the field rather than from a research company working in isolation, says Rogers. In the case of NeoMimix you have an approach that combines the best of both worlds: the experience of a reproductive biologist who has worked in the field for over 30 years and the rigorous approach of an academic researcher at the leading edge. Putting the two together gives the best chance of producing something thats different and ground-breaking.

Fair says the advantages of NeoMimixs system will become obvious to the infertility community once the company breaks cover and begins actively demonstrating its technology. Currently, our competition and the industry norm is a method called density gradient centrifugation.

This is where sperm are spun in a centrifuge at high speed and forced through silica nanoparticles. More dense sperm are pushed to the bottom, Fair says. This technique is rudimentary and not very selective. In addition, the centrifugation process stresses the sperm (our technology does not) and silica nanoparticles can get stuck to it and then need to be washed off by further centrifugations, which is far from ideal.

Component parts for NeoMimixs technology will be made in Sligo and Shannon, and its potential customers are fertility clinics worldwide. Its addressable market is estimated at 280 million, and Fair says the company intends to develop its microfluidics platform into a total embryo culture system that will open up a potential market of 23 billion.

Between now and the product launch in roughly two years time, the device has to go through US and EU regulatory processes and the company is about to embark on a 2 million fundraising round to build out its team and proceed to market. Investment in the technology to date is about 700,000, which has come from Enterprise Ireland, UL and the EUs EIT Health innovation network.

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The sperm race: How an Irish firm is finding the strongest swimmers - The Irish Times

Immunology

For immunologists, 2020 has been a terrifying, incredible year – The Guardian

You may think of immunologists as biologists, but we are also in the defence business. This aspect of our role really comes into its own when a new, devastating disease rears its head. We estimate that the new coronavirus Sars-CoV-2 first made the leap to humans last December. Over one and a half million lives have been lost in the past year as a result. Dealing with Covid has undoubtedly left its mark on the field my field and it seems like a good time to take stock.

Right now I am sitting opposite my Christmas tree, the cat beside me, and I cant help thinking that swooning over That Plot from the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine briefing (page 58 if you are interested) is probably a phenomenon restricted to viral immunologists. But if this year has taught us anything, its not to make assumptions. And sure enough, Ive seen it shared on social media by non-scientists as a symbol of hope.

Its been quite the journey to get to that graph. In March we were asked to go home, shut down our labs and think of things for our students and staff to do. It was unclear whether many of them would be eligible for furlough. Research students had to teach themselves new skills, trying their hand at programming languages and science writing. Masters students switched to dry projects, forgoing the coveted lab experience that is often the main point of an expensive MRes degree.

Postdocs, who are on contracts, entered a new era of uncertainty. Universities were forced to implement hiring freezes and funding bodies deferred or cancelled grant schemes. Academics with clinical backgrounds went back to frontline duties, their research stagnating but, thankfully, their salaries secure. Nevertheless, their risk of catching a new dangerous disease increased, and PPE was in short supply. Non-clinicians were seriously worried about how student recruitment would affect universities income and their job security by association. It was clear that there would be tough times ahead.

At the same time as all this insecurity, there was a buzz of intellectual excitement in viral immunology: a new virus, an unknown entity. We had so many questions! We consumed preprints a version of a scientific paper that precedes peer review with a desperate thirst. It takes months to put a scientific paper through peer review, but preprints share the data immediately for all to see and can help shape the next steps in disease prevention and treatment. Immunologists worked with journalists to evaluate and interpret new findings on a daily basis, and this has increased the publics trust in science.

I fangirled over my viral immunology heroes as they appeared on broadcast media and in the popular press, dispelling misinformation and flying the flag for evidence-based medicine. In 1663, the Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge was formed under the motto Nullius in verba, which can be glossed as take nobodys word for it.

Back then, fellows met at the societys premises to promote and defend their research under the harsh questioning of their peers. In 2020, however, we had lockdowns.

One of the best parts of my job is travelling to meet with scientists, learning about their discoveries and forging relationships that lead us down new and fruitful paths. Scientists know no borders, and being stuck at home during the pandemic has hindered the emergence of new collaborations.

On the other hand, we took to meeting remotely like ducks to water; immunologists are now equipped to attend a seminar presented by a colleague from the other side of the planet, while feeding their children lunch and moving the laundry to the dryer. Caring responsibilities while working from home have given rise to hilarious memes, but have also caused a huge amount of stress, and it is estimated that women have and will be disproportionately affected. The resulting decrease in productivity is likely to impact womens career progression in the years following the pandemic, and scientists and funders are looking for solutions.

The economic after-effects of the pandemic will hold back research in some areas of immunology for years to come, because so much discovery science relies on funding from charities that are currently in dire straits. On the other hand, governments have diverted resources to coronavirus projects to cope with the new healthcare challenges. Academics have collaborated with industry to speed up vaccine development and drug discovery, and expensive clinical trials have experienced no trouble getting support. As a result, the first Covid-19 vaccine was rolled out less than a year from the discovery of the virus, and there are plenty more to come.

The pandemic has acted as a proof-of-concept test for the idea that investing in scientific discovery is crucial for humanitys health and economic prosperity. If we put money into science and work together, we can take on global challenges with resounding success. For example, we are now laying the foundations of the infrastructure needed to deploy vaccines globally, and we will be able to use this to target diseases other than coronavirus with prophylactic and therapeutic vaccination. This will include autoimmune diseases and cancer as well.

I dont need to tell you that its been a terrible year in terms of human suffering. But I take comfort from the fact that its also been a year that proved how powerful not just immunology, but science as a whole, can be.

Zania Stamataki is a senior lecturer in viral immunology at the Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham

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For immunologists, 2020 has been a terrifying, incredible year - The Guardian

Immunology

Medical Musings: Scientist ushered in science of immunology, ability to produce vaccines with landmark 1885 treatment – Daily Press

Louis Pasteurs method for zapping the germs from fresh milk changed the way people bought and consumed dairy, and today many more food products are pasteurized for safety. Pasteurs work was one of the most immediate consequences of germ theory, where he worked to kill something invisible to the naked eye that nonetheless could cause grave illness.

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Medical Musings: Scientist ushered in science of immunology, ability to produce vaccines with landmark 1885 treatment - Daily Press

Immunology

American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Updates Guidance on Risk of Allergic Reactions to mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines – Newswise

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS (Dec. 22, 2020) Following reports of some patients experiencing anaphylaxis after getting a COVID-19 vaccine, theCDC has issued guidance related to COVID-19 vaccines and severe allergic reactions. Specifically, the CDC recommends patients experiencing a severe allergic reaction after getting the first shot should not get the second shot. The CDC also says that doctors may refer these patients to a specialist in allergies and immunology to provide more care or advice.

Reactions to vaccines, in general, are rare, with the incidence of anaphylaxis estimated at 1.31 in 1 million doses given. With the FDA emergency use authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine on December 11, 2020 and the Moderna vaccine on December 18, 2020, the ACAAI COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force recommends the following guidance for physicians and other providers related to risk of an allergic reaction on vaccination.

These recommendations are based on best knowledge to date but could change at any time, pending new information and further guidance from the FDA or CDC.

Editors note: Please contact Hollis Heavenrich-Jones hollisheavenrich-jones@acaai.org 847-725-2277 if you would like to interview a member of the ACAAI Covid Task Force on the topic of allergic reactions to the vaccines.

About ACAAI The ACAAI is a professional medical organization of more than 6,000 allergists-immunologists and allied health professionals, headquartered in Arlington Heights, Ill. The College fosters a culture of collaboration and congeniality in which its members work together and with others toward the common goals of patient care, education, advocacy and research. ACAAI allergists are board-certified physicians trained to diagnose allergies and asthma, administer immunotherapy, and provide patients with the best treatment outcomes. For more information and to find relief, visit AllergyandAsthmaRelief.org. Join us on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter.

References

McNeil MM, Weintraub ES, Duffy J, et al. Risk of anaphylaxis after vaccination in children and adults.J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2016; 137(3):868-878.

Dreskin et al. International Consensus (ICON): allergic reactions to vaccines.World Allergy Organization Journal2016; 9:32.

Wylon, K., Dlle, S. & Worm, M. Polyethylene glycol as a cause of anaphylaxis.J Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol.12,67 (2016).

Stone CA, Liu Y, et al. Immediate Hypersensitivity to Polyethylene Glycols and Polysorbates: More Common Than We Have Recognized.J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract.2019; 7(5): 15331540.

Sellaturay P, et al. Polyethylene GlycolInduced Systemic Allergic Reactions (Anaphylaxis),J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract.2020.

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American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Updates Guidance on Risk of Allergic Reactions to mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines - Newswise

Immunology

Dangerous Side Effects of Your Christmas Tree, According to Science | Eat This Not That – Eat This, Not That

If you find yourself sneezing or wheezing this holiday season, it may not only be because you're overly emotional about that new robe your kids got you. It may be because of "Christmas tree syndrome." Approximately 5 percent of Americans are allergic to mold, and your treelive or artificialmay be spreading it in your house. "Mold can cause many health effects," says the CDC. Read on to see how this might affect youand speaking of illnesses, to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss these Sure Signs You've Already Had Coronavirus.

Mold and pollen are common irritants. "Live pine trees can cause problems for those with asthma," reports the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology. "They can bring mold and pollen into your home." "For some people, mold can cause a stuffy nose, sore throat, coughing or wheezing, burning eyes, or skin rash," says the CDC. "People with asthma or who are allergic to mold may have severe reactions. Immune-compromised people and people with chronic lung disease may get infections in their lungs from mold."

"The trees themselves most likely have mold spores and pollen on them that are brought into the home," Melanie Carver, vice president of community health and marketing for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, told the Detroit News. "Mold grows in warm, humid environments, and sometimes the inside of your home provides the perfect conditions to encourage mold growth."

"Artificial trees and decorations stored in a garage or basement can have mold and dust on them. Be sure to wipe down the decorations and wash the tree stand," advises the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology. "Cardboard boxes and open bags allow dust to accumulate. Switch to storage containers that keep out dust mites. If you have room, store your decorations and artificial tree in a temperature-controlled part of your home to cut down on moisture."

"Christmas trees are a possible source of mold exposure during the holiday season," says Philip Hemmers, an allergist and immunologist with St. Vincent's Medical Center in Bridgeport, Conn, who co-authored a study about Christmas trees and allergies. "Mold allergies peak in the fall, and we see a second peak with a lot of our mold-sensitive patients during the holiday season. Our finding correlates with this second peak of mold sensitivity."

RELATED: Simple Ways to Never Age, According to Experts

"Hose down your live tree to knock off mold, pollen and dirt," recommends the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology. "Let it dry for a few days in a garage, or outside if it's warm enough, before you bring it inside." "Around five to seven days would probably be a good amount of time to have a live Christmas tree up, since after seven days the mold count starts to increase exponentially," Dr. Sharmilee Nyenhuis, an allergist at the University of Illinois at Chicago, told the Detroit News. As for yourself, to have the happiest of holiday seasons, and to protect your life and the lives of others, don't miss these 35 Places You're Most Likely to Catch COVID.

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Dangerous Side Effects of Your Christmas Tree, According to Science | Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

Immunology

New research highlights the importance of the thymus in successful pregnancies – University of Birmingham

Researchers found that during pregnancy, the female sex hormones instruct the thymus to produce Tregs specialised in dealing with physiological changes during pregnancy.

How the immune system adapts to pregnancies has puzzled scientists for decades. Now, findings from an international group of researchers, led by experts at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, reveal important changes that occur in the thymus to prevent miscarriages and gestational diabetes. The study was published today (23 December 2020) in Nature.

The thymus is a central organ of the immune system where specialised immune cells called T lymphocytes mature. These cells, commonly referred to as T cells, then migrate into the blood stream and tissues to help combat pathogens and cancer. An important T cell subset, known as a regulatory T cell or Treg, is also produced in the thymus. The main function of a Treg is to help regulate other immune cells.

Researchers found that during pregnancy, the female sex hormones instruct the thymus to produce Tregs specialised in dealing with physiological changes during pregnancy. The studywhich involved researchers at Karolinska Institutet, the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA) in Vienna, University of British Columbia in Vancouver, further reveals that RANK, a receptor expressed in the thymus epithelia, is the key molecule behind this mechanism.

The study builds on work by a team at the University of Birmingham as researcher and collaboratorProfessor Graham Andersonfrom the Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy explains: In 2007, our lab provided the first evidence that RANK plays a critical role in controlling thymus function in the steady state immune system. Now, this new research shows how RANK in the thymus regulates the immune system in pregnancy, which is an exciting new direction.

We knew RANK was expressed in the thymus, but its role in pregnancy was unknown, says first and co-corresponding author Dr. Magdalena Paolino, assistant professor at the Department of Medicine, Solna, Karolinska Institutet.

To get a better understanding, the authors studied mice where RANK had been deleted from the thymus.

The absence of RANK prevented the production of Tregs in the thymus during pregnancy. This resulted in less Tregs in the placentas, leading to miscarriages, continues Magdalena Paolino.

This latest study further shows that in normal pregnancies, the produced Tregs also migrate to the mothers fat tissue to prevent inflammation and help control glucose levels in the body. Pregnant mice lacking RANK had high levels of glucose and insulin in their blood and many other indicators of gestational diabetes, including fetal macrosomia.

Similar to babies of women with gestational diabetes, the newborn pups were much heavier than average, explains Magdalena Paolino.

In addition, the deficiency of Tregs during pregnancy was proven to result in long-lasting transgenerational effects on the offspring, which remained prone to diabetes and overweight throughout their life spans. Giving the RANK deficient mice thymus-derived Tregs that had been isolated from normal pregnancies, reversed all issues including fetal loss and maternal glucose levels and the body weights of the pups.

The researchers also analysed women with gestational diabetes, revealing a reduced number of Tregs in their placentas, much similar to the study on mice.

This research changes our view of the thymus, as an active and dynamic organ required to safeguard pregnancies, Magdalena Paolino says. It also provides new molecular insight for gestational diabetes, a disease that affects many women and which we still know little about. It emphasises the importance of clinics detecting and managing glucose metabolism in pregnant women to avert its long-term effects.

Co-corresponding author Dr. Josef Penninger notes that how rewiring of the thymus contributes to a healthy pregnancy was one of the remaining mysteries of immunology until now.

Our work over many years has now not only solved this puzzle pregnancy hormones rewire the thymus via RANK but uncovered a new paradigmatic function: the thymus not only changes the immune system of the mother to allow the fetus, but it also controls metabolic health of the mother, Josef Penninger says.

The study was possible thanks to a close collaboration between the laboratory of Magdalena Paolino at Karolinska Institutet and the laboratories of Josef Penninger at IMBA and UBC. Researchers from the CeMM Institute and the Medical University of Vienna, as well as from the Universities of Birmingham and Oxford also participated.

For more information please contactMagdalena Paolino, Assistant Professor,Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet.

Full paper:RANK links thymic Tregs to fetal loss and gestational diabetes in pregnancy, Magdalena Paolino*, Rubina Koglgruber, Shane J. F. Cronin, Iris Uribesalgo, Esther Rauscher, Juergen Harreiter, Michael Schuster, Dagmar Bancher-Todesca, Blanka Pranjic, Maria Novatchkova, Andrea White, Verena Sigl, Sabine Dekan, Juan P. Fededa, Thomas Penz, Christoph Bock, Lukas Kenner, Georg A. Hollnder, Graham Anderson, Alexandra Kautzky-Willer, and Josef M. Penninger*, Nature, in press 23/12/2020

DOI:10.1038/s41586-020-03071-0.

Grant information:

The researchers were supported by grants from Karolinska Institutet, the Ragnar Soderberg Foundation, the Swedish Research Council, the Swiss National Foundation, The Wellcome Trust, MRC, CRUK, Austrian Science Fund, European Training Network, IMBA, a Canada150 Chair, the T. von Zastrow foundation and the European Research Council.

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New research highlights the importance of the thymus in successful pregnancies - University of Birmingham