Breastfeeding vs. breast milk transmission during COVID-19 pandemic, which is more important?

The catastrophic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has raised many health questions, and whether breast milk from SARS-CoV-2 infected mothers may be a vector for SARS-CoV-2 transmission has become a hot topic of concern worldwide. Currently, there are extremely limited and conflicting data on the risk of infection in infants through breastfeeding. For this reason, we investigated almost all current clinical studies and systematically analyzed the presence of SARS-CoV-2 and antibodies in the breast milk of mothers infected with SARS-CoV-2, their effects on newborns, and the mechanisms involved. A total of 82 studies were included in this review, of which 66 examined the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in breast milk samples from mothers diagnosed with COVID-19, 29 reported results of antibody detection of SARS-CoV-2 in breast milk, and 13 reported both nucleic acid and antibody test results. Seventeen studies indicated the presence of detectable SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid in breast milk samples, and only two studies monitored viral activity, both of which reported that infectious viruses could not be cultured from RNA-positive breast milk samples. All 29 studies indicated the presence of at least one of the three antibodies, IgA, IgG and IgM, in breast milk. Five studies indicated the presence of at least one antibody in the serum of breastfed newborns. No COVID-19-related deaths were reported in all 1,346 newborns. Our study suggests that direct breastfeeding does not pose an additional risk of infection to newborns and that breast milk is a beneficial source of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies that provide passive immune protection to infants. In addition, direct breastfeeding would provide maternal benefits. Our review supports the recommendation to encourage direct breastfeeding under appropriate infection control guidelines. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/#myprospero, identifier: 458043.

Influence of Temporal and Spatial Fluctuations of the Shallow Sea Acoustic Field on Underwater Acoustic Communication.

In underwater acoustic communication (UAC) systems, the channel characteristics are mainly affected by spatiotemporal changes, which are specifically manifested by two factors: the effects of refraction and scattering caused by seawater layered media on the sound field and the random fluctuations from the sea floor and surface. Due to the time-varying and space-varying characteristics of a channel, the communication signals have significant variations in time and space. Furthermore, the signal shows frequency-selective fading in the frequency domain and signal waveform distortion in the time domain, which seriously affect the performance of a UAC system. Techniques such as error correction coding or space diversity are usually adopted by UAC systems to neutralize or eliminate the effects of deep fading and signal distortion, which results in a significant waste of limited communication resources. From the perspective of the sound field, this study used experimental data to analyze the spatiotemporal fluctuation characteristics of the signal and noise fields and then summarized the temporal and spatial variation rules. The influence of the system then guided the parameter configuration and network protocol optimization of the underwater acoustic communication system by reasonably selecting the communication signal parameters, such as frequency, bandwidth, equipment deployment depth, and horizontal distance.

Correction: Genetically enhanced T lymphocytes and the intensive care unit.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.24637.].

Genetically enhanced T lymphocytes and the intensive care unit.

Chimeric antigen receptor-modified T cells (CAR-T cells) and donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) are important protocols in lymphocyte engineering. CAR-T cells have emerged as a new modality for cancer immunotherapy due to their potential efficacy against hematological malignancies. These genetically modified receptors contain an antigen-binding moiety, a hinge region, a transmembrane domain, and an intracellular costimulatory domain resulting in lymphocyte T cell activation subsequent to antigen binding. In present-day medicine, four generations of CAR-T cells are described depending on the intracellular signaling domain number of T cell receptors. DLI represents a form of adoptive therapy used after hematopoietic stem cell transplant for its anti-tumor and anti-infectious properties. This article covers the current status of CAR-T cells and DLI research in the intensive care unit (ICU) patient, including the efficacy, toxicity, side effects and treatment.

[Effects of Germanium Concentrations on Germanium Accumulation and Biotransformation of Polysaccarified Germanium in Cordyceps militaris].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of Germanium (Ge) concentration on Ge accumulation and biotransformation of polysaccarified Ge (PG) in Cordyceps militaris. METHODS: Solid and liquid culture were used in this study. RESULTS: In the solid culture conditions, when the Ge concentration of medium was 200 mg/L, the sporophore biomass of Cordyceps militaris was the maximum; and when Ge concentration was 300 mg/L,the amount of biotransformation of PG in sporophore was the highest; and when the Ge concentration is 250 mg/L, conversion rate of organic germanium (OG) in sporophore reached the highest value. In the liquid culture conditions, when the Ge concentration was 250 mg/L, the mycelium biomass of Cordyceps militaris was the maximum; and when Ge concentration was 150 mg/L, the amount of organic conversion of PG in mycelium was the most; and conversion rate of OG in mycelium was the highest in media with the Ge concentration of 200 mg/L. This study showed the germanium concentrations in 150 - 300 mg/L was more suitable for Ge accumulation and biotransformation of PG in Cordyceps militaris. In general, the biotransformation capacity to germanium of sporophore was stronger than that of mycelium of Cordyceps militaris. CONCLUSION: Germanium can significantly affect Ge accumulation and biotransformation of PG in Cordyceps militaris (P < 0.05) at different concentration. This result has practical value for Ge enriched cultivation of fruiting body in Cordyceps militaris.

[Study on monosaccharide composition of intracellular polysacchride and contents of cordycepin and cordyceps polysacchride produced by Cordyceps militaris induced by blue light].

OBJECTIVE: To study effects of blue light irradiation on monosaccharide composition of intracellular polysacchride and contents of cordycepin and cordyceps polysacchride of mycelium and sporocarp in Cordyceps militaris. METHODS: The monosaccharide composition of intracellular polysacchride of mycelium and sporocarp in Cordyceps militaris as materials were determined by gas chromatography after 144 h blue light irradiation. The contents of cordycepin and cordyceps polysacchride of mycelium and sporocarp in Cordyceps militaris were detected at different blue light irradiation periods. At the same time, the growth of mycelium and sporocarp in Cordyceps militaris were observed during blue light irradiation. RESULTS: Mycelium polysaccharide in Cordyceps militaris was a kind of heteropolysaccharide containing four kinds of monosaccharide and fruiting body polysaccharide was a kind of heteropolysaccharide containing five kinds of monosaccharide. Whether blue light irradiation or dark culture, the content changes of cordyceps polysacchride in two groups showed similar patterns in the test of mycelium polysaccharides. The content changes of cordyceps polysacchride in two groups were basically the same in the detection of sporocarp polysacchride. Cordycepin content in the two set of experiments of blue light irradiation all showed a clear upward trend in the detection of mycelium and sporocarp in Cordyceps militaris. CONCLUSION: The blue light irradiation has certain effect on the species and quantity of monosaccharide in intracellular polysaccharide. The content increase of cordycepin and cordyceps polysacchride in Cordyceps militaris are promoted by blue light irradiation. Blue light can help the morphogenesis and promote the differentiation and growth of sporocarp in Cordyceps militaris. This study is the first report about the effect of blue light on the type and quantity of the monosaccharide composition in polysaccharide of Cordyceps militaris, which will lay the foundation for further study on the metabolism of active substance in Cordyceps militaris by blue light irradiation.

Influence of different light intensities on the content of diosgenin, lipids, carotenoids and fatty acids in leaves of Dioscorea zingiberensis.

Cultivation of the climbing plant Dioscorea zingiberensis at a light intensity of 100 microE. m(-2) sec(-1) yields three different phenotypes. Most of the plants grow as green phenotype (DzW). Two further forms differ in their leaf shape and leaf color. Whereas one type exhibits a more pointed leaf shape in the upper part of the plant with leaves appearing yellow-green with white stripes or hatchings (DzY), the other type shows a more round leaf shape with an intensive yellow-green color (DzT). These three plant types differ in their diosgenin content not only in their rhizomes but also in the chloroplasts. In the rhizomes the diosgenin content in the green form is 0.4%, in the DzY-form 0.6% and in the DzT-form even 1.3% of the dry weight. Furthermore, even in chloroplasts of the green DzW-form and of the DzY-form the presence of diosgenin was demonstrated. It occurs there as the epimeric form yamogenin. The DzT-form contains no yamogenin in its chloroplasts. Besides this, these plant forms differ in their chlorophyll and carotenoid content and in their fatty acid composition. Carotenoids increase from 1.3% of total lipids in the green phenotype to 3.3% in the DzY- and to 4.2% in the DzT-form. This increase refers to beta-carotene as well as to lutein and neoxanthin. The chlorophyll content in the green type is 8.1% and lower in the DzY-form with 7%. The highest chlorophyll content is found in the DzT-form with 12%. Fatty acids in the DzY-form and in the DzT-form have a more unsaturated character than in the green phenotype. The content of the monoenoic acid trans-hexadecenoic acid is considerably lower in both phenotypes when compared to the green phenotype. In both phenotypes the quantity of fatty acids with 16 carbon atoms is reduced, whereas fatty acids with 18 carbon atoms occur in higher concentration. Cultivation of the green phenotype (DzW) at the three light intensities of 10, 100 and 270 microE x m(-2) x sec(-1) leads to changes of the diosgenin content in rhizomes, to an increase of leaf dry weight, to a reduction of the grana structure in chloroplasts and therewith to a decrease of the chlorophyll content. The total lipid content is highest under the cultivation at 100 microE x m(-2) x sec(-1) and reduced by 30% at 10 and 270 microE x m(-2) x sec(-1). Carotenoids, however, are highest in shaded plants (10 microE x m(-2) x sec(-1)) and plants grown under high light conditions of 270 microE x m(-2) x sec(-1). At 100 microE x m(-2) x sec(-1) a decrease of saturated fatty acids is observed in comparison to plants grown under shaded conditions.