Challenges to research implementation during public health emergencies: anecdote of insights and lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic in Gujarat, India.

Health emergencies, including pandemics, are not new occurrences; some notable ones occurred in the past. However, the scale of the COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the unpreparedness of national health systems in effectively managing health emergencies. During the pandemic, controlling the spread of the virus and hopes of exiting into a post-pandemic era were reliant on research to improve patient care and inform government policies. Nonetheless, research implementation during health emergencies can be challenging in low-resourced settings. This paper presents anecdotes of experiences and offers insight into ways research can be supported during health emergencies. We implemented a longitudinal study to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including SARS-CoV-2 infection, during pregnancy on maternal and child health outcomes. The study utilized hospital databases to recruit women who were infected and with no known SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy. Mother-infant pairs in the infected and uninfected group were then followed longitudinally for 3 years. Observations, including challenges during planning, record retrieval, tracking, recruitment, and follow-up of eligible women, were reported by research staff. The challenges observed were group into three overarching themes: (a) individual factors, (b) health system challenges, and (c) research operational challenges. Some notable observations include misinformation, misconception, mistrust, underdeveloped health record systems, stigma, and hesitance. Early planning, effective communication, and community awareness can help in implementing a successful research project. Additionally, efforts to improve collaboration and co-creation between health practitioners, researchers, and the public may benefit the implementation of research projects during a health emergency.

Effects of benzo(a)pyrene exposure on killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus) aromatase activities and mRNA.

Cytochrome P450 aromatase (CYP19) plays an important role in steroid homoeostasis by converting androgens to estrogens. To evaluate the effects of benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), a model carcinogenic PAH and AhR ligand, on aromatase mRNA expression and enzyme activity, adult Fundulus were exposed to water-borne BaP (1 and 10 microg/L) for 15 days, and embryos were exposed to 10 microg/L for 10 days. Effects of BaP were examined by tissue, gender, and season in adults. Constitutively, the sexes did not have significantly different CYP19A2 mRNA levels, however females had higher brain aromatase activity. Female control killifish had more than 700-fold more CYP19A1 mRNA in their gonads compared to males. Within brain tissue of both sexes, there was 100-fold more CYP19A2 mRNA compared to CYP19A1. In ovary, CYP19A1 predominated by approximately 30-fold over the CYP19A2, but in testis there was relatively more CYP19A2. In embryos there was approximately 5-fold higher CYP19A2 expression. Due to high inter-individual variability, a significant effect of BaP treatment by gender, season or age was not observed for either aromatase mRNA. However, ovarian aromatase activity was significantly decreased by 10 microg/L BaP, while female brain activity was increased following winter exposure. These findings suggest that the aromatase enzyme is a potential target for disruption of fish developmental and reproductive physiology by BaP.

In vivo and in vitro CYP1B mRNA expression in channel catfish.

Our goal was to study the induction of CYP1B mRNA expression in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). CYP1B belongs to the cytochrome P450 superfamily of genes, is involved in the oxidation of endogenous and exogenous compounds, and could potentially be a useful biomarker in fish for exposure to AhR ligands. The full-length catfish CYP1B cDNA is 2417 nt to the polyA tail and encodes a putative protein of 536 amino acids. It has 67% amino acid similarity to carp and zebrafish CYP1B and 68% similarity to carp CYP1B2. Male channel catfish were collected from three Mississippi Delta sites: Lake Roebuck, Itta Bena; Bee Lake, Thornton; and Sunflower River, Indianola. Total RNA was isolated from wild-caught catfish gill, blood, gonad and liver tissues. Quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase PCR was used to determine relative induction of CYP1B in wild catfish compared to laboratory control and BaP-exposed catfish (20mg/kg i.p. after 4 days). BaP exposure significantly induced CYP1B message in blood, gonad, and liver of laboratory catfish. In these same tissues of wild catfish from sites with relatively low sediment contaminants, CYP1B message was not statistically increased relative to laboratory control catfish. CYP1B transcript abundance was higher in gills compared to other tissues in both laboratory and wild catfish. When primary cultured gill cells were treated with increasing concentrations of BaP, TCDD, and PCBs 77, 126 and 169, CYP1B mRNA was induced more than 10-fold while PCB153 and 4,4'DDT did not cause significant CYP1B induction. Our results suggest that catfish CYP1B is induced by the classic AhR ligands.

Comparison of pulmonary function in immigrant vs US-born Asian Indians.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated whether there is a difference in pulmonary function between healthy adult US-born Asian Indians and immigrant Asian Indians attributable to country of birth, environmental, and socioeconomic factors. DESIGN: FEV(1), FVC, and forced mid-expiratory flow between 25% and 75% of vital capacity (FEF(25-75)) were measured in India-born and US-born subjects residing in the Chicago metropolitan area. Hollingshead Index of Social Position was used to evaluate socioeconomic factors. RESULTS: There were 262 India-born (61.8% male), and 200 US-born (50% male) subjects who were healthy lifelong nonsmokers; their age range was 16 to 36 years. US-born Asian Indian men and women were taller and had higher pulmonary function values for height and age compared with immigrant Asian Indian men and women. The differences were most pronounced in women: about 7% for FVC, 9% for FEV(1), and 17% for FEF(25-75). Immigrant and US-born subjects did not differ in socioeconomic position. CONCLUSION: We conclude that US-born Asian Indian men and women have higher pulmonary function values for age and height compared with immigrant Asian Indian men and women. This probably reflects the effect of differing environmental conditions, which cause year-of-birth trends in lung volumes.