No abstract

Background: A wide range of risk factors, from genetic to environmental, have been identified to play role in the etiology of multiple sclerosis. However, the role of trace element remains mostly unknown. We sought to combine all available evidence to assess the association between copper concentration and multiple sclerosis. Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted based on PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science were searched since inception till July 2020. Observational studies that assessed copper as exposure in serum, plasma, whole blood, and cerebrospinal fluid were included. Standardized mean differences (SMD), comparing the mean of copper concentration in multiple sclerosis patients versus healthy controls, were considered as the measure of association. The fixed-effect model with inverse variance weighting was used to combine the findings. Results: Twenty studies inclusive of 797 multiple sclerosis cases and 875 healthy controls. were included in the meta-analysis (all case-control studies). The combined SMDs were 1.25 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.95 to 1.55, number of included studies [n]=4) in plasma, 0.45 (CI 0.22 to 0.68, n=4) in whole blood, 0.19 (CI 0.06 to 0.33, n=12) in blood serum and 1.23 (CI 0.83 to 1.64, n=4) in cerebrospinal fluid. Conclusions: We found a higher concentration of copper in multiple sclerosis patients than healthy controls. The possible causal nature of the observed associations warrants further investigation with prospective data.

Community responses are important for outbreak management during the early phase when preventive interventions are the major options. Therefore, this study aims to examine the behavioral responses of the community during the early phase of the COVID-19 epidemic in the Razavi Khorasan Province of Iran. A cross-sectional online survey was proceeded after confirmed COVID-19 in Iran. The population of the study was 500 residents of Razavi Khorasan areas were randomly surveyed. The research tool was demographic and risk perception questionnaire and Anxiety was assessed using the 7item GAD Scale. The data analyzed using the SPSS statistical version (V.20). The means of age participants was 31.9 11.9. The mean GAD-7 scores were 6.4 5.2 and 92.4% had moderate or severe anxiety (GAD-7 score ≥10). Many respondents reported their health status were very good or good (62.2 %; 311/500). About a quarter of them had respiratory symptoms in the past 14 days and experienced 20% of them travelled outside the Razavi Khorasan Province in the previous. Risk perception toward COVID-19 in the community of the Razavi Khorasan Province was moderate. Most participants are alert to disease progression. This study suggested timely behavioral assessment of the community is beneficial and effective to inform next intervention, and risk communication strategies in epidemic disease.

Our findings show that the prolonged hyperoxia preconditioning attenuates the behavioral symptoms of 6-OHDA-induced Parkinsonism. Considering the well-known correlation between dopaminergic neuronal death in the substantia nigra and the behavioral symptoms of 6-OHDA-induced Parkinsonism, it could be speculated that the prolonged hyperoxia preconditioning induces the mechanisms that provide dopaminergic neuroprotection against Parkinsonism-induced toxins.