Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) will soon be the third most common cause of death globally. Despite smoking cessation, neutrophilic mucosal inflammation persistently damages the airways and fails to protect from recurrent infections. This maladaptive and excess inflammation is also refractory to glucocorticosteroids (GC). Here, we identify serum amyloid A (SAA) as a candidate mediator of GC refractory inflammation in COPD. Extrahepatic SAA was detected locally in COPD bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, which correlated with IL-8 and neutrophil elastase, consistent with neutrophil recruitment and activation. Immunohistochemistry detected SAA was in close proximity to airway epithelium, and in vitro SAA triggered release of IL-8 and other proinflammatory mediators by airway epithelial cells in an ALX/FPR2 (formyl peptide receptor 2) receptor-dependent manner. Lipoxin A 4 (LXA 4 ) can also interact with ALX/FPR2 receptors and lead to allosteric inhibition of SAA-initiated epithelial responses (pA 2 13 nM). During acute exacerbation, peripheral blood SAA levels increased dramatically and were disproportionately increased relative to LXA 4 . Human lung macrophages (CD68 + ) colocalized with SAA and GCs markedly increased SAA in vitro (THP-1, pEC 50 43 nM). To determine its direct actions, SAA was administered into murine lung, leading to induction of CXC chemokine ligand 1/2 and a neutrophilic response that was inhibited by 15-epi-LXA 4 but not dexamethasone. Taken together, these findings identify SAA as a therapeutic target for inhibition and implicate SAA as a mediator of GC-resistant lung inflammation that can overwhelm organ protective signaling by lipoxins at ALX/FPR2 receptors. resolution | leukocyte activation | G protein-coupled receptor | innate immunity

Here, we describe the Compact Array Broad‐band Backend (CABB) and present first results obtained with the upgraded Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA). The 16‐fold increase in observing bandwidth, from 2 × 128 to 2 × 2048 MHz, high‐bit sampling and the addition of 16 zoom windows (each divided into further 2048 channels) provide major improvements for all ATCA observations. The benefits of the new system are: (1) hugely increased radio continuum and polarization sensitivity as well as image fidelity; (2) substantially improved capability to search for and map emission and absorption lines over large velocity ranges; (3) simultaneous multi‐line and continuum observations; (4) increased sensitivity, survey speed and dynamic range due to high‐bit sampling and (5) high‐velocity resolution, while maintaining full polarization output. The new CABB system encourages all observers to make use of both spectral line and continuum data to achieve their full potential. Given the dramatic increase of the ATCA capabilities in all bands (ranging from 1.1 to 105 GHz) CABB enables scientific projects that were not feasible before the upgrade, such as simultaneous observations of multiple spectral lines, on‐the‐fly mapping, fast follow‐up of radio transients (e.g. the radio afterglow of new supernovae) and maser observation at high‐velocity resolution and full polarization. The first science results presented here include wide‐band spectra, high dynamic‐range images and polarization measurements, highlighting the increased capability and discovery potential of the ATCA.

SAA is a novel blood biomarker of AECOPD that is more sensitive than CRP alone or in combination with dyspnea. SAA may offer new insights into the pathogenesis of AECOPD.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to the cessation of almost all international travel in the first half of 2020. A return to pre-pandemic growth patterns will take time and depend on the depth and extent of the recession sparked by COVID-19. The recovery phase will overlap with global efforts to deal with the evolving climate crisis. For the tourism industry to thrive in a future world it must look beyond the temptation of adopting strategies based on a return to the pre-COVID-19 normal of the past and instead seek to understand how it should respond to the emerging transformation of the global economy to carbon neutrality. Many of the lessons that emerged from the pandemic can be applied to strategies to deal with climate change. Of most interest is the success of strategies such as "flattening the curve". Application of similar strategies plus adoption of the circular economy model to wind back Green House Gas emissions will help avert the global environmental disaster that will occur if global temperatures continue to increase. These strategies point to what a future carbonneutral economic production system might look like, the path to which could offer the tourism industry numerous opportunities to transform from the current model that favours a high resource consumption model to one that is environmentally friendly and resource neutral.

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