k of infection due to their high expression of ACE2. Conclusion The level of ACE2 is higher in females, older subjects, smokers, and subjects with cancer than in other subjects, indicating that some of which are at higher risk for the severe forms of COVID-19 when they are exposed to the SARS-Cov-2.A growing body of evidence demonstrates that asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is a major contributor to the COVID-19 pandemic. Frontline healthcare workers in COVID-19 hotspots have faced numerous challenges, including shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) and difficulties acquiring clinical testing. The magnitude of the exposure of healthcare workers and the potential for asymptomatic transmission makes it critical to understand the incidence of infection in this population. To determine the prevalence of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection amongst healthcare workers, we studied frontline staff working in the Montefiore Health System in New York City. All participants were asymptomatic at the time of testing and were tested by RT-qPCR and for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. The medical, occupational, and COVID-19 exposure histories of participants were recorded via questionnaires. Of the 98 asymptomatic healthcare workers tested, 19 (19.4%) tested positive by RT-qPCR and/or ELISA. Within this group, four (4.1%) were RT-qPCR positive, and four (4.1%) were PCR and IgG positive. Notably, an additional 11 (11.2%) individuals were IgG positive without a positive PCR. Two PCR positive individuals subsequently developed COVID-19 symptoms, while all others remained asymptomatic at 2-week follow-up. These results indicate that there is considerable asymptomatic infection with SARS-CoV-2 within the healthcare workforce, despite current mitigation policies. Furthermore, presuming that asymptomatic staff are not carrying SARS-CoV-2 is inconsistent with our results, and this could result in amplified transmission within healthcare settings. Consequently, aggressive testing regiments, such as testing frontline healthcare workers on a regular, multi-modal basis, may be required to prevent further spread within the workforce and to patients.Context Persistent fatigue, pain, and neurocognitive impairment are common in individuals following treatment for Lyme borreliosis (LB). Poor sleep, depression, visual disturbance, and sensory neuropathies have also been reported. find more The cause of these symptoms is unclear, and widely accepted effective treatment strategies are lacking. Objectives To identify symptom clusters in people with persistent symptoms previously treated for LB and to examine the relationship between symptom severity and perceived disability. Methods This was a retrospective chart review of individuals with a history of treatment of LB referred to The Dean Center for Tick-Borne Illness at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital between 2015 and 2018 (n = 270) because of persistent symptoms. Symptoms and functional impairment were collected using the General Symptom Questionnaire-30 (GSQ-30), and the Sheehan Disability Scale. Clinical tests were conducted to evaluate for tick-borne co-infections and to rule out medical disorders that could mimicsymptoms in each of the identified clusters could aid in more effective symptom management through identifying triggering symptoms or an underlying etiology.Background Studies suggest that indomethacin (Indo) exhibits detrimental changes in the small intestine (microvascular disorder, villus shortening, and epithelial disruption), mainly due to mitochondrial uncoupling. The effects of Indo on colon and liver tissue are unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of Indo on mitochondrial respiration in colonic and hepatic tissue. Methods Mitochondrial oxygen consumption was assessed in colon and liver homogenates from healthy rats. Homogenates were incubated without drug (control) or Indo (colon 0.36, 1, 30, 179, 300, 1,000, 3,000 μM; liver 0.36, 1, 3, 10, 30, 100, 179 μM; n = 6). State 2 (substrate-dependent) and state 3 (ADP-dependent respiration) were evaluated with respirometry. The respiratory control index (RCI) was derived and the ADP/O ratio was calculated. Statistics Data presented as % of control, min/median/max, Kruskal-Wallis+Dunn’s correction, *p less then 0.05 vs. control. Results Indo had no effect on RCI of colonic mitochondria. ADP/O ratio increased in complex I at concentrations of 1,000 and 3,000 μM (Indo 1,000 μM 113.9/158.9/166.9%*; Indo 3,000 μM 151.5/183.0/361.5%*) and in complex II at concentrations of 179 and 3,000 μM vs. control (179 μM 111.3/73.1/74.9%*; 3,000 μM 132.4/175.0/339.4%*). In hepatic mitochondria RCI decreased at 179 μM for both complexes vs. control (complex I 25.6/40.7/62.9%*, complex II 57.0/73.1/74.9%*). The ADP/O ratio was only altered in complex I at a concentration of 179 μM Indo vs. control (Indo 179 μM 589.9/993.7/1195.0 %*). Conclusion Indo affected parameters of mitochondrial function in an organ-specific and concentration-dependent manner. In colonic tissue, RCI remained unaltered whereas the ADP/O ratio increased. Indo at the highest concentration decreased the RCI for both complexes in hepatic mitochondria. The large increase in ADP/O ratio in complex I at the highest concentration likely reflects terminal uncoupling.National regulatory authorities (NRAs) are the gatekeepers of the supply chain of medical products, and they have a mandate to ensure the quality, safety and efficacy of medicines, vaccines, blood, and blood products, medical devices, including diagnostics and traditional, or herbal medicines. However, the majority of the world’s regulators are still struggling to reach a level of maturity, whereby they have a stable, well-functioning and integrated regulatory system. The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed a Global Benchmarking Tool (GBT) as part of its five-step capacity building program to assist NRAs, using the tool, they can benchmark their own strengths and areas of weakness, and then engage in a formal benchmarking process together with WHO and international experts in order to formulate an effective and workable institutional development plan. The GBT is comprehensive across the entire product life cycle and allows benchmarking to be customized to the needs of the NRA. It has evolved from decades of experience using a variety of benchmarking tools, within WHO and other stakeholder organizations.