bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Queer Punk, Trans Forms: Transgender Rock and Rage in a Necropolitical Age
Authors: Nault Curran
Published: August 2020

Queercore, a radical queer punk movement, was instigated in Toronto in 1985 as a response to the decade’s rise in anti-queer violence and the mainstreaming of “respectable” (white, bourgeois) gays and lesbians via emergent politics of marriage and militarization. More than thirty years later, queer punk has evolved—or one might say transformed—to include other issues and identities, turning from gay and lesbian grievances and toward trans territories via a younger, genderfluid generation. This chapter thus recontextualizes and extends earlier writings on queercore, including the author’s own, in order to trace the queercore sub-scene that one might call “transcore”—a trans-centered lineage that reaches from foundational figures like Jayne County in 1970s New York, to the popularity of Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Against Me! in the early 2000s, to the contemporary upsurge in angry, anti-normative transgender punk led by the likes of G.L.O.S.S. (Girls Living Outside of Society’s Shit). In contouring this collectivity, this chapter draws from previous work on imagined violence within queercore and scholarship on the righteous rage of trans existence to stipulate the sustained stakes of queercore within a necropolitical age in which trans folx (particularly trans women of color) are being literally and figuratively targeted for violence and left to die.
Sound Recordists, Workplaces, Technologies, and the Aesthetics of Punk
Authors: Bennett Samantha
Published: August 2020

Punk discourse is heavily focused on DIY aesthetics and, where the production of punk is concerned, the recreation of liveness embodied in cheap, often quickly produced studio recordings. Additionally, punk recordings are often positioned as key to the establishment of global networks, and are at the nexus of the production and dissemination of punk ideologies, yet they are rarely examined musicologically. However, this tendency to define punk in its wider context of DIY cultural production not only results in a dissemination and reception-focused discourse, but also overlooks the realities of the technological, processual, and workplace means involved in some of the genre’s most recognizable texts. Strong connections exist between early punk of the late 1960s and 1970s and classical music-focused recordists, elite recording studios, and highly realized technological capacity.

Building on previous work on the tech-processual construction of punk aesthetics, this chapter aims to shift the focus of punk production away from broader discussions surrounding the dissemination of ideology and toward the sites and personnel impacting the production of punk. The work of previously overlooked recordists, including Oliver DiCicco, Craig Leon, John Loder, Glenn Lockett, and Butch Vig, are of particular focus. This chapter shows how much now-canonized punk aspired to constructionist rock music production standards, and how the resulting sonic aesthetics of punk undermine the genre’s DIY ideology.
Gender and Migration in Latin America
Authors: Ariza Marina
Published: August 2020

It has been more than forty years since the first international meeting on “Women in the Migration Process” was held in Mexico City in 1974. Since then, a voluminous academic production has emerged to trace the relationship between migration and gender inequalities in Latin America and institutionalize this nascent academic field. Important contributions in this field have shed light on women in migratory processes, demystified the predominantly associational character of female migration, stressed the heterogeneity of women’s journeys, challenged the previously held consensus on migration as a mechanism of female empowering, and, finally, problematized variables such as class, ethnic, and generational distinctions in nonlinear reciprocal relations. Using a mixed-methods approach, this chapter includes a selection of the most representative work in this field, then presents more recent research on migration and gender in the region produced from 2006 to 2018.
The Making of Zimbabwe’s Currency and Economic Crisis: International Financial Architecture, Nationalism, and Economic Policies 1980–2000
Authors: Nyamunda Tinashe , Sibanda Geraldine
Published: August 2020

This chapter examines the making of Zimbabwe’s currency and economic crisis from a historical perspective. It suggests that colonial legacies played an important role, together with the connections forged through the international financial architecture. Both these factors should be considered in examining why the country continues to face sustained economic crisis. Although the chapter acknowledges the importance of local political factors that many scholars have examined, it provides an alternative perspective that stresses a neglected aspect in the study of the Zimbabwean crisis. Attention must be given to the importance of inherited models and discourses of economic management and the ways in which they have been embedded into the fabric of economic administration. The chapter interrogates these influences, focusing in particular on the role of the System of National Income accounting in Zimbabwe’s descent into debt and aid dependency. It argues that these factors should be included in explanations of the multilayered political and economic crisis that Zimbabwe has been facing for the past two decades.
Psychology and the Study of Political Executives
Authors: Hermann Margaret G. , Kaarbo Juliet
Published: August 2020

A psychological approach to the study of political executives examines executives as individuals and leaders, observing their subjective interpretations of their political environments and exploring how these interpretations are influenced by their personal characteristics and experiences and can shape government policy-making and executive action. The psychological approach has evolved across time and contemporary research conceptualizes leadership as interaction between what the leader is like and the nature of the context. Research in this area involves a number of methods, including psychobiographies and assessment-at-a-distance tools. Key questions in this scholarship are: (1) what should we know about political leaders to understand their behaviour? (2) what influences individuals in group contexts? and (3) in what contexts is it critical to know something about executives as individuals? Building on prior work, we suggest future research should focus on comparisons of national leaders to other executives, social media, strategic interactions, and new decision units.
The Role of Collative Variables in Aesthetic Experiences
Authors: Marin Manuela M.
Published: August 2020

Daniel Berlyne and his New Experimental Aesthetics have largely shaped the field since the 1970s by putting the study of collative variables related to stimulus features in the foreground, embedded in the context of motivation, arousal, and reward. Researchers from various fields have extensively studied the role of novelty, surprise, complexity, and ambiguity in aesthetic responses since then, employing a wide range of behavioral, computational, and neuroscientific methods. These studies have been conducted in different sensory and artistic domains, such as in music, literature, and the visual arts. The insights gained from these efforts are very promising from a broader theoretical perspective, and have opened up new avenues of research going beyond Berlyne’s psychobiological model of aesthetic response, leading to manifold applications in several practical fields.
Carcass characteristics and sensory analysis of Abergelle goat breed and Abergelle crossbred goat fed hay supplemented with concentrate mixture
Authors: Alemu Tewodros , Dagnachew Alemu , Tsegaye Alemu
Published: August 2020

The experiment was conducted using 36 intact yearling males of Abergelle breed and Abergelle cross bred goats (50%) with initial live weight of 18.92 ± 0.72 kg (mean ± SE). The objective of the experiment was to evaluate the effect of concentrate supplementation on carcass parameters and meat sensory quality of genotypes. Goat genotypes were blocked based on initial body weight and were randomly assigned to dietary treatments. The experimental design was 2 by 3 factorial in randomized complete block design. The treatments included local grass hay as basal diet and supplementation with concentrate (184, 368, and 552 g/d on DM basis). Effects of genotype and diet were significant on the main carcass parameters (P < 0.05) but genotype did not show effect on edible offal components (P > 0.05). Diet had a significance effect on meat flavor (P < 0.05) but not on tenderness, juiciness, and soup flavor (P > 0.05). Genotype had no effect (P > 0.05) on all sensory attributes. Goats feeding on higher level of concentrate had heavier total edible offal components (P < 0.05) than feeding on lower level of concentrates but not difference between genotypes (P > 0.05). The cross breed goats feeding on higher level of concentrate showed higher percentage of nonedible offal (P < 0.01) particularly gut content, foreleg, and hind leg than pure breed and lower level of concentrate. The digestibility and chemical composition of meat of the genotypes were not addressed in the experiment and hence need to be studied further.
Exposure to chloroquine in male adults and children aged 9–11 years with malaria due to Plasmodium vivax
Authors: Ferreira Vieira Michelle Valeria Dias , Vieira José Luiz Fernandes
Published: August 2020

Background

Chloroquine is effective against the asexual blood stage of Plasmodium vivax. A high proportion of children are underdosed with the drug, but there are no studies comparing chloroquine exposure in adults and children aged 8–11 years old. The present study intends to compare these populations using the area under the curve (AUC) derived from the plasma concentration-time profile in patients with P. vivax.

Methods

A prospective study of cases was performed on male children (aged 9–11 years) and adults with vivax malaria. Blood samples were collected after several days of treatment. Chloroquine was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. A non-compartmental pharmacokinetic model was used to calculate the pharmacokinetic parameters of the drug.

Results

A total of 20 children and 25 adults were included in the study. Plasma concentrations of chloroquine in older children ranged from 67 to 1112 ng/ml, and in adults the value ranged from 74 to 1147 ng/ml. The AUC to the last measurable concentration and to infinite was significantly lower in children than in adults, indicating a lower exposure to the drug.

Conclusion

These data demonstrate lower exposure to chloroquine in children, which corroborates the importance of optimising the doses of chloroquine in the study age band to ensure adequate exposure to the drug.
Morphological and molecular phylogeny ofEpiperipatus(Onychophora: Peripatidae): a combined approach
Authors: Costa Cristiano S , Giribet FLS Gonzalo , Pinto-Da-Rocha Ricardo
Published: August 2020

Onychophora, or velvet worms, are a key group for understanding ecdysozoan evolution. It comprises two families: Peripatopsidae, largely of Austral distribution, and Peripatidae, which is circumtropical. The interrelationships between the members of Peripatidae present many taxonomic issues exacerbated in the radiation of the Neotropical species or Neopatida. To understand the phylogeny of Neopatida, and to test the information of such morphological characters, we gathered novel molecular and morphological datasets focusing on Neotropical specimens. Our data were analysed using a combination of parsimony and maximum likelihood for the individual and combined molecular and morphological datasets. An analysis of morphology alone was inconclusive, supporting the notion that morphological characters used in peripatid taxonomy have little power to resolve phylogenetic relationships among higher taxa in Neopatida. However, the analyses of molecular or combined data show a split of the Neotropical species into two clades, which we use to reassign genera. Epiperipatus, as currently understood, is non-monophyletic, because it includes species of monotypic genera. To avoid paraphyly of Epiperipatus, the following new combinations are proposed: Epiperipatus bouvieri (Fuhrmann, 1913), Epiperipatus hitoyensis (Oliveira et al., 2012a), Epiperipatus solorzanoi (Morera-Brenes & Monge-Nájera, 2010) and Epiperipatus sucuriuensis (Oliveira et al., 2015).
“It’s Not Just About Getting Along”: Exploring Learning Through the Discourse and Practice of Interprofessional Collaboration
Authors: Martimianakis Maria Athina (Tina) , Fernando Oshan , Schneider Rayfel , Tse Shirley , Mylopoulos Maria
Published: August 2020

Purpose

Interprofessional collaboration (IPC) is a necessary competency for all professionals. However, IPC can be fraught with politics leading to variable uptake and execution. The authors set out to understand how trainees come to appreciate the value of the “team” in their learning and to describe the type of learning related to IPC afforded to trainees in a highly collaborative complex care context.

Method

The authors conducted 72 hours of observations of pediatric rheumatology settings at a large pediatric hospital across 18 months. They interviewed 10 health professionals and analyzed an archive of texts to ascertain how the field of pediatric rheumatology conceptualizes the role of IPC. They used the concept of governmentality and critical discourse analysis to describe how values of collaboration enabled learning and theories of expertise to understand how learning was enacted and perceived.

Results

Collaboration was perceived to be a product of providing good rheumatological care, which in this case, aligned well with hospital model of IPC. This alignment afforded trainees learning opportunities beyond preparing them to get along with other health professionals. IPC, when role modeled during problem solving, created the conditions for learning “why” collaboration is important for clinical expertise.

Conclusions

By critically examining the relationship between discourse, practice, and learning, the authors have described how practices that underpin collaboration as a clinical competency are distinct from collaboration as cultural work contributing to civility within teams and across the organization.
Reproductive Travel of Intended Parents for Delivery of Gestational Carrier Pregnancies
Authors: Swanson Kate , Letourneau Joseph M. , Kuppermann Miriam , Einerson Brett D.
Published: August 2020

OBJECTIVE:

To explore the role of reproductive travel (travel to another state or country for reproductive services) for intended parents at the time of delivery of gestational carrier pregnancies and to analyze the sociodemographic characteristics of those who build families through gestational surrogacy.

METHODS:

We conducted a cross-sectional study of births involving gestational surrogacy in Utah from 2009 to 2018. Data were obtained from birth certificates. State and country of residence were collected for intended parents, and the legal climates of these locations were assessed by reviewing laws at the time. Sociodemographic characteristics were compared among intended parents, parents with pregnancies resulting from assisted reproductive technology (ART) without gestational surrogacy, and parents with spontaneous pregnancies.

RESULTS:

A total of 361 gestational carrier pregnancies resulted in the birth of at least one liveborn neonate during the study period, involving 715 intended parents. Additionally, 50,434 parents delivered children after nonsurrogacy ART, and 950,460 parents delivered children after spontaneous fertilization. Many intended parents (17.2%) lived in countries outside of the United States, the majority of which (69.9%) had laws against surrogacy. Of those who lived within the United States, 57.4% lived outside of Utah, but only 15.9% lived in states that banned compensated surrogacy. Statutes in Utah support compensated and uncompensated gestational surrogacy. Intended parents were significantly older than parents with both nonsurrogacy ART pregnancies and spontaneous pregnancies (median age 38, 31, and 29 years, respectively) and had higher levels of education; 70.2% of intended parents had a bachelor's degree or above, compared with 48.2% of parents with nonsurrogacy ART pregnancies and 33.1% of parents with spontaneous pregnancies.

DISCUSSION:

A majority of intended parents live outside of Utah, which may be an important consideration for health care professionals caring for women with gestational carrier pregnancies. However, most intended parents live in places that do not have laws banning surrogacy, suggesting that there may be other reasons that intended parents travel for delivery.
Extramedullary plasmacytoma of hypopharynx treated using transoral laser microsurgery and adjuvant radiotherapy
Authors: Chang Hung , Chu Pen-Yuan
Published: August 2020

Extramedullary plasmacytoma (EMP) of the hypopharynx is exceedingly rare. There were only two cases reported before. A 77-year-old man was presented with a 6-month history of foreign body sensation in the throat. Nasopharyngoscopy revealed an exophytic tumor over the right pyriform sinus. Transoral laser microsurgery was performed 3 weeks later. The pathology report showed aggregates of plasma cells with eccentric nuclei and perinuclear halos (compatible with plasmacytoma). Postoperative radiotherapy was performed, and there was no evidence of tumor recurrence after an 18-month follow-up. This is the first report of transoral laser microsurgery with postoperative radiotherapy in plasmacytoma of hypopharynx, and it resulted in optimal tumor control and minimal morbidity.
Accidental Insertion of a Piercing Needle in Tongue
Authors: Sasaki Ryo , Okamoto Toshihiro , Akagi Yuichi , Ando Tomohiro
Published: August 2020

Tongue piercing causes various complications, including bleeding, pain and infection and it cause potential life-threatening complications. An 18-year-old woman presents with losing a needle in mouth. She attempted to perform tongue piercing using piercing needle by herself at home, and it was lost in mouth. The patient showed speech difficulty, but no active bleeding and edema of the floor of mouth. Computed tomography showed approximately 50 mm needle like structure in tongue. General anesthesia was performed with nasal intubation using video laryngoscope. The surgeon found the needle could be hold in the tongue by fingers. The needle in the tongue was holding by left fingers, and 10 mm skin incision was made by right hand. The needle tip was pushed to the incision line and it was removed. There was no bleeding immediate after needle removal. She could speak immediate after surgery. Two days after surgery, the patient discharged with no complications.
Antegrade Foreheadplasty: A Novel Surgical Approach for Upper Eyelid Contracture Deformities in Pediatric Patients
Authors: DePamphilis Matthew A. , Dabek Robert J. , Sheridan Robert L. , Bojovic Branko , Driscoll Daniel N.
Published: August 2020

The intricate and delicate structure of the periorbital region, particularly in pediatric patients, presents challenges to eyelid reconstruction. Much like the more common lower eyelid ectropion, upper eyelid ectropion can result from lack of tissue, scar contracture, or over-resection as in blepharoplasty. In burns and trauma, the cause of cicatricial ectropion is typically direct scar contracture from injuries to the eyelid. However, in some cases, extrinsic wounds involving contracture to the forehead or eyebrow can result in upper eyelid cicatricial ectropion. Direct reconstruction and skin grafting of the eyelid present complex challenges, especially in the acute inflammatory phase of traumatic injury and burn care. Furthermore, in many of these cases the periorbital and lamellae anatomy is preserved, but rather severely displaced due to scar contracture forces. The authors discuss our experience with treatment of extrinsic upper eyelid cicatricial ectropion in a series of 4 pediatric patients with burns or trauma to the forehead and periorbital regions. In all 4 cases, the antegrade foreheadplasty procedure helped to provide globe coverage, while avoiding skin matching difficulties and the intrinsic risks of operating on the eyelid during the acute phase of recovery. There is currently very limited data for the use of this technique to correct such defects. With this study, the authors hope to establish the antegrade foreheadplasty as a reconstructive option for a select patient population.
Aesthetic Reconstruction After Removal of Huge Epidermal Cyst Involving the Calvarium and Dura on the Scalp
Authors: Lee Juho , Kim Hyeon Jo , Lee Seong Joo , Kim Seong Hwan , Kim Jae Hyun , Kim Chang Hyun , Suh In Suck
Published: August 2020

Epidermal or epidermoid cysts are one of the most frequent benign masses at the subepidermal level. They are typically smooth, movable, and fluctuant masses covered with stratified squamous epithelium. They rarely grow to a huge size, and only a few cases have been reported. A 69-year-old woman visited the authors’ clinic for treatment of a well-defined huge mass in the right temporoparietal and occipital regions of the scalp that had regrown and spontaneously increased in size after excision 30 years prior. Computed tomography revealed a large lobulated mass with an air-fluid level and calvarial bone erosion invading the inner table in the right parietal region. Dural exposure was suspected based on magnetic resonance imaging, which depicted diffuse dural thickening with enhancement.

The authors aesthetically excised the mass in cooperation with the Department of Neurosurgery using an inverted T-shaped excisional flap design for the reduction of the redundant scalp similar to that used in reduction mammoplasty surgery. Two months later there was no evidence of recurrence or complications, and the patient was satisfied with the results of the surgery.

The authors report the case of a huge scalp mass with skull defect and propose an aesthetic treatment option for this unusual mass on the scalp.
Comparing a novel neuroanimation experience to conventional therapy for high-dose, intensive upper-limb training in subacute stroke: The SMARTS2 randomized trial
Authors: Krakauer John W. , Kitago Tomoko , Goldsmith Jeff , Ahmad Omar , Roy Promit , Stein Joel , Bishop Lauri , Casey Kelly , Valladares Belen , Harran Michelle D. , Cortés Juan Camilo , Forrence Alexander , Xu Jing , DeLuzio Sandra , Held Jeremia P. , Schwarz Anne , Steiner Levke , Widmer Mario , Jordan Kelly , Ludwig Daniel , Moore Meghan , Barbera Marlena , Vora Isha , Stockley Rachel , Celnik Pablo , Zeiler Steven , Branscheidt Meret , Kwakkel Gert , Luft Andreas R.
Published: August 2020

Background

Evidence from animal studies suggests that greater reductions in post-stroke motor impairment can be attained with significantly higher doses and intensities of therapy focused on movement quality. These studies also indicate a dose-timing interaction, with more pronounced effects if high-intensity therapy is delivered in the acute/subacute, rather than chronic, post-stroke period.

Objective

To compare two approaches of delivering high-intensity, high-dose upper limb therapy in patients with subacute stroke: a novel exploratory neuro-animation therapy (NAT), and modified conventional occupational therapy (COT).

Methods

Twenty-four patients were randomized to NAT or COT and underwent 30 sessions of 60 minutes time-on-task in addition to standard care. The primary outcome was the Fugl-Meyer Upper Extremity motor score (FM-UE). Secondary outcomes included: Action Research Arm Test (ARAT), grip strength, Stroke Impact Scale (SIS) hand domain, and upper-limb kinematics. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, and days 3, 90, and 180 post-training. Both groups were compared to a matched historical cohort (HC), which received only 30 minutes of upper limb therapy per day.

Results

There were no significant between-group differences in FM-UE change or any of the secondary outcomes at any timepoint. Both high-dose groups showed greater recovery on the ARAT (7.3 ±2.9 pts, p=0.011), but not the FM-UE (1.4 ±2.6 pts, p =0.564) when compared to the HC.

Conclusions

Two forms of high-dose intensive upper limb therapy produced greater activity but not impairment improvements compared with regular care. Neuroanimation may offer a new enjoyable, efficient and scalable way to deliver increased upper limb therapy.

Clinicaltrials.gov registrationNCT02292251
Zeroth-Order Deterministic Local and Delay Pandemic Model Comparison
Authors: Bartley David L.
Published: August 2020

Delay differential equations are set up for zeroth-order pandemic models in analogy with traditional SIR and SEIR models by specifying individual times of incubation and infectiousness prior to recovery. Independent linear delay relations in addition to a nonlinear delay differential equation are found for characterizing time-dependent compartmental populations. Asymptotic behavior allows a link between parameters of the delay and traditional models for their comparison. In analogy with transformation of the traditional equations into linear form giving populations and time in parametric form, expansion in the delay provides a simple recursive solution. Also, a soliton-like solution in terms of a logistic function can be applied for accurate approximation. Otherwise, straightforward numerical solution is effected in terms of linearized boundary conditions specifying the distribution of instigators as to their initial infection progress—in contrast to traditional models specifying only initial average infectious and exposed populations. Examples contrasting asymptotically-linked traditional and delay models are given.
Early Palliative Care Intervention Helps with Decreased Length Of Stay And Cost Cutting In A Safety Net Hospital In The Central Valley Of California
Authors: Sodavarapu Soujanya , Seraj Siamak M. , Ghotra Gurinder , Singh Malkinder , Khosravi Nasim , Parikh Kinnari , Jung Syung Min
Published: August 2020

Objective

To determine if early palliative care intervention within two days of hospital admission affects the length of stay and cost savings.

Methods

Using a retrospective chart review, 570 patients who received palliative care consultation were reviewed between 2016 and 2018. 287 patients were seen within two days of days, and the total 355 were seen within three days of admission. Data on length of stay and total charges were analyzed for both groups.

Results

In the early consult group, both lengths of stay and cost of care in total charges decreased by 64% (p<0.0001) and 58% (p<0.0001), respectively. Multiple linear regressions showed everyone day increase in the date of the consultation is associated with an increase in the length of stay by 1.02 days. (R-squared 0.65, p-value <0.0001, CI 0.95-1.09). The number of palliative care consultations increased by 60% from 2016 to 2017.

Conclusion

Our study reiterates the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in identifying patients who will benefit from palliative care consultation and addressing goals of care early in their hospital course. As such, our study suggests the importance of emphasizing early palliative care and its potential benefits in public hospitals.
Incorporation of DNA methylation into eQTL mapping in African Americans
Authors: Singh Anmol , Zhong Yizhen , Nahlawi Layan , Park C. Sehwan , De Tanima , Alarcon Cristina , Perera Minoli A.
Published: August 2020

Epigenetics is a reversible molecular mechanism that plays a critical role in many developmental, adaptive, and disease processes. DNA methylation has been shown to regulate gene expression and the advent of high throughput technologies has made genome-wide DNA methylation analysis possible. We investigated the effect of DNA methylation in eQTL mapping (methylation-adjusted eQTLs), by incorporating DNA methylation as a SNP-based covariate in eQTL mapping in African American derived hepatocytes. We found that the addition of DNA methylation uncovered new eQTLs and eGenes. Previously discovered eQTLs were significantly altered by the addition of DNA methylation data suggesting that methylation may modulate the association of SNPs to gene expression. We found that methylation-adjusted eQTLs which were less significant compared to PC-adjusted eQTLs were enriched in lipoprotein measurements (FDR = 0.0040), immune system disorders (FDR = 0.0042), and liver enzyme measurements (FDR = 0.047), suggesting a role of DNA methylation in regulating the genetic basis of these phenotypes. Our methylation-adjusted eQTL analysis also uncovered novel SNP-gene pairs. For example, our study found the SNP, rs11546996, was associated toPNKP.In a previous GWAS, this SNP was associated with primary biliary cirrhosis although the causal gene was thought to beSPIB. Our methylation-adjusted method potentially adds new understanding to the genetic basis of complex diseases that disproportionally affect African Americans.
Post-Transcriptional Regulation of Antiviral Gene Expression byN6-Methyladenosine
Authors: McFadden Michael J. , McIntyre Alexa B.R. , Mourelatos Haralambos , Abell Nathan S. , Gokhale Nandan S. , Ipas Hélène , Xhemalçe Blerta , Mason Christopher E. , Horner Stacy M.
Published: August 2020

Type I interferons (IFN) induce hundreds of IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) in response to viral infection. These ISGs require strict regulation for an efficient and controlled antiviral response, but post-transcriptional controls of these genes have not been well defined. Here, we identify a new role for the RNA base modificationN6-methyladenosine (m6A) in the regulation of ISGs. Using ribosome profiling and quantitative mass spectrometry, coupled with m6A-immunoprecipitation and sequencing, we identified a subset of ISGs, includingIFITM1, whose translation is enhanced by m6A and the m6A methyltransferase proteins METTL3 and METTL14. We further determined that the m6A reader YTHDF1 increases the expression of IFITM1 in an m6A binding-dependent manner. Importantly, we found that the m6A methyltransferase complex promotes the antiviral activity of type I IFN. Thus, these studies identify m6A as a post-transcriptional control of ISG translation during the type I IFN response for antiviral restriction.
Temperature-dependent effects of house fly proto-Y chromosomes on gene expression
Authors: Adhikari Kiran , Son Jae Hak , Rensink Anna H. , Jaweria Jaweria , Bopp Daniel , Beukeboom Leo W. , Meisel Richard P.
Published: August 2020

Sex determination, the developmental process by which sexually dimorphic phenotypes are established, evolves fast. Species with polygenic sex determination, in which master regulatory genes are found on multiple different proto-sex chromosomes, are informative models to study the evolution of sex determination. House flies are such a model system, with male determining loci possible on all six chromosomes and a female-determiner on one of the chromosomes as well. The two most common male-determining proto-Y chromosomes form latitudinal clines on multiple continents, suggesting that temperature variation is an important selection pressure responsible for maintaining polygenic sex determination in this species. To identify candidate genes that may be under selection, we used RNA-seq to test for temperature-dependent effects of the proto-Y chromosomes on gene expression in adult house flies. We find no evidence for ecologically meaningful temperature-dependent expression of sex determining genes between male genotypes, but we were likely not sampling an appropriate developmental time-point to identify such effect. In contrast, we identified many other genes whose expression depends on the interaction between proto-Y chromosome genotype and temperature, including genes that encode proteins involved in reproduction, metabolism, lifespan, stress response, and immunity. Notably, genes with genotype-by-temperature interactions on expression are not enriched on the proto-sex chromosomes. Moreover, there is no evidence that temperature-dependent expression is driven by chromosome-wide expression divergence between the proto-Y and proto-X alleles. Therefore, if temperature-dependent gene expression is responsible for differences in phenotypes and fitness of proto-Y genotypes across house fly populations, these effects are driven by a small number of temperature-dependent alleles on the proto-Y chromosomes that may in turn affect the expression of genes on other chromosomes.
Recombinant SARS-CoV-2 genomes are currently circulating at low levels
Authors: VanInsberghe David , Neish Andrew S. , Lowen Anice C. , Koelle Katia
Published: August 2020

Viral recombination can generate novel genotypes with unique phenotypic characteristics, including transmissibility and virulence. Although the capacity for recombination among betacoronaviruses is well documented, there is limited evidence of recombination between SARS-CoV-2 strains. By identifying the mutations that primarily determine SARS-CoV-2 clade structure, we developed a lightweight approach for detecting recombinant genomes. Among the over 537,000 genomes queried, we detect 1175 putative recombinants that contain multiple mutational markers from distinct clades. Additional phylogenetic analysis and the observed co-circulation of predicted parent clades in the geographic regions of exposure further support the feasibility of recombination in these detected cases. An analysis of these detected cases did not reveal any evidence for recombination hotspots in the SARS-CoV-2 genome. Although most recombinant genotypes were detected a limited number of times, at least two recombinants are now widely transmitted. Recombinant genomes were also found to contain substitutions of concern for elevated transmissibility and lower vaccine efficacy, including D614G, N501Y, E484K, and L452R. Adjusting for an unequal probability of detecting recombinants derived from different parent clades, and for geographic variation in clade abundance, we estimate that at most 5% of circulating viruses in the USA and UK are recombinant. While the phenotypic characterization of detected recombinants was beyond the scope of our analysis, the identification of transmitted recombinants involving substitutions of concern underscores the need to sustain efforts to monitor the emergence of new genotypes generated through recombination.
Quickly And Simply Detection For Coronavirus Including SARS-CoV-2 On The Mobile Real-Time PCR Device And Without RNA Extraction
Authors: Muraoka Masaaki , Tanoi Yukiko , Tada Tetsutaro , Mizukoshi Mikio , Kawaguchi Osamu
Published: August 2020

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was reported to WHO as an outbreak in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China on end of 2019, afterwards epidemic in many countries, and pandemic on the worldwide in 2020.

Usually detection of coronavirus including SARS-CoV-2 was detected by real-time RT-PCR method, but it must be long time that RNA is treated by extraction, concentration and purification, and detected by RT-PCR method. We modified various methods, of which evaluated if each method is short and simple enough.

In one point of the evaluations, real-time RT-PCR could be finished in very short time with using mobile real-time PCR device PCR1100 (Nippon Sheet Glass Co. Ltd.). It was able to detect positive control RNA for 20 minutes by each method according to the National Institute of Infections Disease in Japan (NIID), and less than 13.5 minutes according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in USA (CDC).

In another point of the evaluations, surprisingly, Human coronavirus 229E, which was substituted for SARS-CoV-2, could be detected in crude state without treatment in advance of RNA. As that was, it was possible to detect coronavirus with direct RT-PCR. Therefore, it might eliminate wasteful time, avoid secondary infection and risk of contamination.

In light of the above two points, SARS-CoV-2 might be detected more quickly and more simply. With using this mobile real-time PCR, these methods should be suitable for not only SARS-CoV-2 but also other various viruses and might save time compared to earlier detection methods.
The implementation of a rapid sample preparation method for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in a diagnostic laboratory in South Africa
Authors: Marais Gert , Naidoo Michelle , Hsiao Nei-yuan , Valley-Omar Ziyaad , Smuts Heidi , Hardie Diana
Published: August 2020

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has resulted in shortages of both critical reagents for nucleic acid purification and highly trained staff as supply chains are strained by high demand, public health measures and frequent quarantining and isolation of staff. This created the need for alternate workflows with limited reliance on specialised reagents, equipment and staff. We present here the validation and implementation of such a workflow for preparing samples for downstream SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR using liquid handling robots. The rapid sample preparation technique evaluated, which included sample centrifugation and heating prior to RT-PCR, showed a 97.37% (95% CI: 92.55-99.28%) positive percent agreement and 97.30% (95% CI: 90.67-99.52%) negative percent agreement compared to nucleic acid purification-based testing. This method was subsequently adopted as the primary sample preparation method in the Groote Schuur Hospital Virology Diagnostic Laboratory in Cape Town, South Africa.
Public perceptions and preventive behaviours during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic: a comparative study between Hong Kong and the United Kingdom
Authors: Bowman LR , Kwok KO , Redd RE , Yi YY , Ward H , Wei WI , Atchison C , Wong SYS
Published: August 2020

Background

In the absence of treatments and vaccines, the mitigation of COVID-19 relies on population engagement in non-pharmaceutical interventions, which is driven by their risk perception, anxiety level and knowledge. There may also be regional discrepancies in these drivers due to different historical exposure to disease outbreaks, government responses and cultures. As such, this study compared psycho-behavioral responses in two regions during the early phase of the pandemic.

Methods

Comparable cross-sectional surveys were administered among adults in Hong Kong (HK) and the United Kingdom (UK) during the early phase of each respective epidemic. Explanatory variables included demographics, risk perception and knowledge of COVID-19, anxiety level and preventive behaviors. Responses were weighted according to census data. Logistic regression models, including interaction terms to quantify regional differences, were used to assess the association between explanatory variables and the adoption of social-distancing measures.

Results

Data of 3431 complete responses (HK:1663; UK:1768) were analysed. Perceived severity differed by region (HK: 97.5%; UK: 20.7%). A large proportion of respondents were abnormally/borderline anxious (HK:64.8%; UK:45.9%) and regarded direct contact with infected individuals as the transmission route of COVID-19 (HK:94.0-98.5%; UK:69.2-93.5%), with HK identifying additional routes. HK reported high levels of adoption of social-distancing (HK:32.4-93.7%; UK:17.6-59.0%) and mask-wearing (HK:98.8%; UK:3.1%). The impact of perceived severity and perceived ease of transmission on the adoption of social-distancing varied by region. In HK, they had no impact, whereas in the UK, those who perceived severity as “high” were more likely to adopt social-distancing (aOR:1.58-3.01), and those who perceived transmission as “easy” were prone to both general social-distancing (aOR:2.00, 95% CI:1.57, 2.55) and contact avoidance (aOR:1.80, 95% CI: 1.41, 2.30). The impact of anxiety on adopting social-distancing did not vary by region.

Discussion

These results suggest that health officials should ascertain and consider baseline levels of risk perception and knowledge in the populations, as well as prior sensitisation to infectious disease outbreaks, during the development of mitigation strategies. Risk communication should be done through suitable media channels - and trust should be maintained - while early intervention remains the cornerstone of effective outbreak response.
Behavioral Changes During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Results Of A National Survey in Singapore
Authors: Long Victoria JE , Liu Jean CJ
Published: August 2020

Introduction

As part of infection control measures for COVID-19, individuals have been encouraged to adopt both preventive (e.g., handwashing) and avoidant behavioural changes (e.g., avoiding crowds). In this study, we examined whether demographics predicted the likelihood that a person would adopt these behaviours in Singapore.

Materials and Methods

1145 participants responded to an online survey conducted between 7 March - 21 April 2020. As part of the survey, we collected demographic information and asked participants to report which of 17 behaviour changes they had undertaken because of the outbreak. We ran regression models to predict, using demographic information: (1) the total number of behavioural changes undertaken, (2) the number of preventive changes undertaken, and (3) the number of avoidant changes undertaken. Finally, we sought to identify predictors of persons who: (4) declared that they had not undertaken any of these measures following the outbreak.

Results

Females and those who were younger adopted more preventive behaviours: whereas females were more likely to increase handwashing frequency, younger individuals were more likely to wear face masks prior to legislation. Females and those who were married adopted more avoidant behaviours, with both groups avoiding crowded areas and staying home more than usual. Females also voluntarily reduced physical contact, whereas those who were married chose outdoor venues and relied on online shopping.

Conclusion

Our characterisation of behavioural changes provides a baseline for public health advisories. Moving forward, local health authorities can focus their efforts to encourage segments of the population who do not readily adopt infection control measures against COVID-19.
IFN signaling and neutrophil degranulation transcriptional signatures are induced during SARS-CoV-2 infection
Authors: Rosa Bruce A. , Ahmed Mushtaq , Singh Dhiraj K. , Choreño-Parra José Alberto , Cole Journey , Jiménez-Álvarez Luis Armando , Rodríguez-Reyna Tatiana Sofía , Singh Bindu , Gonzalez Olga , Carrion Ricardo , Schlesinger Larry S. , Martin John , Zúñiga Joaquín , Mitreva Makedonka , Khader Shabaana A. , Kaushal Deepak
Published: August 2020

The novel virus SARS-CoV-2 has infected more than 14 million people worldwide resulting in the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Limited information on the underlying immune mechanisms that drive disease or protection during COVID-19 severely hamper development of therapeutics and vaccines. Thus, the establishment of relevant animal models that mimic the pathobiology of the disease is urgent. Rhesus macaques infected with SARS-CoV-2 exhibit disease pathobiology similar to human COVID-19, thus serving as a relevant animal model. In the current study, we have characterized the transcriptional signatures induced in the lungs of juvenile and old rhesus macaques following SARS-CoV-2 infection. We show that genes associated with Interferon (IFN) signaling, neutrophil degranulation and innate immune pathways are significantly induced in macaque infected lungs, while pathways associated with collagen formation are downregulated. In COVID-19, increasing age is a significant risk factor for poor prognosis and increased mortality. We demonstrate that Type I IFN and Notch signaling pathways are significantly upregulated in lungs of juvenile infected macaques when compared with old infected macaques. These results are corroborated with increased peripheral neutrophil counts and neutrophil lymphocyte ratio in older individuals with COVID-19 disease. In contrast, pathways involving VEGF are downregulated in lungs of old infected macaques. Using samples from humans with SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19, we validate a subset of our findings. Finally, neutrophil degranulation, innate immune system and IFN gamma signaling pathways are upregulated in both tuberculosis and COVID-19, two pulmonary diseases where neutrophils are associated with increased severity. Together, our transcriptomic studies have delineated disease pathways to improve our understanding of the immunopathogenesis of COVID-19 to facilitate the design of new therapeutics for COVID-19.
Single-cell analyses of the corneal epithelium: Unique cell types and gene expression profiles
Authors: Sonam Surabhi , Bangru Sushant , Perry Kimberly J. , Kalsotra Auinash , Henry Jonathan J.
Published: August 2020

Corneal Epithelial Stem Cells (CESCs) and their proliferative progeny, the Transit Amplifying Cells (TACs), are responsible for homeostasis and maintaining corneal transparency. Owing to our limited knowledge of cell fates and gene activity within the cornea, the search for unique markers to identify and isolate these cells remains crucial for ocular surface reconstruction. We performed single-cell RNA sequencing of corneal epithelial cells from stage 49-51Xenopuslarvae. We identified five main clusters with distinct molecular signatures, which represent apical, basal and keratocyte cell types as well as two discrete proliferative cell types in the bi-layered epithelium. Our data reveal several novel genes expressed in corneal cells and spatiotemporal changes in gene expression during corneal differentiation. Through gene regulatory network analysis, we identified key developmental gene regulons, which guide these different cell states. Our study offers a detailed atlas of single-cell transcriptomes in the frog corneal epithelium. In future, this work will be useful to elucidate the function of novel genes in corneal homeostasis, wound healing and cornea regeneration, which includes lens regeneration inXenopus.

SUMMARY STATEMENT

This study identifies cell types and transcriptional heterogeneity in the corneal epithelium that regulate its differentiation, and facilitates the search for corneal stem cell markers.
Datanator: an integrated database of molecular data for quantitatively modeling cellular behavior
Authors: Roth Yosef D. , Lian Zhouyang , Pochiraju Saahith , Shaikh Bilal , Karr Jonathan R.
Published: August 2020

Integrative research about multiple biochemical subsystems has significant potential to help advance biology, bioengineering, and medicine. However, it is difficult to obtain the diverse data needed for integrative research. To facilitate biochemical research, we developed Datanator (https://datanator.info), an integrated database and set of tools for findingcloudsof multiple types of molecular data about specific molecules and reactions in specific organisms and environments, as well as data about chemically-similar molecules and reactions in phylogenetically-similar organisms in similar environments. Currently, Datanator includes metabolite concentrations, RNA modifications and half-lives, protein abundances and modifications, and reaction rate constants about a broad range of organisms. Going forward, we aim to launch a community initiative to curate additional data. Datanator also provides tools for filtering, visualizing, and exporting these data clouds. We believe that Datanator can facilitate a wide range of research from integrative mechanistic models, such as whole-cell models, to comparative data-driven analyses of multiple organisms.