bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The effects of host availability and fitness on Aedes albopictus blood feeding patterns in New York
Authors: Fikrig Kara , Martin Elisabeth , Dang Sharon , St Fleur Kimberly , Goldsmith Henry , Qu Sophia , Rosenthal Hannah , Pitcher Sylvie , Harrington Laura C. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractAedes albopictus is a competent vector of numerous pathogens, representing a range of transmission cycles involving unique hosts. Despite the important status of this vector, variation in its feeding patterns is poorly understood. We examined the feeding patterns of Ae. albopictus utilizing resting collections in Long Island, New York, and contextualized blood meal sources with host availability measured by household interviews and camera traps. We identified 90 blood meals, including 29 human, 22 cat, 16 horse, 12 opossum, 5 dog, 2 goat, and 1 rabbit, rat, squirrel and raccoon. Our study is the first to quantitatively assess Ae. albopictus feeding patterns in the context of host availability of wild animals in addition to humans and domestic animals. Host feeding indices showed that cats and dogs were fed upon disproportionately often compared to humans. Forage ratios suggested a tendency to feed on cats and opossums and to avoid raccoons, squirrels, and birds. This feeding pattern was different from another published study from Baltimore, where Ae. albopictus fed more often on rats than humans. To understand if these differences were due to host availability or mosquito population variation, we compared the fitness of Long Island and Baltimore Ae. albopictus after feeding on rat and human blood. In addition, we examined fitness within the Long Island population after feeding on human, rat, cat, horse, and opossum blood. Together, our results do not show major mosquito fitness differences by blood hosts, suggesting that fitness benefits do not drive Northeastern Ae. albopictus feeding patterns.
Serotonergic Neurons Translate Taste Detection into Internal Nutrient Regulation
Authors: Yao Zepeng , Scott Kristin 
Published: May 2021

SummaryThe nervous and endocrine systems coordinately monitor and regulate nutrient availability to maintain energy homeostasis. Sensory detection of food regulates internal nutrient availability in a manner that anticipates food intake, but sensory pathways that promote anticipatory physiological changes remain unclear. Here, we identify serotonergic (5-HT) neurons as critical mediators that transform gustatory detection by sensory neurons into the activation of insulin-producing cells and enteric neurons in Drosophila. One class of 5-HT neurons responds to gustatory detection of sugars, excites insulin-producing cells and limits consumption, suggesting that they anticipate increased nutrient levels and prevent overconsumption. A second class of 5-HT neurons responds to gustatory detection of bitter compounds and activates enteric neurons to promote gastric motility, likely to stimulate digestion and increase circulating nutrients when food quality is poor. These studies demonstrate that 5-HT neurons relay acute gustatory detection to divergent pathways for longer-term stabilization of circulating nutrients.
Site-specific epigenetic marks in Trypanosoma brucei transcription termination, antigenic variation, and proliferation
Authors: Kim Hee-Sook 
Published: May 2021

AbstractIn Trypanosoma brucei, genes assemble into polycistronic transcription units (PTUs). Transcription termination sites (TTSs) hold deposition sites for three non-essential chromatin factors, histone variants (H3v and H4v) and a DNA modification (base J, a hydroxyl-glucosyl dT). Here, I found that H4v is a major sign for transcription termination at TTSs and readthrough transcription machineries progress until they encounter the next bidirectional transcription start site. While having a secondary function at TTSs, H3v is important for monoallelic transcription of telomeric antigen genes. The simultaneous absence of both histone variants leads to proliferation and replication defects, which are exacerbated by the J deficiency, accompanied by accumulation of sub-G1 population. Base J likely contributes to DNA replication and cell-cycle control. I propose that the coordinated actions of H3v, H4v and J function in concert for cellular fate determination and provide compensatory mechanisms for each other in chromatin organization, transcription, and replication.
Toxoplasma gondii Toxolysin 4 contributes to efficient parasite egress from host cells
Authors: Huynh My-Hang , Roiko Marijo S. , Gomes Angelica O. , Schinke Ellyn N. , Schultz Aric J. , Agrawal Swati , Oellig Christine A. , Sexton Travis R. , Beauchamp Jessica M. , Laliberté Julie , Sivaraman Komagal Kannan , Hersh Louis B. , McGowan Sheena , Carruthers Vern B. 
Published: May 2021

ABSTRACTEgress from host cells is an essential step in the lytic cycle of T. gondii and other apicomplexan parasites; however, only a few parasite secretory proteins are known to affect this process. The putative metalloproteinase Toxolysin 4 (TLN4) was previously shown to be an extensively processed microneme protein, but further characterization was impeded by the inability to genetically ablate TLN4. Herein we show that TLN4 has the structural properties of an M16 family metalloproteinase, that it possesses proteolytic activity on a model substrate, and that genetic disruption of TLN4 reduces the efficiency of egress from host cells. Complementation of the knockout strain with the TLN4 coding sequence significantly restored egress competency, affirming that the phenotype of the Δtln4 parasite was due to the absence of TLN4. This work identifies TLN4 as the first metalloproteinase and the second microneme protein to function in T. gondii egress. The study also lays a foundation for future mechanistic studies defining the precise role of TLN4 in parasite exit from host cells.IMPORTANCEAfter replicating within infected host cells, the single celled parasite Toxoplasma gondii must rupture out of such cells in a process termed egress. Although it is known that T. gondii egress is an active event that involves disruption of host-derived membranes surrounding the parasite, very few proteins that are released by the parasite are known to facilitate egress. In this study we identify a parasite secretory protease that is necessary for efficient and timely egress, thus laying the foundation for understanding precisely how this protease facilitates T. gondii exit from host cells.
Surveillance of COVID-19 vaccination in US nursing homes, December 2020-April 2021
Authors: Geller Andrew Isaac , Budnitz Daniel S. , Dubendris Heather , Gharpure Radhika , Soe Minn Minn , Wu Hsiu , Kalayil Elizabeth J. , Benin Andrea L. , Patel Suchita A. , Lindley Megan C. , Link-Gelles Ruth 
Published: May 2021

Unstructured AbstractMonitoring COVID-19 vaccination coverage among nursing home (NH) residents and staff is important to ensure high coverage and guide patient-safety policies. With the termination of the federal Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program, another source of facility-based vaccination data is needed. We compared numbers of COVID-19 vaccinations administered to NH residents and staff reported by pharmacies participating in the temporary federal Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program with those reported by NHs participating in new COVID-19 vaccination modules of CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN). Pearson correlation coefficients comparing the number vaccinated between the two approaches were 0.89, 0.96, and 0.97 for residents and 0.74, 0.90, and 0.90 for staff, in the weeks ending January 3, 10, and 17, respectively. Based on subsequent NHSN reporting, vaccination coverage with ≥1 vaccine dose reached 77% for residents and 50% for staff the week ending January 31 and plateaued through April 2021.Three-question summary boxWhat is the current understanding of the subject?Because of high risk of disease, nursing home residents and staff were prioritized for COVID-19 vaccination when doses were limited.What does this report add to the literature?National monitoring of nursing home residents and staff vaccination coverage through the CDC National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) correlated with vaccination administration reports from the federal Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program in January 2021. NHSN-reported vaccination coverage rates plateaued from February through April 2021.What are the implications for public health practice?NHSN can track COVID-19 vaccination in nursing homes and help guide efforts to increase vaccine uptake in residents and staff.
Mortality in hemodialysis: Synchrony of biomarker variability indicates a critical transition
Authors: Cohen Alan A. , Leung Diana L. , Legault Véronique , Gravel Dominique , Blanchet F. Guillaume , Côté Anne-Marie , Fülöp Tamàs , Lee Sylvia Juhong , Dufour Frédérik , Liu Mingxin , Nakazato Yuichi 
Published: May 2021

AbstractCritical transition theory suggests that complex systems should experience increased temporal variability just before abrupt change, such as increases in clinical biomarker variability before mortality. We tested this in the context of hemodialysis using 11 clinical biomarkers measured every two weeks in 763 patients over 2496 patient-years. We show that variability – measured by coefficients of variation – is more strongly predictive of mortality than biomarker levels. Further, variability is highly synchronized across all biomarkers, even those from unrelated systems: the first axis of a principal component analysis explains 49% of the variance. This axis then generates powerful predictions of all-cause mortality (HR95=9.7, p<0.0001, where HR95 is a scale-invariant metric of hazard ratio across the predictor range; AUC up to 0.82) and starts to increase markedly ∼3 months prior to death. Such an indicator could provide an early warning sign of physiological collapse and serve to either trigger intervention or initiate discussions around palliative care.
Isolation and characterization of SARS-CoV-2 VOC, 20H/501Y.V2, from UAE travelers
Authors: Yadav Pragya D. , Sarkale Prasad , Razdan Alpana , Gupta Nivedita , Nyayanit Dimpal A. , Sahay Rima R. , Potdar Varsha , Patil Deepak Y. , Baradkar Shreekant , Kumar Abhinendra , Aggarwal Neeraj , Shete Anita M. , Kaur Harmanmeet 
Published: May 2021

AbstractMultiple SARS-CoV-2 variants have been emerged and created serious public health in the affected countries. The variant of Concern associated with high transmissibility, disease severity and escape mutations is threat to vaccination program across the globe. Travel has been important factor in spread of SARS-CoV-2 variants worldwide. India has also witnessed the dreadful effect of these SARS-CoV-2 variants. Here, we report the Isolation and characterization of SARS-CoV-2 VOC, 20H/501Y.V2 (B.1.351), from UAE travelers to India. The virus isolate would be useful to determine the efficacy of the currently available vaccines in India.
Hypoxia induces transcription of DOT1L in articular cartilage to protect against osteoarthritis
Authors: De Roover Astrid , Escribano Ana , Cornelis Frederique M. F. , Cherifi Chahrazad , Casas-Fraile Leire , Sermon An , Cailotto Frederic , Lories Rik J. , Monteagudo Silvia 
Published: May 2021

ABSTRACTOsteoarthritis is the most prevalent joint disease worldwide and a leading source of pain and disability. To date, this disease lacks curative treatment as underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. The histone methyltransferase DOT1L protects against osteoarthritis, and DOT1L-mediated H3K79 methylation is reduced in human and mouse osteoarthritic joints. Thus, restoring DOT1L function seems to be critical to preserve joint health. However, DOT1L-regulating molecules and networks remain elusive, in the joint and beyond. Here, we identify transcription factors and networks that regulate DOT1L gene expression using a novel bioinformatics pipeline. Thereby, we unravel an undiscovered link between the hypoxia pathway and DOT1L. We provide unprecedented evidence that hypoxia enhances DOT1L expression and H3K79 methylation via hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α). Importantly, we demonstrate that DOT1L contributes to the protective effects of hypoxia in articular cartilage and osteoarthritis. Intra-articular treatment with a selective hypoxia mimetic in mice after surgical induction of osteoarthritis restores DOT1L function and stalls disease progression. Collectively, our data unravel a novel molecular mechanism that protects against osteoarthritis with hypoxia inducing DOT1L transcription in cartilage. Local treatment with a selective hypoxia mimetic in the joint restores DOT1L function and could be an attractive therapeutic strategy for osteoarthritis.
Fiberoptic Hemodynamic Spectroscopy: validation in glioma model and magnetic probe to study cerebrovascular dysregulation in freely-moving Alzheimer’s disease model mice
Authors: Gareau Daniel S. , Bamkole Michael , Snuderl Matija , Thomas Cheddhi , Bayin N. Sumru , Placantonakis Dimitris G. , Zou Julia , Yaroslavsky Anna , Dietz Michael P. , Jacques Steven L. , Strickland Sidney , Krueger James G. , Ahn Hyung Jin 
Published: May 2021

AbstractSignificanceCerebral vascular reactivity is critical parameters of brain homeostasis in health and disease, but the investigational value of brain oxymetry is diminished by anesthesia and mechanical fixation of the mouse scull.AimWe needed to reduce the physical restrictivity of hemodynamic spectroscopy to enable Alzheimer’s disease (AD) studies in freely-moving mice.ApproachWe combined spectroscopy, spectral analysis software and a magnetic, implantable device to measure vascular reactivity in unanesthetized, freely-moving mice. We measured cerebral blood volume fraction (CBVF) and oxygen saturation (SO2).ResultsWe validated that our system could detect delayed cerebrovascular recovery from hypoxia in an orthotopic xenograft glioma model under anesthetized condition and we also found increasedCBVFand impaired vascular reactivity during hypercapnia in a freely-moving mouse model of AD compared to wild-type littermates.ConclusionsOur optomechanical approach to reproducibly getting light into and out of the brain enabled us to successfully measureCBVFandSO2during hypercapnia in unanesthetized freely-moving mice. We present hardware and software enabling oximetric analysis of metabolic activity, which provides a safe and reliable method for rapid assessment of vascular reactivity in murine disease models as well asCBVFandSO2.
Characterization of mouse Bmp5 regulatory injury element in zebrafish wound models
Authors: Heller Ian S. , Guenther Catherine A. , Meireles Ana M. , Talbot William S. , Kingsley David M. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractMany key signaling molecules used to build tissues during embryonic development are re-activated at injury sites to stimulate tissue regeneration and repair. Bone morphogenetic proteins provide a classic example, but the mechanisms that lead to reactivation of BMPs following injury are still unknown. Previous studies have mapped a large “injury response element” (IRE) in the mouse Bmp5 gene that drives gene expression following bone fractures and other types of injury. Here we show that the large mouse IRE region is also activated in both zebrafish tail resection and mechanosensory hair cell injury models. Using the ability to test multiple constructs and image temporal and spatial dynamics following injury responses, we have narrowed the original size of the mouse IRE region by over 100 fold and identified a small 142 bp minimal enhancer that is rapidly induced in both mesenchymal and epithelial tissues after injury. These studies identify a small sequence that responds to evolutionarily conserved local signals in wounded tissues and suggest candidate pathways that contribute to BMP reactivation after injury.
SMCHD1 variants may induce variegated expression in Facio Scapulo Humeral Dystophy and Bosma Arhinia and microphtalmia syndrome
Authors: Laberthonnière Camille , Chevalier Raphaël , Dion Camille , Delourme Mégane , Hirst David , Adélaïde José , Chaffanet Max , Xue Shifeng , Nguyen Karine , Reversade Bruno , Déjardin Jérôme , Baudot Anais , Robin Jérôme D. , Magdinier Frédérique 
Published: May 2021

AbstractAn expanding number of genetic syndromes are linked to mutations in genes encoding factors that guide chromatin organization. Recently, distinct genetic syndromes have been linked to mutations in theSMCHD1gene. However, the function of this non-canonical SMC protein remains partly defined in Human tissues. To address this question, we determined its epi-signature in type 2 Facio Scapulo Humeral Dystrophy (FSHD2) and Bosma Arhinia and Microphtalmia Syndrome (BAMS) linked to heterozygous mutations in this gene. By combining RNA-Seq, DNA methylation profiling and ChIP-Seq, we showed that SMCHD1 regulates repressed chromatin but alsocis-regulatory elements and enhancers. Our results emphasize dual functions for SMCHD1, in chromatin compaction, chromatin insulation and gene regulation with variable outcomes and targets depending on tissues. We propose that altered DNA methylation and long-range chromatin organization at a number of loci required for development and tissue differentiation, trigger variegated gene expression in rare genetic diseases linked to heterozygousSMCHD1mutations.
An intranasal ASO therapeutic targeting SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Zhu Chi , Lee Justin Y. , Woo Jia Z. , Xu Lei , Nguyenla Xammy , Yamashiro Livia H. , Ji Fei , Biering Scott B. , Van Dis Erik , Gonzalez Federico , Fox Douglas , Rustagi Arjun , Pinsky Benjamin A. , Blish Catherine A. , Chiu Charles , Harris Eva , Sadreyev Ruslan I. , Stanley Sarah , Kauppinen Sakari , Rouskin Silvi , Näär Anders M. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic is exacting an increasing toll worldwide, with new SARS-CoV-2 variants emerging that exhibit higher infectivity rates and that may partially evade vaccine and antibody immunity1. Rapid deployment of non-invasive therapeutic avenues capable of preventing infection by all SARS-CoV-2 variants could complement current vaccination efforts and help turn the tide on the COVID-19 pandemic2. Here, we describe a novel therapeutic strategy targeting the SARS-CoV-2 RNA using locked nucleic acid antisense oligonucleotides (LNA ASOs). We identified an LNA ASO binding to the 5’ leader sequence of SARS-CoV-2 ORF1a/b that disrupts a highly conserved stem-loop structure with nanomolar efficacy in preventing viral replication in human cells. Daily intranasal administration of this LNA ASO in the K18-hACE2 humanized COVID-19 mouse model potently (98-99%) suppressed viral replication in the lungs of infected mice, revealing strong prophylactic and treatment effects. We found that the LNA ASO also represses viral infection in golden Syrian hamsters, and is highly efficacious in countering all SARS-CoV-2 “variants of concern” tested in vitro and in vivo, including B.1.427, B.1.1.7, and B.1.351 variants3. Hence, inhaled LNA ASOs targeting SARS-CoV-2 represents a promising therapeutic approach to reduce transmission of variants partially resistant to vaccines and monoclonal antibodies, and could be deployed intranasally for prophylaxis or via lung delivery by nebulizer to decrease severity of COVID-19 in infected individuals. LNA ASOs are chemically stable and can be flexibly modified to target different viral RNA sequences4, and they may have particular impact in areas where vaccine distribution is a challenge, and could be stockpiled for future coronavirus pandemics.
Public attitudes towards free-roaming dogs and dog ownership practices in Bulgaria, Italy, and Ukraine
Authors: Smith L.M. , Quinnell R.J. , Munteanu A.M. , Hartmann S. , Dalla Villa P. , Collins L.M. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractOverabundant, free-roaming dog populations are associated with risks to public health, livestock losses, wildlife conservation, and dog health and welfare. Dog population management is conducted to mitigate these issues. Assessing dog population management strategies is important to determine their effectiveness, efficiency, and long-term impact. It is essential to also determine how the behaviour and outlook of local communities may influence the efficacy of dog population management. This study aimed to determine public attitudes towards free-roaming dogs and their management and describe dog ownership practices in three European countries using an online questionnaire survey. This study found that most surveyed respondents wanted to see a reduction in free-roaming dog numbers, and felt that this should be achieved through sheltering, catch-neuter-release, and by controlling the breeding of owned dogs. This questionnaire also identified significant associations between public attitudes and dog ownership practices with gender, religious beliefs, age, education level, reason for dog ownership, previous experience with free-roaming dogs, and country of residence. Respondents who identified as: (i) being male, (ii) holding religious beliefs, (iii) owning dogs for practical reasons, (iv) being young, and (v) having no schooling or primary education had a lower probability of neutering and a higher probability of allowing dogs to roam. Respondents who identified as: (i) being female, (ii) feeling threatened by free-roaming dogs, (iii) being older, and (iv) having more education had a higher probability of answering that an increase in free-roaming dog numbers should be prevented. These findings can help to inform future dog population management interventions in these countries and highlight the importance of considering local public attitudes and dog ownership practices in the development of effective dog population management approaches. Including these social factors will ensure that both the community and organisations involved in dog population management work cohesively towards a shared goal.