Public Health concern for a Nipah Virus disease

Nipah virus (NiV) is a pathogenic paramyxovirus that has been responsible for sporadic outbreaks of respiratory and encephalitic disease in tropical countries. Elevated case mortality rate has also been connected with recent outbreaks in India (Kerala), Malaysia and Bangladesh. The virus generally infects animals like pigs and bats, but they do not show any symptoms of NiV.  The mortality rate in NiV infected humans is more as compared to other mammals. The patient usually shows no symptoms to headache fever, cough, dyspnea, confusion and more consequences lead to a coma. Although there are no drugs or vaccines available against this severe disease, precaution and awareness reduce the risk of NiV-infection. This review will be helpful to save the life of people and decrease death by the NiV-infection outbreak. Keywords:   Diagnosis, Henipavirus, Nipah virus, Prevention and treatmen

Integration of evidence across human and model organism studies: A meeting report.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse and Joint Institute for Biological Sciences at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory hosted a meeting attended by a diverse group of scientists with expertise in substance use disorders (SUDs), computational biology, and FAIR (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability) data sharing. The meeting\u27s objective was to discuss and evaluate better strategies to integrate genetic, epigenetic, and \u27omics data across human and model organisms to achieve deeper mechanistic insight into SUDs. Specific topics were to (a) evaluate the current state of substance use genetics and genomics research and fundamental gaps, (b) identify opportunities and challenges of integration and sharing across species and data types, (c) identify current tools and resources for integration of genetic, epigenetic, and phenotypic data, (d) discuss steps and impediment related to data integration, and (e) outline future steps to support more effective collaboration-particularly between animal model research communities and human genetics and clinical research teams. This review summarizes key facets of this catalytic discussion with a focus on new opportunities and gaps in resources and knowledge on SUDs

Integration of evidence across human and model organism studies: A meeting report

The National Institute on Drug Abuse and Joint Institute for Biological Sciences at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory hosted a meeting attended by a diverse group of scientists with expertise in substance use disorders (SUDs), computational biology, and FAIR (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability) data sharing. The meeting's objective was to discuss and evaluate better strategies to integrate genetic, epigenetic, and 'omics data across human and model organisms to achieve deeper mechanistic insight into SUDs. Specific topics were to (a) evaluate the current state of substance use genetics and genomics research and fundamental gaps, (b) identify opportunities and challenges of integration and sharing across species and data types, (c) identify current tools and resources for integration of genetic, epigenetic, and phenotypic data, (d) discuss steps and impediment related to data integration, and (e) outline future steps to support more effective collaboration-particularly between animal model research communities and human genetics and clinical research teams. This review summarizes key facets of this catalytic discussion with a focus on new opportunities and gaps in resources and knowledge on SUDs

SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.2 Delta variant replication and immune evasion

Abstract: The B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first identified in the state of Maharashtra in late 2020 and spread throughout India, outcompeting pre-existing lineages including B.1.617.1 (Kappa) and B.1.1.7 (Alpha)1. In vitro, B.1.617.2 is sixfold less sensitive to serum neutralizing antibodies from recovered individuals, and eightfold less sensitive to vaccine-elicited antibodies, compared with wild-type Wuhan-1 bearing D614G. Serum neutralizing titres against B.1.617.2 were lower in ChAdOx1 vaccinees than in BNT162b2 vaccinees. B.1.617.2 spike pseudotyped viruses exhibited compromised sensitivity to monoclonal antibodies to the receptor-binding domain and the amino-terminal domain. B.1.617.2 demonstrated higher replication efficiency than B.1.1.7 in both airway organoid and human airway epithelial systems, associated with B.1.617.2 spike being in a predominantly cleaved state compared with B.1.1.7 spike. The B.1.617.2 spike protein was able to mediate highly efficient syncytium formation that was less sensitive to inhibition by neutralizing antibody, compared with that of wild-type spike. We also observed that B.1.617.2 had higher replication and spike-mediated entry than B.1.617.1, potentially explaining the B.1.617.2 dominance. In an analysis of more than 130 SARS-CoV-2-infected health care workers across three centres in India during a period of mixed lineage circulation, we observed reduced ChAdOx1 vaccine effectiveness against B.1.617.2 relative to non-B.1.617.2, with the caveat of possible residual confounding. Compromised vaccine efficacy against the highly fit and immune-evasive B.1.617.2 Delta variant warrants continued infection control measures in the post-vaccination era

Retrospective evaluation of whole exome and genome mutation calls in 746 cancer samples

Funder: NCI U24CA211006Abstract: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) curated consensus somatic mutation calls using whole exome sequencing (WES) and whole genome sequencing (WGS), respectively. Here, as part of the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium, which aggregated whole genome sequencing data from 2,658 cancers across 38 tumour types, we compare WES and WGS side-by-side from 746 TCGA samples, finding that ~80% of mutations overlap in covered exonic regions. We estimate that low variant allele fraction (VAF < 15%) and clonal heterogeneity contribute up to 68% of private WGS mutations and 71% of private WES mutations. We observe that ~30% of private WGS mutations trace to mutations identified by a single variant caller in WES consensus efforts. WGS captures both ~50% more variation in exonic regions and un-observed mutations in loci with variable GC-content. Together, our analysis highlights technological divergences between two reproducible somatic variant detection efforts

PURIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF CLASS XI MYOSIN FROM THE PLANT MODEL ORGANISM PHYSCOMITRELLA PATENS

Myosins, a superfamily of actin dependent molecular motors, perform essential functions in all eukaryotes. Full length functional plant myosins have been difficult to isolate due to their sus-ceptibility to proteases. Using Western blots for detection, the degradation of 3xmEGFP-tagged myosin XI was compared for different methods of extraction from the moss Physcomitrella pat-ens. Motility assays showed the functionality of moss myosin enriched by an actin based affinity column. This work begins the development of an effective and reproducible purification protocol for a moss class XI myosin. Analysis of quantitative assays and biochemical studies of purified myosin will allow the characterization of the physiological roles underlying the evolution and function of this essential protein

Composting Guidebook for an Organic Farm in Guaimaca, Honduras

Nazareth Farm, located in the small town of Guaimaca, Honduras, is an organic farm intending to improve the quality of the compost they produce. This project developed a Composting Guidebook that provides recommendations and testing procedures to improve composting methods. This Guidebook can also be used for educational purposes and is based on the Test Methods for the Examination of Composting and Compost (TMECC), published by the United States Composting Council

To study the acceptance of epidural analgesia for painless labor at a tertiary care centre

Background: Epidural analgesia is a central nerve block technique achieved by injection of a local anaesthetic close to the nerves that transmit pain and is widely used as a form of pain relief in labor. Epidural analgesia is the most effective method of pain relief during labor. But unfortunately in India incidence of painless labor by epidural analgesia is very rare even in these days. The aim of our study was to study the acceptance of epidural analgesia at a tertiary care centre.Methods: The present study was conducted in department of obstetrics and gynaecology UISEMH, Kanpur over the period from May 2012 to May 2013. The study was conducted on 98 patients who were counselled regarding the adoption of epidural analgesia as painless labour and out of these 50 patients opted for epidural analgesia.Results: In our present study the acceptance was greater in primigravida (72.43%) as compared to multigravida (20%). In our society social reason was the common cause for non-acceptance in primigravida (87.5%). The majority of patients belonged to middle socioeconomic status (52%) and more number of educated patients opted for epidural analgesia.Conclusions: It was found that increased awareness can lead to increased acceptance of epidural analgesia