Enteroviral evolution: interspecies recombination and implications for picornavirus research

The original aim of the project was to determine whether a non-poliovirus HEV could evolve to use the poliovirus receptor (PVR). A variety of methods were used to exploit aspects of the evolutionary capacity of viruses to achieve this goal. Although the aim was not attained, the investigation of recombinants between different HEVs yielded interesting results, which were pursued further. Two approaches were developed: in vitro generation of recombinant viruses and phenotypic analysis of such chimeras and the selection for recombinant viruses in vitro. In vitro generation of reciprocal recombinants between the structural and the non-structural coding region of coxsackievirus A21 (CVA21) and poliovirus type 3 (PV3) was initiated. Transfected and passaged chimeras did not produce infectious virions. Immunofluorescence analysis of VP1 protein expression suggested that the recombinants were not acytopathic. A series of assays were then carried out to investigate the nature of the defect. HeLa S10 translation/transcription reactions of the in vitro generated recombinants expressed the correct protein-processing pattern suggesting efficient processing occurred in vitro. Replication assays demonstrated that the chimeras were replication competent. Trans-encapsidation experiments were then carried out and preliminary results strongly suggested that the defect could lie at the packaging level. Selection of recombinants in vivo, without predetermining the crossover sites, was also conducted. Under the conditions used, recombinant between CVA21 and PV3 impaired genomes and echovirus 7 (EV7) and PV3 impaired genomes proved to be unsuccessful. Characterisation of the impaired parental genomes used for the experiment needs to be carried out. However, recent reports of recombinants between Sabin polioviruses and HEV-C confirm the possibility of such a recombination event occurring and emphasize concerns regarding the success of the polio eradication program

The Effects of Parent-Implemented Demanded Eye Contact as a Component of EID on Child Compliance

Effective instruction delivery (EID) is an eight-step strategy that has been shown to be effective at increasing child compliance across classroom and clinical settings (Everett et al., 2005; Ford, 1998; Mandal et al., 2000; Scoggins, 2005). Component analyses investigating the relative importance of eye contact components of EID have obtained mixed results in clinical settings (Everett et al., 2005; Faciane, 2001; Faciane, 2004). Additionally, applied studies evaluating the effectiveness and treatment integrity of interventions delivered through telehealth have been largely behavior-analytic in nature (Lee et al., 2015; Seuss et al., 2013; Stich & Samaha, 2015; Wainer & Ingersoll, 2014). The current study sought to examine the effect of EID with and without its eye contact components as implemented by parents in the home setting and observed via videoconferencing, treatment integrity of parent implementation, and perceived treatment acceptability. While the effects of demanded eye contact were varied across participants, all parents exhibited high levels of treatment integrity and acceptability. Results and implications are discussed

A review of the trend of microlearning

Purpose Microlearning has been considered as a promising topic in work-based learning. This paper aims to review the trends of microlearning in terms of related publications and internet searches. Hopefully, the findings can serve as a reference for the education sector, government, business and academia, to promote, design and use microlearning. Design/methodology/approach In this study, two sets of analysis were conducted. Firstly, we analysed the publication trend of microlearning. Second, we analysed the trend of internet searches related to microlearning. More specifically, we analysed 14-years real-world data obtained from Scopus and Google Trends for the purpose. These data include the first relevant publication found in the database. Findings In total, 476 relevant publication have been identified during 2006 to 2019. According to the findings from analysing the identified publications, microlearning is a relevant new and emerging global topic involving authors, affiliations and funding sponsors from different countries. Moreover, many microlearning related publications were conducted from perspectives of elearning or mobile learning. Furthermore, we notice higher education was the most frequently mentioned education level in the identified publications. On the other hand, language learning (i.e. second language, vocabulary learning) had been mentioned more times in the titles and abstracts then other subject areas. Overall, the increasing trend of publications on ‘microlearning’ (as a knowledge supply) is in line with the established increasing internet searches of ‘microlearning’ (as a practical demand) in recent years. Practical implications From the work-based learning perspective, microlearning has been considered as one of the key topics in talent development topics. Policymakers, educators, researchers and participators, have the responsibility to explore how to promote, design and use microlearning to help people to learn in the right direction through valid knowledge with ethical consideration. Originality/value Although many works had been done on microlearning, there is a lack of comprehensive studies reviewing the trends of microlearning in terms of related publications and internet searches. This study aims to fill this gap by analysing real-world data obtained from Scopus and Google Trends - these data include the first relevant publication found in the database. We believe this is the first time that a study has been conducted to comprehensively review the development trends of microlearning. Hopefully, this study can shed some light on related research

Novel bird responses to successive, large-scale, landscape transformations

Transformation of intact vegetation into new kinds and configurations of human-modified habitats is a well-established driver of biodiversity loss. Following initial conversion, many human-dominated landscapes are then subject to further large-scale changes in land use. The impacts on biodiversity of repeated changes in land use remain poorly known, particularly how changes in the matrix interact with initial patterns of vegetation clearing. We used an 18-yr study of birds in remnant patches of endangered temperate woodland in south-eastern Australia to quantify the spatial and temporal effects of successive land use transformation in the surrounding landscape. We examined bird response to (1) initial patterns of landscape modification (creating semi-cleared grazing land dominated by pastures that surrounded remnant woodland patches), (2) subsequent establishment and maturation of exotic tree plantations on the pastures surrounding woodland patches, and (3) additive and interactive effects of both types of landscape transformation. The majority of the 57 bird species modeled responded to conversion of grazing land to exotic plantations, either independently from initial patterns of landscape transformation (20 species), or interactively (18 species) or additively (15 species) with initial landscape transformation. The occurrence of only one species (the Common Bronzewing) was related to patterns of initial transformation but not subsequent transformation due to plantation establishment. Thus, despite many characteristics of the woodland patches within the plantation remaining largely unaltered throughout our 18-yr investigation, the matrix had a profound effect on the kinds of species inhabiting them, with such impacts often magnified over time as the matrix continued to change. Plantation establishment triggered new regional-level spatial processes with effects on birds detected in woodland patches up to 2 km away from the plantation. Matrix conversion selected for species with different traits (size, diet and movement patterns) compared to the initial transformation, suggesting it is acting as a different filter on the bird community. New kinds of landscape transformation (such as plantation establishment on previously cleared land) can radically affect the species that have persisted for many decades in previously modified landscapes. This highlights the challenges, but also opportunities, for conserving taxa in ever changing human-dominated environments. © 2019 by the Ecological Society of America. **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Philip Barton” is provided in this record*

Open Access

Differential cellular gene expression in duck trachea infected with a highly or low pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza viru

Characterization of psychotic experiences in adolescence using the Specific Psychotic Experiences Questionnaire (SPEQ): findings from a study of 5000 16-year-old twins

We aimed to characterize multiple psychotic experiences, each assessed on a spectrum of severity (ie, quantitatively), in a general population sample of adolescents. Over five thousand 16-year-old twins and their parents completed the newly devised Specific Psychotic Experiences Questionnaire (SPEQ); a subsample repeated it approximately 9 months later. SPEQ was investigated in terms of factor structure, intersubscale correlations, frequency of endorsement and reported distress, reliability and validity, associations with traits of anxiety, depression and personality, and sex differences. Principal component analysis revealed a 6-component solution: paranoia, hallucinations, cognitive disorganization, grandiosity, anhedonia, and parent-rated negative symptoms. These components formed the basis of 6 subscales. Correlations between different experiences were low to moderate. All SPEQ subscales, except Grandiosity, correlated significantly with traits of anxiety, depression, and neuroticism. Scales showed good internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and convergent validity. Girls endorsed more paranoia, hallucinations, and cognitive disorganization; boys reported more grandiosity and anhedonia and had more parent-rated negative symptoms. As in adults at high risk for psychosis and with psychotic disorders, psychotic experiences in adolescents are characterized by multiple components. The study of psychotic experiences as distinct dimensional quantitative traits is likely to prove an important strategy for future research, and the SPEQ is a self- and parent-report questionnaire battery that embodies this approach

MuSK is required for anchoring acetylcholinesterase at the neuromuscular junction

At the neuromuscular junction, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is mainly present as asymmetric forms in which tetramers of catalytic subunits are associated to a specific collagen, collagen Q (ColQ). The accumulation of the enzyme in the synaptic basal lamina strictly relies on ColQ. This has been shown to be mediated by interaction between ColQ and perlecan, which itself binds dystroglycan. Here, using transfected mutants of ColQ in a ColQ-deficient muscle cell line or COS-7 cells, we report that ColQ clusterizes through a more complex mechanism. This process requires two heparin-binding sites contained in the collagen domain as well as the COOH terminus of ColQ. Cross-linking and immunoprecipitation experiments in Torpedo postsynaptic membranes together with transfection experiments with muscle-specific kinase (MuSK) constructs in MuSK-deficient myotubes or COS-7 cells provide the first evidence that ColQ binds MuSK. Together, our data suggest that a ternary complex containing ColQ, perlecan, and MuSK is required for AChE clustering and support the notion that MuSK dictates AChE synaptic localization at the neuromuscular junction

Home care and digital platforms in Spain

The introduction of the Ley de Promoción de la Autonomía Personal y Atención a las Personas en Situación de Dependencia, LAPAD (Promotion of the Autonomy and Care of People in a Situation of Dependency Law, LAPAD) in 2006 represented a major step forward with its universal recognition of the right to care. However, cuts in funding in subsequent years have severely limited the law's potential, and the gap between demand and services offered continues to widen. This means today, the care of the elderly and dependent continues to be a responsibility largely borne by women in the family. They either have to employ someone else (another woman, often foreign) to do the job or do it themselves

Effects of altered fire intervals on critical timber production and conservation values

Forests exhibit thresholds in disturbance intervals that influence sustainability of production and natural values including sawlog production, species existence and habitat attributes. Fire is a key disturbance agent in temperate forests and frequency of fire is increasing, threatening sustainability of these forest values. We used mechanistically diverse, theoretical fire interval distributions for mountain ash forest in Victoria, Australia, in the recent past and future to estimate the probability of realising: (i) minimum sawlog harvesting rotation time; (ii) canopy species maturation; and (iii) adequate habitat hollows for fauna. The likelihood of realising fire intervals exceeding these key stand age thresholds diminishes markedly for the future fire regime compared with the recent past. For example, we estimate that only one in five future fire intervals will be sufficiently long (∼80 years) to grow sawlogs in this forest type, and that the probability of forests developing adequate habitat hollows (∼180 years) could be as low as 0.03 (3% of fire intervals). Therefore, there is a need to rethink where sawlogs can be sourced sustainably, such as from fast-growing plantations that can be harvested and then regrown rapidly, and to reserve large areas of existing 80-year-old forest from timber harvesting.DBL received funding from the Threatened Species Recovery Hub of the Australian Government’s National Environmental Science Program. CNF was supported by a Linkage Grant from the Australian Research Counci