Draft Genome Sequence for Desulfovibrio africanus Strain PCS.

Desulfovibrio africanus strain PCS is an anaerobic sulfate-reducing bacterium (SRB) isolated from sediment from Paleta Creek, San Diego, CA. Strain PCS is capable of reducing metals such as Fe(III) and Cr(VI), has a cell cycle, and is predicted to produce methylmercury. We present the D. africanus PCS genome sequence

Complete Genome Sequence of Pelosinus fermentans JBW45, a Member of a Remarkably Competitive Group of Negativicutes in the Firmicutes Phylum.

The genome of Pelosinus fermentans JBW45, isolated from a chromium-contaminated site in Hanford, Washington, USA, has been completed with PacBio sequencing. Nine copies of the rRNA gene operon and multiple transposase genes with identical sequences resulted in breaks in the original draft genome and may suggest genomic instability of JBW45

PACAP Protects Against Inflammatory-Mediated Toxicity in Dopaminergic SH-SY5Y Cells : Implication for Parkinson's Disease

There has been a growing recognition of the role of neuroinflammation caused by microglia-exaggerated release of inflammatory mediators in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) is an endogenous 38 amino acid containing neuropeptide that has been shown to possess neurotrophic as well as neuroprotective properties. In this study, we sought to determine whether PACAP could protect SH-SY5Y dopaminergic cells against toxicity induced by inflammatory mediators. For this purpose, THP-1 cells which possess microglia-like property were stimulated by a combination of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and interferon gamma (IFN-γ), and the media containing inflammatory mediators were isolated and applied to SH-SY5Y cells. Such treatment resulted in approximately 54 % cell death as well as a reduction in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and phosphorylated cyclic AMP response element-binding protein (p-CREB). Pretreatment of the SH-SY5Y cells with PACAP (1-38) dose-dependently attenuated toxicity induced by the inflammatory mediators. PACAP effects, in turn, were dose-dependently blocked by the PACAP receptor antagonist (PACAP 6-38). These results suggest protective effects of PACAP against inflammatory-induced toxicity in a cellular model of PD that is likely mediated by enhancement of cell survival markers through activation of PACAP receptors. Hence, PACAP or its agonists could be of therapeutic benefit in inflammatory-mediated PD

Dramatic Plays as a Tool to Educate Young African-American Females about HIV/AIDS

Rates of HIV/AIDS transmission have increased substantially, particularly among young African American women. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HIV/AIDS is the number one killer for African American women aged 25 to 34. Given that many of these young women are contracting the disease in their late teens and early twenties, there is a need to develop interventions that directly address the needs of this group. The current study sought to assess the effectiveness of theater in increasing knowledge of HIV/AIDS and the likelihood of healthier sexual behavior and choices among 219 young African American women 18 to 39 years of age. Paired sample t-tests revealed that there were significant mean differences in knowledge and intended safe sex behavior after viewing the play. Young women who viewed the play reported increased knowledge of HIV and reported a higher likelihood of engaging in safer sex. Given the high rates of HIV/AIDS among young African American women, more innovative educational and prevention techniques are needed

Sometimes you have to take the person and show them how : adapting behavioral activation for peer recovery specialist-delivery to improve methadone treatment retention

BACKGROUND: Despite efficacy of medication for opioid use disorder, low-income, ethno-racial minoritized populations often experience poor opioid use disorder treatment outcomes. Peer recovery specialists, individuals with lived experience of substance use and recovery, are well-positioned to engage hard-to-reach patients in treatment for opioid use disorder. Traditionally, peer recovery specialists have focused on bridging to care rather than delivering interventions. This study builds on research in other low-resource contexts that has explored peer delivery of evidence-based interventions, such as behavioral activation, to expand access to care. METHODS: We sought feedback on the feasibility and acceptability of a peer recovery specialist-delivered behavioral activation intervention supporting retention in methadone treatment by increasing positive reinforcement. We recruited patients and staff at a community-based methadone treatment center and peer recovery specialist working across Baltimore City, Maryland, USA. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups inquired about the feasibility and acceptability of behavioral activation, recommendations for adaptation, and acceptability of working with a peer alongside methadone treatment. RESULTS: Participants (N = 32) shared that peer recovery specialist-delivered behavioral activation could be feasible and acceptable with adaptations. They described common challenges associated with unstructured time, for which behavioral activation could be particularly relevant. Participants provided examples of how a peer-delivered intervention could fit well in the context of methadone treatment, emphasizing the importance of flexibility and specific peer qualities. CONCLUSIONS: Improving medication for opioid use disorder outcomes is a national priority that must be met with cost-effective, sustainable strategies to support individuals in treatment. Findings will guide adaptation of a peer recovery specialist-delivered behavioral activation intervention to improve methadone treatment retention for underserved, ethno-racial minoritized individuals living with opioid use disorder

Weaving Computing into all Middle School Disciplines *

ABSTRACT In order to get students interested in computing, we teach middle school teachers of different disciplines programming with Alice and work with them on integrating computing into their discipline. Alice provides an interface for novices to create animations easily and quickly, which is attractive to and fun for students. We have been developing Alice curriculum materials for integrating computing into middle school disciplines for six years. Although our target audience is middle school, our materials are used by teachers from elementary school to introductory college level. This paper describes our newest curriculum materials for several disciplines developed by both us and our teachers. Our newest curriculum materials include tutorials, sample projects, and challenges, which are projects with missing pieces. We also discuss our recent outreach efforts with middle school students

Development of a Model, Metal-reducing Microbial Community for a System Biology Level Assessment of Desulfovibrio vulgaris as part of a Community

One of the largest experimental gaps is between the simplicity of pure cultures and the complexity of open environmental systems, particularly in metal-contaminated areas. These microbial communities form ecosystem foundations, drive biogeochemical processes, and are relevant for biotechnology and bioremediation. A model, metal-reducing microbial community was constructed as either syntrophic or competitive to study microbial cell to cell interactions, cell signaling and competition for resources. The microbial community was comprised of the metal-reducing Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough and Geobacter sulfurreducens PCA. Additionally, Methanococcus maripaludis S2 was added to study complete carbon reduction and maintain a low hydrogen partial pressure for syntrophism to occur. Further, considerable work has been published on D. vulgaris and the D. vulgaris/ Mc. maripaludis co-culture both with and without stress. We are extending this work by conducting the same stress conditions on the model community. Additionally, this comprehensive investigation includes physiological and metabolic analyses as well as specially designed mRNA microarrays with the genes for all three organisms on one slide so as to follow gene expression changes in the various cultivation conditions as well as being comparable to the co- and individual cultures. Further, state-of -the-art comprehensive AMT tag proteomics allows for these comparisons at the protein level for a systems biology assessment of a model, metal-reducing microbial community. Preliminary data revealed that lactate oxidation by D. vulgaris was sufficient to support both G. sulfurreducens and M. maripaludis via the excretion of H2 and acetate. Fumarate was utilized by G. sulfurreducens and reduced to succinate since neither of the other two organisms can reduce fumarate. Methane was quantified, suggesting acetate and H2 concentrations were sufficient for M. maripaludis. Steady state community cultivation will allow for a comprehensive, system biology level analysis of a metal-reducing microbial community

Microbial Community Dynamics of Lactate Enriched Hanford Groundwaters

The Department of Energy site at Hanford, WA, has been historically impacted by U and Cr from the nuclear weapons industry. In an attempt to stimulate microbial remediation of these metals, in-situ lactate enrichment experiments are ongoing. In order to bridge the gap from the laboratory to the field, we inoculated triplicate anaerobic, continuous-flow glass reactors with groundwater collected from well Hanford 100-H in order to obtain a stable, enriched community while selecting for metal-reducing bacteria. Each reactor was fed from a single carboy containing defined media with 30 mM lactate at a rate of 0.223 ml/min under continuous nitrogen flow at 9 ml/min. Cell counts, organic acids, gDNA (for qPCR and pyrosequencing) and gases were sampled during the experiment. Cell counts remained low (less than 1x107 cells/ml) during the first two weeks of the experiment, but by day 20, had reached a density greater than 1x108 cells/ml. Metabolite analysis showed a decrease in the lactate concentrations over time. Pyruvate concentrations ranged from 20-40 uM the first week of the experiment then was undetectable after day 10. Likewise, formate appeared in the reactors during the first week with concentrations of 1.48-1.65 mM at day 7 then the concentrations decreased to 0.69-0.95 on day 10 and were undetectable on day 15. Acetate was present in low amounts on day 3 (0.15-0.33 mM) and steadily increased to 3.35-5.22 mM over time. Similarly, carbon dioxide was present in low concentrations early on and increased to 0.28-0.35 mM as the experiment progressed. We also were able to detect low amounts of methane (10-20 uM) during the first week of the experiment, but by day 10 the methane was undetectable. From these results and pyrosequencing analysis, we conclude that a shift in the microbial community dynamics occurred over time to eventually form a stable and enriched microbial community. Comprehensive investigations such as these allow for the examination of not only which nutrient source will accelerate site remediation, but also provide insight to evaluate remediation strategies through which enriched community members are important for bioremediation

Drug repurposing prediction for COVID-19 using probabilistic networks and crowdsourced curation

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus two (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, represents an unprecedented global health challenge. Consequently, a large amount of research into the disease pathogenesis and potential treatments has been carried out in a short time frame. However, developing novel drugs is a costly and lengthy process, and is unlikely to deliver a timely treatment for the pandemic. Drug repurposing, by contrast, provides an attractive alternative, as existing drugs have already undergone many of the regulatory requirements. In this work we used a combination of network algorithms and human curation to search integrated knowledge graphs, identifying drug repurposing opportunities for COVID-19. We demonstrate the value of this approach, reporting on eight potential repurposing opportunities identified, and discuss how this approach could be incorporated into future studies