Combining genomics and epidemiology to track mumps virus transmission in the United States.

Unusually large outbreaks of mumps across the United States in 2016 and 2017 raised questions about the extent of mumps circulation and the relationship between these and prior outbreaks. We paired epidemiological data from public health investigations with analysis of mumps virus whole genome sequences from 201 infected individuals, focusing on Massachusetts university communities. Our analysis suggests continuous, undetected circulation of mumps locally and nationally, including multiple independent introductions into Massachusetts and into individual communities. Despite the presence of these multiple mumps virus lineages, the genomic data show that one lineage has dominated in the US since at least 2006. Widespread transmission was surprising given high vaccination rates, but we found no genetic evidence that variants arising during this outbreak contributed to vaccine escape. Viral genomic data allowed us to reconstruct mumps transmission links not evident from epidemiological data or standard single-gene surveillance efforts and also revealed connections between apparently unrelated mumps outbreaks

Structural effect of aliovalent Doping in lead perovskites

Composition–structure relationships are needed for various applications, including lattice-matching for heteroepitaxy; however, a general model to predict lattice constants in defective perovskites is not yet available because the exact nature of A-site vacancies in perovskites remains largely unknown. In this study, it has been shown experimentally via Le Bail refinements of x-ray diffraction data that such vacancies in (Pb1−3xLa2x□x)TiO3 and (Pb1−3xLa2x□x)(Zr0.6Ti0.4)O3 have an effective size due to both Coulombic repulsion of coordinating oxygen ions and bond relaxation. For the first time, cell volume can be predicted in this system from stoichiometry and published ionic radii data alone to within 0.2% accuracy within View the MathML source0≤x≤13 compositional range and <0.3% accuracy all the way to View the MathML sourcex=13. The model may be applied to other perovskite systems and eventually provide tailored properties (magnetic, dielectric, and other) based on improved structure predictions

Combining genomics and epidemiology to track mumps virus transmission in the United States.

Unusually large outbreaks of mumps across the United States in 2016 and 2017 raised questions about the extent of mumps circulation and the relationship between these and prior outbreaks. We paired epidemiological data from public health investigations with analysis of mumps virus whole genome sequences from 201 infected individuals, focusing on Massachusetts university communities. Our analysis suggests continuous, undetected circulation of mumps locally and nationally, including multiple independent introductions into Massachusetts and into individual communities. Despite the presence of these multiple mumps virus lineages, the genomic data show that one lineage has dominated in the US since at least 2006. Widespread transmission was surprising given high vaccination rates, but we found no genetic evidence that variants arising during this outbreak contributed to vaccine escape. Viral genomic data allowed us to reconstruct mumps transmission links not evident from epidemiological data or standard single-gene surveillance efforts and also revealed connections between apparently unrelated mumps outbreaks