PL EU: emoji, language games and political polarisation

Are emoji political? In an increasing body of research, emoji have variably been viewed as emotional data or personality identifiers. However, little attention has been paid to the social and political import of emoji. Using a dataset of politically active Twitter users in Poland, including 334 members of parliament and their 1,288,950 followers, we ask whether emoji are used for political self-representation, and discuss the implications for political identity formation and mobilisation online. Adapting a new method of ideal point estimation, we identify patterns in the employment of emoji in user Twitter bios across a latent political space computed from a Twitter following network. We find that emoji are used as stand-ins for o昀ffiine political symbols such as, and . Additionally, we find that the use of emoji without recognisable political meaning, such as,, and is contingent on a users estimated political ideal point. Users on the left are likelier to employ and, while those on the right are likelier to employ and . Using Ludwig Wittgenstein’s theory of language games, we argue that this points to the use of emoji for communication of both political values and affect, and to the development of a new political language game of emoji

Optimal Piecewise Linear Regression Algorithm for QSAR Modelling

Quantitative Structure‐Activity Relationship (QSAR) models have been successfully applied to lead optimisation, virtual screening and other areas of drug discovery over the years. Recent studies, however, have focused on the development of models that are predictive but often not interpretable. In this article, we propose the application of a piecewise linear regression algorithm, OPLRAreg, to develop both predictive and interpretable QSAR models. The algorithm determines a feature to best separate the data into regions and identifies linear equations to predict the outcome variable in each region. A regularisation term is introduced to prevent overfitting problems and implicitly selects the most informative features. As OPLRAreg is based on mathematical programming, a flexible and transparent representation for optimisation problems, the algorithm also permits customised constraints to be easily added to the model. The proposed algorithm is presented as a more interpretable alternative to other commonly used machine learning algorithms and has shown comparable predictive accuracy to Random Forest, Support Vector Machine and Random Generalised Linear Model on tests with five QSAR data sets compiled from the ChEMBL database

Heavy metals removal of leachates from a mechanical biological municipal solid waste treatment plant for use as fertilizers

Leachates produced from treatment plants contains carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and trace elements. This work aims to develop heavy metals removal processes using solid adsorbents synthetized at CIMO and LSRE-LCM laboratories at Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, such as activated carbon produced from a compost material from the same treatment plant and modified clays obtained through a partnership with a Kazakhstan institution, to adequate the leachate from the composting line of a mechanical and biological treatment facility, into commercial fertilizers which fit the requirements of the European Legislation. Preliminary results show that the adsoption materials promoted a reduction in the heavy metals content, but this reduction also affected the organic carbon content. However, the activated carbons presented a better potencial for heavy metals removal.This work was financially supported by: Project VALORCOMP, funded by FEDER through Programme INTERREG V-A Spain−Portugal (POCTEP) 2014–2020 and Associate Laboratory LSRE-LCMUID/ EQU/50020/2019 - funded by national funds through FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Heavy metals removal on leachate for use as fertilizers

Municipal landfill leachates typically contain high ammonium and organic concentration which could contribute to its use in agriculture, leading to the reduction of costs for the respective waste treatment plants. However, due to the nature of the leachates, they may contain phytotoxic substances. The landfillleachate samples differ by many factors such as the composition of the treated waste, elapsed time, geochemical and weather conditions [1-3]. Taking into account these considerations, leachate samples from a storage tank at the "Residuos do Nordeste, ElM" mechanical and biological treatment plant, were collected in February 2019, and stored :at 4°C. The leachate samples were processed using activated carbon adsorbents produced from the compost of the referred company, and H2S04 activated clays obtained from a partnership with a Kazakhsta1n institution. The leachate samples were mixed with the adsorbents for 48 hours, centrifugated and the supernatant was reserved. TOC analysis in a Shimadzu TOC-L equipment and metals quantification by atomic absorption spectroscopy using a Varian SpectrAA 220 apparatus were carried out. :Selected results are presented in Fig. 1. The original leachate presents an organic carbon content closer to the requirements of the EU legislation for liquid organo-mineral fertilizers. The activated carbon promoted greater TOC removal in comparison with the activated clays. Both materials showed interaction with the heavy metals. However, Cr still remains present in higher conten1ts and K presents lower values than the legislation requirements. Overall, the activated carbons presented a greater potential for heavy metals removal. However, ion-exchange resins will be tested for a more efficient heavy metals removal to minimize possible secondary elimination of components sue:h as nutrients and organic carbon.This work was financially supported by: Project VALORCOMP, funded by FEDER through Programme INTERREG V-A Spain- Portugal {POCTEP) 2014-2020 and Associate Laboratory LSRE-LCM UID/EQU/50020/2019 - funded by national funds through FCT/MCTES {PIDDAC).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A cognitive chameleon: lessons from a novel MAPT mutation case.

We report a case of frontotemporal dementia caused by a novel MAPT mutation (Q351R) with a remarkably long amnestic presentation mimicking familial Alzheimer's disease. Longitudinal clinical, neuropsychological and imaging data provide convergent evidence for predominantly bilateral anterior medial temporal lobe involvement consistent with previously established neuroanatomical signatures of MAPT mutations. This case supports the notion that the neural network affected in MAPT mutations is determined to a large extent by the underlying molecular pathology. We discuss the diagnostic significance of anomia in the context of atypical amnesia and the impact of impaired episodic and semantic memory systems on autobiographical memory

An Open Drug Discovery Competition: Experimental Validation of Predictive Models in a Series of Novel Antimalarials.

The Open Source Malaria (OSM) consortium is developing compounds that kill the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, by targeting PfATP4, an essential ion pump on the parasite surface. The structure of PfATP4 has not been determined. Here, we describe a public competition created to develop a predictive model for the identification of PfATP4 inhibitors, thereby reducing project costs associated with the synthesis of inactive compounds. Competition participants could see all entries as they were submitted. In the final round, featuring private sector entrants specializing in machine learning methods, the best-performing models were used to predict novel inhibitors, of which several were synthesized and evaluated against the parasite. Half possessed biological activity, with one featuring a motif that the human chemists familiar with this series would have dismissed as "ill-advised". Since all data and participant interactions remain in the public domain, this research project "lives" and may be improved by others

SARS-CoV-2 lineage B.1.1.7 is associated with greater disease severity among hospitalised women but not men: multicentre cohort study.

BACKGROUND: SARS-CoV-2 lineage B.1.1.7 has been associated with an increased rate of transmission and disease severity among subjects testing positive in the community. Its impact on hospitalised patients is less well documented. METHODS: We collected viral sequences and clinical data of patients admitted with SARS-CoV-2 and hospital-onset COVID-19 infections (HOCIs), sampled 16 November 2020 to 10 January 2021, from eight hospitals participating in the COG-UK-HOCI study. Associations between the variant and the outcomes of all-cause mortality and intensive therapy unit (ITU) admission were evaluated using mixed effects Cox models adjusted by age, sex, comorbidities, care home residence, pregnancy and ethnicity. FINDINGS: Sequences were obtained from 2341 inpatients (HOCI cases=786) and analysis of clinical outcomes was carried out in 2147 inpatients with all data available. The HR for mortality of B.1.1.7 compared with other lineages was 1.01 (95% CI 0.79 to 1.28, p=0.94) and for ITU admission was 1.01 (95% CI 0.75 to 1.37, p=0.96). Analysis of sex-specific effects of B.1.1.7 identified increased risk of mortality (HR 1.30, 95% CI 0.95 to 1.78, p=0.096) and ITU admission (HR 1.82, 95% CI 1.15 to 2.90, p=0.011) in females infected with the variant but not males (mortality HR 0.82, 95% CI 0.61 to 1.10, p=0.177; ITU HR 0.74, 95% CI 0.52 to 1.04, p=0.086). INTERPRETATION: In common with smaller studies of patients hospitalised with SARS-CoV-2, we did not find an overall increase in mortality or ITU admission associated with B.1.1.7 compared with other lineages. However, women with B.1.1.7 may be at an increased risk of admission to intensive care and at modestly increased risk of mortality.This report was produced by members of the COG-UK-HOCI Variant substudy consortium. COG-UK-HOCI is part of COG-UK. COG-UK is supported by funding from the Medical Research Council (MRC) part of UK Research & Innovation (UKRI), the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) and Genome Research Limited, operating as the Wellcome Sanger Institute

The Synergistic Effect of Concomitant Schistosomiasis, Hookworm, and Trichuris Infections on Children's Anemia Burden

Polyparasitic infections have been recognized as the norm in many tropical developing countries, but the significance of this phenomenon for helminth-associated morbidities is largely unexplored. Earlier studies have suggested that multi-species, low-intensity parasitic infections were associated with higher odds of anemia among school-age children relative to their uninfected counterparts or those with one low-intensity infection. However, specific studies of the nature of interactions between helminth species in the mediation of helminth-associated morbidities are lacking. This study quantifies the extent to which polyparasitic infections have more than the sum of adverse effects associated with individual infections in the context of childhood anemia. This study found that the risk of anemia is amplified beyond the sum of risks for individual infections in children simultaneously exposed to 1) hookworm and schistosomiasis, and 2) hookworm and trichuris, and suggests that combined treatment for some geohelminth species and schistosomiasis could yield greater than additive benefits for the reduction of childhood anemia in helminth-endemic areas. However, more studies to understand the full range of interactions between parasitic species in their joint effects on helminth-associated morbidities will be necessary to better predict the impact of any future public health intervention

Comparative Genomic Analysis of Human Fungal Pathogens Causing Paracoccidioidomycosis

Paracoccidioides is a fungal pathogen and the cause of paracoccidioidomycosis, a health-threatening human systemic mycosis endemic to Latin America. Infection by Paracoccidioides, a dimorphic fungus in the order Onygenales, is coupled with a thermally regulated transition from a soil-dwelling filamentous form to a yeast-like pathogenic form. To better understand the genetic basis of growth and pathogenicity in Paracoccidioides, we sequenced the genomes of two strains of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis (Pb03 and Pb18) and one strain of Paracoccidioides lutzii (Pb01). These genomes range in size from 29.1 Mb to 32.9 Mb and encode 7,610 to 8,130 genes. To enable genetic studies, we mapped 94% of the P. brasiliensis Pb18 assembly onto five chromosomes. We characterized gene family content across Onygenales and related fungi, and within Paracoccidioides we found expansions of the fungal-specific kinase family FunK1. Additionally, the Onygenales have lost many genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism and fewer genes involved in protein metabolism, resulting in a higher ratio of proteases to carbohydrate active enzymes in the Onygenales than their relatives. To determine if gene content correlated with growth on different substrates, we screened the non-pathogenic onygenale Uncinocarpus reesii, which has orthologs for 91% of Paracoccidioides metabolic genes, for growth on 190 carbon sources. U. reesii showed growth on a limited range of carbohydrates, primarily basic plant sugars and cell wall components; this suggests that Onygenales, including dimorphic fungi, can degrade cellulosic plant material in the soil. In addition, U. reesii grew on gelatin and a wide range of dipeptides and amino acids, indicating a preference for proteinaceous growth substrates over carbohydrates, which may enable these fungi to also degrade animal biomass. These capabilities for degrading plant and animal substrates suggest a duality in lifestyle that could enable pathogenic species of Onygenales to transfer from soil to animal hosts.National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (U.S.)National Institutes of Health. Department of Health and Human Services (contract HHSN266200400001C)National Institutes of Health. Department of Health and Human Services(contract HHSN2722009000018C)Brazil. National Council for Scientific and Technological Developmen