Newborn dried blood spots for serologic surveys of COVID-19

There is an urgent need for inexpensive, population-wide surveillance testing for COVID-19. We tested newborn dried blood spot (DBS) anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies for all infants born at Yale from March to May 2020, and found that newborn DBS serologies reflect maternal and population-wide infection rates during the study period. This suggests a role for DBS in COVID-19 surveillance in areas where viral testing is limited

Fabrication of Quantum Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells Based on a Transparent TiO₂ Film with Reasonable Load Resistance Design

While transparent photoanodes are highly desired for smart energy devices, their performance is still far from expectation. In the present work, a transparent TiO2 film was prepared using a two-step spin-coating method, which served as photoanodes of quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs). A porous TiO2 photoanode prepared by P25 was also fabricated for comparison. Compared with the porous TiO2 photoanode, QDSSCs based on the transparent TiO2 film showed an obviously declined short-circuit current density (Jsc) but greatly improved fill factor (54.3%), resulting in a larger power conversion efficiency (4.32%). The reason is due to the decreased series resistance and increased shunt resistance of solar cells based on the transparent TiO2 photoanode, which is consistent with the requirement of solar cells to load resistance. The present work proves that the transparent TiO2 film has great potential in the field of transparent solar cells

A new synthesis of tetrahydrofuran fragment of amphidinolides X and Y

A new synthesis of the tetrasubstituted tetrahydrofuran fragment of the marine secondary metabolites amphidinolides X and Y is described. The oxygenated chiral quaternary carbon was assembled by asymmetric dihydroxylation in high enantioselectivity and the tetrahydrofuran ring was constructed by an acid-catalyzed 5-endo ring-opening cyclization of the epoxide possessing a vinyl moiety

The complete chloroplast genome of Uvaria macrophylla Roxb. (Annonaceae)

Uvaria macrophylla (Annonaceae) is an erect shrub with multiple medicinal properties. In this study, we report the complete chloroplast genome of U. macrophylla, assembled from whole-genome high-throughput sequencing reads, as a resource for future studies on the phylogeny and evolution of Annonaceae. The chloroplast genome was 192,782 bp in length, with a large single-copy (LSC) region of 83,581 bp, a small single-copy (SSC) region of 3,741 bp, separated by two inverted repeat (IR) regions of 52,730 bp each. It was predicted to contain 151 genes, with an overall GC content of 38.7%. Phylogenetic analysis of 105 protein-coding sequences of 13 plant plastomes showed that U. macrophylla is closest to Annona cherimola

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Moringa oleifera Lam. (Moringaceae)

The plant family Moringaceae contains only one genus, Moringa, and Moringa oleifera is widely cultivated for its young seed pods and leaves used as vegetables and for traditional herbal medicine. In this study, we report the complete chloroplast genome of M. oleifera, assembled from whole-genome high-throughput sequencing reads, as a resource for future studies on the phylogeny and evolution of Moringaceae. The chloroplast genome was 160,600 bp in length, with a large single-copy (LSC) region of 88,577 bp, a small single-copy (SSC) region of 18,883 bp, separated by two inverted repeat (IR) regions of 26,570 bp each. It was predicted to contain 131 genes, with an overall GC content of 36.78%. Phylogenetic analysis of 71 protein-coding sequences of 13 plant plastomes showed that M. oleifera is closest to Carica papaya

Total synthesis of amphidinolide X and its 12Z-isomer by formation of the C12-C13 trisubstituted double bond via ring-closing metathesis

Amphidinolide X, a 16-membered cytotoxic macrodiolide, and its 12Z-isomer have been synthesized via ring-closing metathesis (RCM) for assembling the C12-C13 trisubstituted double bond. A 29:71 E/Z mixture was obtained from the seco substrate appended with a bulky C8-ODPS group in 50-65\% combined yields by using 20 mol\% of the second-generation Grubbs initiator and the corresponding indenylidene ruthenium Complex, Amphidinolide X and 12Z-isomer exhibit similar cytotoxicity (IC50: 7.6-13.9 mu g/mL) against A549, KB, and HL60 cell lines

Newborn Dried Blood Spots for Serologic Surveys of COVID-19

There is an urgent need for inexpensive, population-wide surveillance testing for COVID-19. We tested newborn dried blood spot (DBS) anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies for all infants born at Yale from March to May 2020, and found that newborn DBS serologies reflect maternal and population-wide infection rates during the study period. This suggests a role for DBS in COVID-19 surveillance in areas where viral testing is limited

Divergent and self-reactive immune responses in the CNS of COVID-19 patients with neurological symptoms.

Individuals with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) frequently develop neurological symptoms, but the biological underpinnings of these phenomena are unknown. Through single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and cytokine analyses of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood from individuals with COVID-19 with neurological symptoms, we find compartmentalized, CNS-specific T cell activation and B cell responses. All affected individuals had CSF anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies whose target epitopes diverged from serum antibodies. In an animal model, we find that intrathecal SARS-CoV-2 antibodies are present only during brain infection and not elicited by pulmonary infection. We produced CSF-derived monoclonal antibodies from an individual with COVID-19 and found that these monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) target antiviral and antineural antigens, including one mAb that reacted to spike protein and neural tissue. CSF immunoglobulin G (IgG) from 5 of 7 patients showed antineural reactivity. This immune survey reveals evidence of a compartmentalized immune response in the CNS of individuals with COVID-19 and suggests a role of autoimmunity in neurologic sequelae of COVID-19