Dorfman pooling enhances SARS-CoV-2 large-scale community testing efficiency.

PCR-based analysis is the gold standard for detection of SARS-CoV-2 and was used broadly throughout the pandemic. However, heightened demand for testing put strain on diagnostic resources and the adequate amount of PCR-based testing required exceeded existing testing capacity. Pooled testing strategies presented an effective method to increase testing capacity by decreasing the number of tests and resources required for laboratory PCR analysis of SARS-CoV-2. We sought to conduct an analysis of SARS-CoV-2 pooling schemes to determine the sensitivity of various sized Dorfman pooling strategies and evaluate the utility of using such pooling strategies in diagnostic laboratory settings. Overall, a trend of decreasing sensitivity with larger pool sizes was observed, with modest sensitivity losses in the largest pools tested, and high sensitivity in all other pools. Efficiency data was then calculated to determine the optimal Dorfman pool sizes based on test positivity rate. This was correlated with current presumptive test positivity to maximize the number of tests saved, thereby increasing testing capacity and resource efficiency in the community setting. Dorfman pooling methods were evaluated and found to offer a high-throughput solution to SARS-CoV-2 clinical testing that improve resource efficiency in low-resource environments

Systemanalyse und Entwurf eines lunaren Solarkraftwerks zur Versorgung einer Mondbasis

SIGLEAvailable from Berlin Technische Univ. (DE). Inst. fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekDEGerman

under a Creative Commons License. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Direct observations of the atmospheric processing of Asian

Abstract. The accumulation of secondary acids and ammonium on individual mineral dust particles during ACE-Asia has been measured with an online single-particle mass spectrometer, the ATOFMS. Changes in the amounts of sulphate, nitrate, and chloride mixed with dust particles correlate with air masses from different source regions. The uptake of secondary acids depended on the individual dust particle mineralogy; high amounts of nitrate accumulated on calcium-rich dust while high amounts of sulphate accumulated on aluminosilicate-rich dust. Oxidation of S(IV) to S(VI) by iron in the aluminosilicate dust is a possible explanation for this enrichment of sulphate, which has important consequences for the fertilization of remote oceans by soluble iron. This study shows the segregation of sulphate from nitrate and chloride in individual aged dust particles for th

Human Papillomavirus 16 E6 and E7 Oncoproteins Alter the Abundance of Proteins Associated with DNA Damage Response, Immune Signaling and Epidermal Differentiation

The high-risk human papillomaviruses are oncogenic viruses associated with almost all cases of cervical carcinomas, and increasing numbers of anal, and oral cancers. Two oncogenic HPV proteins, E6 and E7, are capable of immortalizing keratinocytes and are required for HPV associated cell transformation. Currently, the influence of these oncoproteins on the global regulation of the host proteome is not well defined. Liquid chromatography coupled with quantitative tandem mass spectrometry using isobaric-tagged peptides was used to investigate the effects of the HPV16 oncoproteins E6 and E7 on protein levels in human neonatal keratinocytes (HEKn). Pathway and gene ontology enrichment analyses revealed that the cells expressing the HPV oncoproteins have elevated levels of proteins related to interferon response, inflammation and DNA damage response, while the proteins related to cell organization and epithelial development are downregulated. This study identifies dysregulated pathways and potential biomarkers associated with HPV oncoproteins in primary keratinocytes which may have therapeutic implications. Most notably, DNA damage response pathways, DNA replication, and interferon signaling pathways were affected in cells transduced with HPV16 E6 and E7 lentiviruses. Moreover, proteins associated with cell organization and differentiation were significantly downregulated in keratinocytes expressing HPV16 E6 + E7. High-risk HPV E6 and E7 oncoproteins are necessary for the HPV-associated transformation of keratinocytes. However their influence on the global dysregulation of keratinocyte proteome is not well documented. Here shotgun proteomics using TMT-labeling detected over 2500 significantly dysregulated proteins associated with E6 and E7 expression. Networks of proteins related to interferon response, inflammation and DNA damage repair pathways were altered