Mapping of transcription termination within the S segment of SFTS phlebovirus facilitated the generation of NSs-deletant viruses

SFTS phlebovirus (severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus; SFTSV) is an emerging tick-borne bunyavirus that was first reported in China in 2009. Here we report the generation of a recombinant SFTSV (rHB29NSsKO) that cannot express the viral non-structural protein (NSs) upon infection of cells in culture. We show that rHB29NSsKO replication kinetics are greater in interferon (IFN)-incompetent cells and that the virus is unable to suppress IFN induced in response to viral replication. The data confirm for the first time in the context of virus infection that NSs acts as a virally encoded IFN antagonist and that NSs is dispensable for virus replication. Using 3’ RACE we mapped the 3’ -end of the N and NSs mRNAs, showing that the mRNAs terminate within the coding region of the opposite open reading frame. We show that the 3’ end of the N mRNA terminates upstream of a 5’ -GCCAGCC-3’ motif present in the viral genomic RNA. With this knowledge, and using virus-like particles, we could demonstrate that the last 36 nt of the NSs ORF were needed to ensure the efficient termination of the N mRNA and were required for recombinant virus rescue. We demonstrate it is possible to recover viruses lacking NSs, expressing just a 12 amino acid NSs peptide or viruses encoding eGFP or a NSs-eGFP fusion protein in the NSs locus. This opens the possibility for further studies of NSs and potentially the design of attenuated viruses for vaccination studies

Social Semantics: The Organisation and Grounding of Abstract Concepts

Abstract concepts, like justice and friendship, are a central feature of our daily lives. Traditionally, abstract concepts are distinguished from other concepts in that they cannot be directly experienced through the senses. As such, they pose a challenge for strongly embodied models of semantic representation that assume a central role for sensorimotor information. There is growing recognition, however, that it is possible for meaning to be ‘grounded’ via cognitive systems, including those involved in processing language and emotion. In this article, we focus on the specific proposal that social significance is a key feature in the representation of some concepts. We begin by reviewing recent evidence in favour of this proposal from the fields of psycholinguistics and neuroimaging. We then discuss the limited extent to which there is consensus about the definition of ‘socialness’ and propose essential next steps for research in this domain. Taking one such step, we describe preliminary data from an unprecedented large-scale rating study that can help determine how socialness is distinct from other facets of word meaning. We provide a backdrop of contemporary theories regarding semantic representation and social cognition and highlight important predictions for both brain and behaviour

Quantifying Social Semantics: An Inclusive Definition of Socialness and Ratings for 8,388 English Words

It has been proposed that social experience plays an important role in the grounding of concepts, and socialness has been proffered as a fundamental organisational principle underpinning semantic representation in the human brain. However, the empirical support for these hypotheses is limited by inconsistencies in the way socialness has been defined and measured. To further advance theory, the field must establish a clearer working definition, and research efforts could be facilitated by the availability of an extensive set of socialness ratings for individual concepts. Therefore, in the current work we employed a novel and inclusive definition to test the extent to which socialness is reliably perceived as a broad construct, and we report socialness norms for over 8,000 English words, including nouns, verbs and adjectives. Our inclusive socialness measure shows good reliability and validity, and our analyses suggest that the socialness ratings capture aspects of word meaning which are distinct to those measured by other pertinent semantic constructs, including concreteness and emotional valence. Finally, in a series of regression analyses, we show for the first time that the socialness of a word's meaning explains unique variance in participant performance on lexical tasks. Our dataset of socialness norms has considerable item overlap with those used both in other lexical/semantic norms and in available behavioural mega-studies. They can help target testable predictions about brain and behaviour derived from multiple representation theories and neurobiological accounts of social semantics

Guidelines for the Integration of Large Language Models in Developing and Refining Interview Protocols

Rapid advancements in generative artificial intelligence (AI), specifically large language models (LLMs), offer unprecedented opportunities and challenges for qualitative researchers. This paper presents comprehensive guidelines for the ethical and effective use of LLMs in the development and refinement of interview protocols. Through a multidisciplinary lens, this paper explores potential pitfalls, ethical considerations, and best practices to ensure the responsible integration of LLMs in the research process. The guidelines proposed serve not only as a methodological roadmap for researchers but also as a catalyst for dialogue on the ethical dimensions of LLMs in qualitative research. Furthermore, the authors describe and share a web-based application developed to guide users through the stages of the protocol. Ultimately, the paper calls for a collective, informed approach to harness the capabilities of LLMs while upholding the integrity and ethical standards of scholarly research

Lived Experiences of Diversity Visa Lottery Immigrants in the United States

Every year approximately 50,000 people immigrate to the United States through the avenue referred to as the Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery. In this article, the authors present a literature review of immigration to the U.S. through the DV Lottery, reflect on their own immigration histories, and utilize phenomenology to investigate and describe participant feelings, expectations, and experiences as DV Lottery immigrants. Participants experienced mixed feelings, including high expectations prior to and difficulties after immigrating to the U.S. Findings presented include (a) life experienced in the U.S.; (b) access to learning and training opportunities; and (c) recommended support future DV Lottery immigrants

The Grizzly, March 4, 1988

Pot of Gold at End of Goal • Variety of Plans Announced by Board • Class of 1988 Works Toward Graduation • Letters: Trashed Campus Disgusts Zimmer; Jamison Brings Stew to Boil; Student Steamed at Noise; Shooting STAR Sends Sparks • Matters Grab Sixth Place Finish • Men Swim to an Impressive Finish • \u27Mer Chicks End on Upbeat Note • Women\u27s Lacrosse Takes Aim at Regaining National Title • Gymnasts ECAC Bound • German Wrestlers to Visit Ursinus College in Tourhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1207/thumbnail.jp

The Grizzly, April 22, 1988

Is There \u27Lite\u27 at the End of the Tunnel? • Speaker Remembers Holocaust • Ursinus Women Catch \u27Creeps\u27 • Letter: Policy Needs Student Input • Middle East Conflict Discussed • Athletic Banquet • Much Ado: An Uproarious Must See • Students Present Papers • Men\u27s Tennis Serves Notice That They\u27re a Team to Reckon With • Tittlemayer Leads UC Baseball in their Pitch for the Playoffs • West Chester Win Puts UC Lax Back on Track • The Grizzly\u27s Senior Spotlight Salutes Caffrey • Track Grabs Big Win • UCC Heritage Day • Scholars Chosenhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1212/thumbnail.jp

The Grizzly, May 11, 1988

Valedictorian Ritter Evaluates UC • Saluting the Salutatorian • Degrees to be Conferred • Those Ursinus Memories You\u27ll Never Forget: No Matter How Hard you Try • Seniors Most Valuable at Sports Banquet • Retiring Jones\u27 Tones All his Own • Professor Meyer Retireshttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1214/thumbnail.jp

Differential Antagonism of Human Innate Immune Responses by Tick-Borne Phlebovirus Nonstructural Proteins

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Enteropathogen antibody dynamics and force of infection among children in low-resource settings.

Little is known about enteropathogen seroepidemiology among children in low-resource settings. We measured serological IgG responses to eight enteropathogens (Giardia intestinalis, Cryptosporidium parvum, Entamoeba histolytica, Salmonella enterica, enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, Vibrio cholerae, Campylobacter jejuni, norovirus) in cohorts from Haiti, Kenya, and Tanzania. We studied antibody dynamics and force of infection across pathogens and cohorts. Enteropathogens shared common seroepidemiologic features that enabled between-pathogen comparisons of transmission. Overall, exposure was intense: for most pathogens the window of primary infection was <3 years old; for highest transmission pathogens primary infection occurred within the first year. Longitudinal profiles demonstrated significant IgG boosting and waning above seropositivity cutoffs, underscoring the value of longitudinal designs to estimate force of infection. Seroprevalence and force of infection were rank-preserving across pathogens, illustrating the measures provide similar information about transmission heterogeneity. Our findings suggest antibody response can be used to measure population-level transmission of diverse enteropathogens in serologic surveillance