Cultivating and Reporting of Campus Threats

The consumption of media has been established as one of the elements responsible for changing the general population’s perceptions. Specifically, cultivation theory (depending on the amount of media use) points to an enhanced representation of a characterization conveyed through the media. This depiction has the potential to create an inaccurate portrayal (stereotype) leading to an increased level of anxiety. The proliferation of reported incidents (real or perceived) associated with mass shootings in the U.S. over the last 20 years is an example. This paper traces the relatively recent coverage of mass shootings in the U.S. by the media and the side effects on the school environment. Included are factors that contribute to an increase of reports concerning violence and shootings. Followed by a discussion of components that may be responsible for this escalation and an examination of the procedures that could be put into place to handle this increase

Can early host responses to mycobacterial infection predict eventual disease outcomes?

Diagnostic tests used for Johne’s disease in sheep either have poor sensitivity and specificity or only detect disease in later stages of infection. Predicting which of the infected sheep are likely to become infectious later in life is currently not feasible and continues to be a major hindrance in disease control. We conducted this longitudinal study to investigate if a suite of diagnostic tests conducted in Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) exposed lambs at 4 months post infection can accurately predict their clinical status at 12 months post infection. We tracked cellular and humoral responses and quantity of MAP shedding for up to 12 months post challenge in 20 controls and 37 exposed sheep. Infection was defined at necropsy by tissue culture and disease spectrum by lesion type. Data were analysed using univariable and multivariable logistic regression models and a subset of variables from the earliest period post inoculation (4 months) was selected for predicting disease outcomes later on (12 months). Sensitivity and specificity of tests and their combinations in series and parallel were determined. Early elevation in faecal MAP DNA quantity and a lower interferon gamma (IFNγ) response were significantly associated with sheep becoming infectious as well as progressing to severe disease. Conversely, early low faecal MAP DNA and higher interleukin-10 responses were significantly associated with an exposed animal developing protective immunity. Combination of early elevated faecal MAP DNA or lower IFNγ response had the highest sensitivity (75%) and specificity (81%) for identifying sheep that would become infectious. Collectively, these results highlight the potential for combined test interpretation to aid in the early prediction of sheep susceptibility to MAP infection. KEYWORDS: Paratuberculosis; diagnostic tests; Mycobacterium; faecal DNA; Johne’s disease; interferon gamma.This work was supported by Meat and Livestock Australia and by Cattle Council of Australia, Sheepmeat Council of Australia and WoolProducers Australia through Animal Health Australia

Dynamics of Rubisco regulation by sugar phosphate derivatives and their phosphatases

Regulating the central CO2-fixing enzyme Rubisco is as complex as its ancient reaction mechanism and involves interaction with a series of co-factors and auxiliary proteins that activate catalytic sites and maintain activity. A key component among the regulatory mechanisms is the binding of sugar phosphate derivatives that inhibit activity. Removal of inhibitors via the action of Rubisco activase is required to restore catalytic competency. In addition, specific phosphatases dephosphorylate newly released inhibitors, rendering them incapable of binding to Rubisco catalytic sites. The best studied inhibitor is 2-carboxy-D-arabinitol 1-phosphate (CA1P), a naturally occurring nocturnal inhibitor that accumulates in most species during darkness and low light, progressively binding to Rubisco. As light increases, Rubisco activase removes CA1P from Rubisco, and the specific phosphatase CA1Pase dephosphorylates CA1P to CA, which cannot bind Rubisco. Misfire products of Rubisco’s complex reaction chemistry can also act as inhibitors. One example is xylulose-1,5-bisphosphate (XuBP), which is dephosphorylated by XuBPase. Here we revisit key findings related to sugar phosphate derivatives and their specific phosphatases, highlighting outstanding questions and how further consideration of these inhibitors and their role is important for better understanding the regulation of carbon assimilation

Possible Effects of Noncommutative Geometry on Weak CP Violation and Unitarity Triangles

Possible effects of noncommutative geometry on weak CP violation and unitarity triangles are discussed by taking account of a simple version of the momentum-dependent quark mixing matrix in the noncommutative standard model. In particular, we calculate nine rephasing invariants of CP violation and illustrate the noncommutative CP-violating effect in a couple of charged D-meson decays. We also show how inner angles of the deformed unitarity triangles are related to CP-violating asymmetries in some typical B_d and B_s transitions into CP eigenstates. B-meson factories are expected to help probe or constrain noncommutative geometry at low energies in the near future.Comment: RexTev 16 pages. Modifications made. References added. Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Candida bracarensis: Evaluation of virulence factors and its tolerance to Amphotericin B and Fluconazole

Candida bracarensis is an uncommon Candida species found during an epidemiological study of candidiasis performed in Braga, Portugal. Initially, it was identified as C. glabrata, but recently detailed analyses pointed out their differences. So, little information is still available about C. bracarensis virulence factors and antifungal susceptibilities. Therefore, the main goal of this work is to evaluate the ability of C. bracarensis to form biofilms, to produce hydrolytic enzymes (proteases, phospholipases and hemolysins), as well as its susceptibility to amphotericin B and fluconazole. It was shown, for the first time, that all C. bracarensis strains were able to form biofilms and display proteinase and hemolytic activities. Moreover, although planktonic cells presented antifungal susceptibility, amphotericin B and fluconazole were unable to inhibit biofilm formation and eradicate pre-formed biofilms. Due to the propensity of C. bracarensis to display antifungal resistance and virulence attributes, the control of these emerging pathogens is recommended.This work was supported by the projects PTDC/SAU-MIC/119069/2010, PEst-OE/EQB/LA0023/2013, from Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal and ‘‘BioHealth—Biotechnology and Bioengineering approaches to improve health quality’’, Ref. NORTE-07-0124FEDER-000027, co-funded by the Programa Operacional Regional do Norte (ON.2 – O Novo Norte), QREN, FEDER. The authors also acknowledge the project ‘‘Consolidating Research Expertise and Resources on Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology at CEB/IBB’’, Ref. FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER027462

Can early host responses to mycobacterial infection predict eventual disease outcomes?

Diagnostic tests used for Johne’s disease in sheep either have poor sensitivity and specificity or only detect disease in later stages of infection. Predicting which of the infected sheep are likely to become infectious later in life is currently not feasible and continues to be a major hindrance in disease control. We conducted this longitudinal study to investigate if a suite of diagnostic tests conducted in Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) exposed lambs at 4 months post infection can accurately predict their clinical status at 12 months post infection. We tracked cellular and humoral responses and quantity of MAP shedding for up to 12 months post challenge in 20 controls and 37 exposed sheep. Infection was defined at necropsy by tissue culture and disease spectrum by lesion type. Data were analysed using univariable and multivariable logistic regression models and a subset of variables from the earliest period post inoculation (4 months) was selected for predicting disease outcomes later on (12 months). Sensitivity and specificity of tests and their combinations in series and parallel were determined. Early elevation in faecal MAP DNA quantity and a lower interferon gamma (IFNγ) response were significantly associated with sheep becoming infectious as well as progressing to severe disease. Conversely, early low faecal MAP DNA and higher interleukin-10 responses were significantly associated with an exposed animal developing protective immunity. Combination of early elevated faecal MAP DNA or lower IFNγ response had the highest sensitivity (75%) and specificity (81%) for identifying sheep that would become infectious. Collectively, these results highlight the potential for combined test interpretation to aid in the early prediction of sheep susceptibility to MAP infection. KEYWORDS: Paratuberculosis; diagnostic tests; Mycobacterium; faecal DNA; Johne’s disease; interferon gamma.This work was supported by Meat and Livestock Australia and by Cattle Council of Australia, Sheepmeat Council of Australia and WoolProducers Australia through Animal Health Australia

Mapping the Human Memory B Cell and Serum Neutralizing Antibody Responses to Dengue Virus Serotype 4 Infection and Vaccination

ABSTRACT The four dengue virus (DENV) serotypes are mosquito-borne flaviviruses responsible for dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever. People exposed to DENV develop antibodies (Abs) that strongly neutralize the serotype responsible for infection. Historically, infection with DENV serotype 4 (DENV4) has been less common and less studied than infections with the other three serotypes. However, DENV4 has been responsible for recent large and sustained epidemics in Asia and Latin America. The neutralizing antibody responses and the epitopes targeted against DENV4 have not been characterized in human infection. In this study, we mapped and characterized epitopes on DENV4 recognized by neutralizing antibodies in people previously exposed to DENV4 infections or to a live attenuated DENV4 vaccine. To study the fine specificity of DENV4 neutralizing human antibodies, B cells from two people exposed to DENV4 were immortalized and screened to identify DENV-specific clones. Two human monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) that neutralized DENV4 were isolated, and their epitopes were finely mapped using recombinant viruses and alanine scan mutation array techniques. Both antibodies bound to quaternary structure epitopes near the hinge region between envelope protein domain I (EDI) and EDII. In parallel, to characterize the serum neutralizing antibody responses, convalescence-phase serum samples from people previously exposed to primary DENV4 natural infections or a monovalent DENV4 vaccine were analyzed. Natural infection and vaccination also induced serum-neutralizing antibodies that targeted similar epitope domains at the EDI/II hinge region. These studies defined a target of neutralizing antigenic site on DENV4 targeted by human antibodies following natural infection or vaccination. IMPORTANCE The four serotypes of dengue virus are the causative agents of dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever. People exposed to primary DENV infections develop long-term neutralizing antibody responses, but these principally recognize only the infecting serotype. An effective vaccine against dengue should elicit long-lasting protective antibody responses to all four serotypes simultaneously. We and others have defined antigenic sites on the envelope (E) protein of viruses of dengue virus serotypes 1, 2, and 3 targeted by human neutralizing antibodies. The epitopes on DENV4 E protein targeted by the human neutralizing antibodies and the mechanisms of serotype 4 neutralization are poorly understood. Here, we report the properties of human antibodies that neutralize dengue virus serotype 4. People exposed to serotype 4 infections or a live attenuated serotype 4 vaccine developed neutralizing antibodies that bound to similar sites on the viral E protein. These studies have provided a foundation for developing and evaluating DENV4 vaccines