Variable trust in public health messaging during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Southeast Alaska

Public health messaging in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic has been variable in effectiveness. Different levels of governmental institutions have different goals and methods; it is unclear how messaging from these disparate levels is received, trusted, and implemented. We investigate the degrees of trust of Alaska Native and non-Alaska Native people in Southeast Alaska for the U.S. federal, Alaska state, and local Southeast Alaskan governments to parse how Southeast Alaskans feel about relative preparation, actions, and public health messaging. We use data collected in two waves of a regional survey: the first in April-June 2020, and the second in November 2020-February 2021. Results indicate that trust in the federal government was significantly lower than in the Alaska state government for each time period, and trust in both federal and state government significantly decreased between the two periods. Trust in the local governments of Southeast Alaska were significantly higher than both state and federal levels, and increased between the two survey waves, albeit insignificantly. We discuss potential drivers of these observations and outline how this can be leveraged for more comprehensive research into how relatively small communities with a large Native presence perceive public health messaging from different sources

Gγ1, a Downstream Target for the hmgcr-Isoprenoid Biosynthetic Pathway, Is Required for Releasing the Hedgehog Ligand and Directing Germ Cell Migration

The isoprenoid biosynthetic pathway leading from the production of mevalonate by HMGCoA reductase (Hmgcr) to the geranylation of the G protein subunit, Gγ1, plays an important role in cardiac development in the fly. Hmgcr has also been implicated in the release of the signaling molecule Hedgehog (Hh) from hh expressing cells and in the production of an attractant that directs primordial germ cells to migrate to the somatic gonadal precursor cells (SGPs). The studies reported here indicate that this same hmgcr→Gγ1 pathway provides a novel post-translational mechanism for modulating the range and activity of the Hh signal produced by hh expressing cells. We show that, like hmgcr, gγ1 and quemao (which encodes the enzyme, geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthetase, that produces the substrate for geranylation of Gγ1) are components of the hh signaling pathway and are required for the efficient release of the Hh ligand from hh expressing cells. We also show that the hmgcr→Gγ1 pathway is linked to production of the germ cell attractant by the SGPs through its ability to enhance the potency of the Hh signal. We show that germ cell migration is disrupted by the loss or gain of gγ1 activity, by trans-heterozygous combinations between gγ1 and either hmgcr or hh mutations, and by ectopic expression of dominant negative Gγ1 proteins that cannot be geranylated

Zinc homeostasis and signaling in health and diseases: Zinc signaling

The essential trace element zinc (Zn) is widely required in cellular functions, and abnormal Zn homeostasis causes a variety of health problems that include growth retardation, immunodeficiency, hypogonadism, and neuronal and sensory dysfunctions. Zn homeostasis is regulated through Zn transporters, permeable channels, and metallothioneins. Recent studies highlight Zn’s dynamic activity and its role as a signaling mediator. Zn acts as an intracellular signaling molecule, capable of communicating between cells, converting extracellular stimuli to intracellular signals, and controlling intracellular events. We have proposed that intracellular Zn signaling falls into two classes, early and late Zn signaling. This review addresses recent findings regarding Zn signaling and its role in physiological processes and pathogenesis

AI is a viable alternative to high throughput screening: a 318-target study

: High throughput screening (HTS) is routinely used to identify bioactive small molecules. This requires physical compounds, which limits coverage of accessible chemical space. Computational approaches combined with vast on-demand chemical libraries can access far greater chemical space, provided that the predictive accuracy is sufficient to identify useful molecules. Through the largest and most diverse virtual HTS campaign reported to date, comprising 318 individual projects, we demonstrate that our AtomNet® convolutional neural network successfully finds novel hits across every major therapeutic area and protein class. We address historical limitations of computational screening by demonstrating success for target proteins without known binders, high-quality X-ray crystal structures, or manual cherry-picking of compounds. We show that the molecules selected by the AtomNet® model are novel drug-like scaffolds rather than minor modifications to known bioactive compounds. Our empirical results suggest that computational methods can substantially replace HTS as the first step of small-molecule drug discovery

Indigenous groups and pandemics

In addition to posing a major threat to global health, pandemics impact economic activity, as witnessed during the spread of COVID-19 around the globe. The disease risks, however, are not uniform for major pandemic threats. For example, risk groups for severe disease during seasonal epidemic influenza, the influenza pandemics of 1918 and 2009, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic are different. The 1918 and 2009 influenza pandemics largely killed young adults, while the COVID-19 pandemic has primarily killed the elderly. Indeed, age is the strongest risk factor for severe outcomes of COVID-19. Within age groups, however, persons with underlying medical risk factors, people of lower socioeconomic status, immigrants, ethnic minorities, and Indigenous peoples are at higher risk of infection, hospitalization, and death across these pandemics and epidemics, demonstrating a need for intersectional analyses and preparedness responses

Research at the North Central Branch (Vickery, Erie County) [1966]

Long-term soil and crop management study / D. M. Van Doren, Jr. and G. B. Triplett, Jr. -- Date of planting for corn / J. B. Jones, Jr. -- Nitrogen for continuous corn / H. J. Mederski -- Effect of cultural factors on stalk rot of corn / L. E. Williams and J. B. Jones, Jr. -- Wheat variety test in drilled plots / H. N. Lafever -- Strains and varieties of soybeans / P. E. Smith -- Alfalfa variety test / G. R. Gist -- Effect of cultural factors on alfalfa root rots / A. F. Schmitthenner -- Preplant tillage and post-emergence cultivation for sugar beets / H. J. Mederski -- Facts about the North Central Branch -- Daily and weekly weather observations / J. B. Jones and L. T. Pierce -- Tile-surface drainage experiment / G. O. Schwab, G. S. Taylor, J. L. Fouss and J. R. Hoover -- Plastic tube drainage experiment / J. L. Fouss and G. O. Schwab -- Surface irrigation / R. B. Curry -- Herbicides for corn / E. W. Stroube -- Spring oat variety test / D. A. Ray -- Herbicides for soybeans / E. W. Stroube -- Soybean fertilizer-variety-root rot study / A. F. Schmitthenner -- Alfalfa management studies / J. L. Parsons and R. W. Van Keuren -- Herbicides for sugar beets / E. W. Stroube -- The nature, extent, and the status of current research on bird depredations in crops / M. L. Giltz -- Calf nutrition studies / J. W. Hibbs and H. R. Conrad -- Some effects of environment and inheritance on milk composition / L. O. Gilmore and N. S. Fechheime

Preface, Neo-Liberalism and the Architecture of the Post-Professional Era

Architecture is an integral part of human activities and affects everyday experiences and actions. Today architects must face and respond to the challenge of creating built environments that support, nurture, enrich, and celebrate human activities. The creation of cities, towns, and buildings has always been the result of a combination of cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors and needs. New demands require architects to take pro-active responsibility for these factors, and promote designs that support a responsive environment. In addition, social and ethical approaches to the profession, which are amenable to invigorate such a responsibility, need to be considered and acted upon. In response to the continuous transformations of the profession and the changing role of the architect three concepts have emerged in the last three decades: these are programming or pre-designing, post-occupancy evaluation-POE or building performance evaluation-BPE, and community design or user participation (Salama, 2015). Due to client/user dissatisfaction with the built environment and the continuous lack of public awareness of what architects do and how they do it, these concepts must continue to evolve in a responsible manner. While they have not long been part of architectural professional practice, they are now seen as a valid and important part of practice and research in architecture, although not, in practice, fully integrated as a triad. They must be viewed as the basis for social and ethical approaches to architecture since they are characterised by generic qualities that cover a wide range of factors architects must respond to in their practices. Such qualities include the following: • Identifying human and social needs within the context of the environment in which socio-behavioural, geo-cultural, climatic, political, and economic aspects are employed. • Evaluating the built environment toward making appropriate adaptations and adjustments. • Involving people affected by the built environment in the process of decision-making