Freshwater monitoring by nanopore sequencing.

While traditional microbiological freshwater tests focus on the detection of specific bacterial indicator species, including pathogens, direct tracing of all aquatic DNA through metagenomics poses a profound alternative. Yet, in situ metagenomic water surveys face substantial challenges in cost and logistics. Here, we present a simple, fast, cost-effective and remotely accessible freshwater diagnostics workflow centred around the portable nanopore sequencing technology. Using defined compositions and spatiotemporal microbiota from surface water of an example river in Cambridge (UK), we provide optimised experimental and bioinformatics guidelines, including a benchmark with twelve taxonomic classification tools for nanopore sequences. We find that nanopore metagenomics can depict the hydrological core microbiome and fine temporal gradients in line with complementary physicochemical measurements. In a public health context, these data feature relevant sewage signals and pathogen maps at species level resolution. We anticipate that this framework will gather momentum for new environmental monitoring initiatives using portable devices

Freshwater monitoring by nanopore sequencing

Many water-dwelling bacteria can cause severe diseases such as cholera, typhoid or leptospirosis. One way to prevent outbreaks is to test water sources to find out which species of microbes they contain, and at which levels. Traditionally, this involves taking a water sample, followed by growing a few species of ‘indicator bacteria’ that help to estimate whether the water is safe. An alternative technique, called metagenomics, has been available since the mid-2000s. It consists in reviewing (or ‘sequencing’) the genetic information of most of the bacteria present in the water, which allows scientists to spot harmful species. Both methods, however, require well-equipped laboratories with highly trained staff, making them challenging to use in remote areas. The MinION is a pocket-sized device that – when paired with a laptop or mobile phone – can sequence genetic information ‘on the go’. It has already been harnessed during Ebola, Zika or SARS-CoV-2 epidemics to track the genetic information of viruses in patients and environmental samples. However, it is still difficult to use the MinION and other sequencers to monitor bacteria in water sources, partly because the genetic information of the microbes is highly fragmented during DNA extraction. To address this challenge, Urban, Holzer et al. set out to optimise hardware and software protocols so the MinION could be used to detect bacterial species present in rivers. The tests focussed on the River Cam in Cambridge, UK, a waterway which faces regular public health problems: local rowers and swimmers often contract waterborne infections, sometimes leading to river closures. For six months, Urban, Holzer et al. used the MinION to map out the bacteria present across nine river sites, assessing the diversity of species and the presence of disease-causing microbes in the water. In particular, the results showed that optimising the protocols made it possible to tell the difference between closely related species – an important feature since harmful and inoffensive bacteria can sometimes be genetically close. The data also revealed that the levels of harmful bacteria were highest downstream of urban river sections, near a water treatment plant and river barge moorings. Together, these findings demonstrate that optimising MinION protocols can turn this device into a useful tool to easily monitor water quality. Around the world, climate change, rising urbanisation and the intensification of agriculture all threaten water quality. In fact, access to clean water is one of the United Nations sustainable development goals for 2030. Using the guidelines developed by Urban, Holzer et al., communities could harness the MinION to monitor water quality in remote areas, offering a cost-effective, portable DNA analysis tool to protect populations against deadly diseases

Motor, cognitive and mobility deficits in 1000 geriatric patients : protocol of a quantitative observational study before and after routine clinical geriatric treatment – the ComOn-study

© The Author(s). 2020 Open Access. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.Background: Motor and cognitive deficits and consequently mobility problems are common in geriatric patients. The currently available methods for diagnosis and for the evaluation of treatment in this vulnerable cohort are limited. The aims of the ComOn (COgnitive and Motor interactions in the Older populatioN) study are (i) to define quantitative markers with clinical relevance for motor and cognitive deficits, (ii) to investigate the interaction between both motor and cognitive deficits and (iii) to assess health status as well as treatment outcome of 1000 geriatric inpatients in hospitals of Kiel (Germany), Brescia (Italy), Porto (Portugal), Curitiba (Brazil) and Bochum (Germany). Methods: This is a prospective, explorative observational multi-center study. In addition to the comprehensive geriatric assessment, quantitative measures of reduced mobility and motor and cognitive deficits are performed before and after a two week's inpatient stay. Components of the assessment are mobile technology-based assessments of gait, balance and transfer performance, neuropsychological tests, frailty, sarcopenia, autonomic dysfunction and sensation, and questionnaires to assess behavioral deficits, activities of daily living, quality of life, fear of falling and dysphagia. Structural MRI and an unsupervised 24/7 home assessment of mobility are performed in a subgroup of participants. The study will also investigate the minimal clinically relevant change of the investigated parameters. Discussion: This study will help form a better understanding of symptoms and their complex interactions and treatment effects in a large geriatric cohort.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The psychological science accelerator’s COVID-19 rapid-response dataset

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Psychological Science Accelerator coordinated three large-scale psychological studies to examine the effects of loss-gain framing, cognitive reappraisals, and autonomy framing manipulations on behavioral intentions and affective measures. The data collected (April to October 2020) included specific measures for each experimental study, a general questionnaire examining health prevention behaviors and COVID-19 experience, geographical and cultural context characterization, and demographic information for each participant. Each participant started the study with the same general questions and then was randomized to complete either one longer experiment or two shorter experiments. Data were provided by 73,223 participants with varying completion rates. Participants completed the survey from 111 geopolitical regions in 44 unique languages/dialects. The anonymized dataset described here is provided in both raw and processed formats to facilitate re-use and further analyses. The dataset offers secondary analytic opportunities to explore coping, framing, and self-determination across a diverse, global sample obtained at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which can be merged with other time-sampled or geographic data

In COVID-19 Health Messaging, Loss Framing Increases Anxiety with Little-to-No Concomitant Benefits: Experimental Evidence from 84 Countries

The COVID-19 pandemic (and its aftermath) highlights a critical need to communicate health information effectively to the global public. Given that subtle differences in information framing can have meaningful effects on behavior, behavioral science research highlights a pressing question: Is it more effective to frame COVID-19 health messages in terms of potential losses (e.g., "If you do not practice these steps, you can endanger yourself and others") or potential gains (e.g., "If you practice these steps, you can protect yourself and others")? Collecting data in 48 languages from 15,929 participants in 84 countries, we experimentally tested the effects of message framing on COVID-19-related judgments, intentions, and feelings. Loss- (vs. gain-) framed messages increased self-reported anxiety among participants cross-nationally with little-to-no impact on policy attitudes, behavioral intentions, or information seeking relevant to pandemic risks. These results were consistent across 84 countries, three variations of the message framing wording, and 560 data processing and analytic choices. Thus, results provide an empirical answer to a global communication question and highlight the emotional toll of loss-framed messages. Critically, this work demonstrates the importance of considering unintended affective consequences when evaluating nudge-style interventions