Amphibian mast cells serve as barriers to chytrid fungus infections.

Global amphibian declines are compounded by deadly disease outbreaks caused by the chytrid fungus, (). Much has been learned about the roles of amphibian skin-produced antimicrobial components and microbiomes in controlling , yet almost nothing is known about the roles of skin-resident immune cells in anti- defenses. Mammalian mast cells reside within and serve as key immune sentinels in barrier tissues like skin.

Recombinant SpTransformer proteins are functionally diverse for binding and phagocytosis by three subtypes of sea urchin phagocytes.

Introduction: The California purple sea urchin, , relies solely on an innate immune system to combat the many pathogens in the marine environment. One aspect of their molecular defenses is the () gene family that is upregulated in response to immune challenge. The gene sequences are highly variable both within and among animals and likely encode thousands of SpTrf isoforms within the sea urchin population.

Risk factors for the development of severe or very severe respiratory syncytial virus-related lower respiratory tract infection in Indian infants: A cohort study in Melghat, India.

Objectives: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is undoubtedly the single most important cause of severe lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) globally. While new prevention measures in young infants have become available, their use in developing countries is likely many years away. While risk factors for severe or very severe RSV LRTI in impoverished rural areas likely differ to urban areas, there are very few studies, especially those conducted in India, the major country contributing to the global burden of disease.

Spotting disease disrupts the microbiome of infected purple sea urchins, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus.

Background: Spotting disease infects a variety of sea urchin species across many different marine locations. The disease is characterized by discrete lesions on the body surface composed of discolored necrotic tissue that cause the loss of all surface appendages within the lesioned area. A similar, but separate disease of sea urchins called bald sea urchin disease (BSUD) has overlapping symptoms with spotting disease, resulting in confusions in distinguishing the two diseases.

Bald sea urchin disease shifts the surface microbiome on purple sea urchins in an aquarium.

Bald sea urchin disease (BSUD) is most likely a bacterial infection that occurs in a wide range of sea urchin species and causes the loss of surface appendages. The disease has a variety of additional symptoms, which may be the result of the many bacteria that are associated with BSUD. Previous studies have investigated causative agents of BSUD, however, there are few reports on the surface microbiome associated with the infection.

An atypical presentation of giant cell arteritis: Fatigable signs to anterior ischemic optic neuropathy and choroidal infarction.

Key Clinical Message: Prompt diagnosis and treatment of GCA are crucial to preserve vision. Because of this, new-onset ptosis or diplopia in elderly patients should warrant consideration of GCA, even in the absence of "classic" features, systemic symptoms or elevated inflammatory markers.

Abstract: Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a vision-threatening, ophthalmic emergency that classically presents with new-onset headaches, scalp tenderness, systemic symptoms, visual disturbances, and elevated inflammatory markers.

Sarcopenia Definition Outcome Consortium - defined Weakness and Risk of Falls: The National Health and Aging Trends Survey.

Aim: The prevalence of obesity continues to rise, as does that of weakness. However, it is unclear how this impacts the risk of falling. We aimed to ascertain the risk of falls using new definitions of clinically defined weakness.

Sampling of structure and sequence space of small protein folds.

Nature only samples a small fraction of the sequence space that can fold into stable proteins. Furthermore, small structural variations in a single fold, sometimes only a few amino acids, can define a protein's molecular function. Hence, to design proteins with novel functionalities, such as molecular recognition, methods to control and sample shape diversity are necessary.

Inhibition of a malaria host-pathogen interaction by a computationally designed inhibitor.

Malaria is a substantial global health burden with 229 million cases in 2019 and 450,000 deaths annually. Plasmodium vivax is the most widespread malaria-causing parasite putting 2.5 billion people at risk of infection.

The echinoid complement system inferred from genome sequence searches.

The vertebrate complement cascade is an essential host protection system that functions at the intersection of adaptive and innate immunity. However, it was originally assumed that complement was present only in vertebrates because it was activated by antibodies and functioned with adaptive immunity. Subsequently, the identification of the key component, SpC3, in sea urchins plus a wide range of other invertebrates significantly expanded the concepts of how complement functions.

Elevated serum IgA following vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 in a cohort of high-risk first responders.

IgA plays an important early neutralizing role after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Systemically administered vaccines typically produce an IgM/IgG predominant response. We evaluated the serum anti-spike (anti-S) IgG, anti-nucleocapsid (anti-N) IgG and anti-S IgA response following vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 in a cohort of first-responders.

Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgA Identifies Asymptomatic Infection in First Responders.

Background: Immunoglobulin A (IgA) is an important component of the early immune response to SARS-CoV-2. Prior serosurveys in high-risk groups employing IgG testing alone have provided discordant estimates. The potential added benefit of IgA in serosurveys has not been established.

Mortality From Respiratory Syncytial Virus in Children Under 2 Years of Age: A Prospective Community Cohort Study in Rural Maharashtra, India.

Background: Although respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most important viral cause of lower respiratory tract infection deaths in infants, there are few data on infant community deaths caused by RSV.

Methods: This was an active surveillance of children younger than 2 years of age in 93 villages, 5 primary health centers, and 3 hospitals serving these villages. Village health workers and counselors at the health facilities monitored all lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in consented subjects.

The Burden of Respiratory Syncytial Virus in Children Under 2 Years of Age in a Rural Community in Maharashtra, India.

Background: Globally, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common cause of acute lower tract infection (LRTI) in children younger than 2 years of age, but there are scant population-based studies on the burden of RSV illness in rural communities and no community studies in preterm infants.

Methods: Active surveillance of LRTI was performed in the community and hospital setting for the population of 93 tribal villages in Melghat, Central India, over 4 respiratory seasons. A nasopharyngeal swab was obtained from cases presenting as a severe LRTI for molecular analysis of respiratory pathogens including RSVA and B.

Community health worker interventions for older adults with complex health needs: A systematic review.

Background/objectives: The number of older adults with complex health needs is growing, and this population experiences disproportionate morbidity and mortality. Interventions led by community health workers (CHWs) can improve clinical outcomes in the general adult population with multimorbidity, but few studies have investigated CHW-delivered interventions in older adults.

Design: We systematically reviewed the impact of CHW interventions on health outcomes among older adults with complex health needs.

Risk Factors for Respiratory Syncytial Virus Lower Respiratory Tract Infections: Evidence from an Indonesian Cohort.

Although risk factors for hospitalization from a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are well known, RSV lower respiratory tract infections (LRIs) in the community are much less studied or understood, especially in developing countries. In a prospective, cohort study we studied factors predisposing Indonesian infants and children under 5 years of age to developing RSV LRIs. Subjects were enrolled in two cohorts: a birth cohort and a cross-sectional cohort of children <48 months of age.

Modified STEADI Fall Risk Categories Predict Incident Cognitive Impairment.

Background/objectives: It is unknown whether older adults at high risk of falls but without cognitive impairment have higher rates of subsequent cognitive impairment.

Design: This was an analysis of cross-sectional and longitudinal data from National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS).

Setting: NHATS, secondary analysis of data from 2011 to 2019.

Reported Weight Change in Older Adults and Presence of Frailty.

Objective: A 5% change in weight is a significant predictor for frailty and obesity. We ascertained how self-reported weight change over the lifespan impacts rates of frailty in older adults.

Methods: We identified 4,984 subjects ≥60 years with body composition measures from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Weight change and risk of the foundation of National Institute of Health Sarcopenia-defined low lean mass: Data from the National Health and Nutrition examination surveys 1999-2004.

Background: Self-reported weight change may lead to adverse outcomes. We evaluated weight change with cutpoints of low lean mass (LLM) in older adults.

Methods: Of 4984 subjects ≥60 years from NHANES 1999-2004, we applied LLM cutoffs of appendicular lean mass (ALM):body mass index (BMI) males<0.

Association of Obesity and Frailty in Older Adults: NHANES 1999-2004.

Objectives: Body composition changes with aging can increase rates of obesity, frailty and impact function. Measuring adiposity using body fat (%BF) or central adiposity using waist circumference (WC) have greater diagnostic accuracy than traditional measures such as body mass index (BMI).

Design: This is an observational study.

Visual acuity after cataract surgery in patients with optic neuropathies.

Purpose: To compare visual acuity outcomes of cataract surgery between patients with and without non-glaucomatous optic neuropathies.

Methods: Retrospective case-control study of patients with and without optic neuropathies who underwent cataract surgery from 2010 to 2017. For all eyes, the last preoperative best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and first BCVA greater than 1 month postoperatively (to ensure sustained refractive stabilization) were recorded in logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) units.

A checklist for clinical trials in rare disease: obstacles and anticipatory actions-lessons learned from the FOR-DMD trial.

Background: Trials in rare diseases have many challenges, among which are the need to set up multiple sites in different countries to achieve recruitment targets and the divergent landscape of clinical trial regulations in those countries. Over the past years, there have been initiatives to facilitate the process of international study set-up, but the fruits of these deliberations require time to be operationally in place. FOR-DMD (Finding the Optimum Steroid Regimen for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy) is an academic-led clinical trial which aims to find the optimum steroid regimen for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for 5 years (July 2010 to June 2015), anticipating that all sites (40 across the USA, Canada, the UK, Germany and Italy) would be open to recruitment from July 2011.

Frailty Versus Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths and Injuries Initiative Fall Risk Score: Ability to Predict Future Falls.

Objectives: To compare the ability of frailty status to predict fall risk with that of community fall risk screening tools.

Design: Analysis of cross-sectional and longitudinal data from NHATS.

Setting: National Health and Aging Trend Study (NHATS) 2011-2015.