Efficacy of a student-led community contact tracing program partnered with an academic medical center during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

Purpose: Contact tracing has proven successful at controlling coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) globally, and the Center for Health Security has recommended that the United States add 100,000 contact tracers to the current workforce.

Methods: To address gaps in local contact tracing, health professional students partnered with their academic institution to conduct contact tracing for all COVID-19 cases diagnosed onsite, which included identifying and reaching their contacts, educating participants, and providing social resources to support effective quarantine and isolation.

Results: From March 24 to May 28, 536 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases were contacted and reported an average of 2.

COVID-19 and Hematology-What Do We Know So Far?

The severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID 19), was reported to the World Health Organization in late 2019. This disease quickly evolved into a public health concern and was declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020. COVID-19's high transmission rate and potential to cause a spectrum of systemic diseases makes it imperative for researchers and clinicians worldwide to collaborate and develop a strategy to manage and contain this disease.

Kinetochore proteins suppress neuronal microtubule dynamics and promote dendrite regeneration.

Kinetochores connect centromeric chromatin to spindle microtubules during mitosis. Neurons are postmitotic, so it was surprising to identify transcripts of structural kinetochore (KT) proteins and regulatory chromosome passenger complex (CPC) and spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) proteins in neurons after dendrite injury. To test whether these proteins function during dendrite regeneration, postmitotic RNA interference (RNAi) was performed and dendrites or axons were removed using laser microsurgery.

The receptor tyrosine kinase Ror is required for dendrite regeneration in Drosophila neurons.

While many regulators of axon regeneration have been identified, very little is known about mechanisms that allow dendrites to regenerate after injury. Using a Drosophila model of dendrite regeneration, we performed a candidate screen of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) and found a requirement for RTK-like orphan receptor (Ror). We confirmed that Ror was required for regeneration in two different neuron types using RNA interference (RNAi) and mutants.

Endosomal Wnt signaling proteins control microtubule nucleation in dendrites.

Dendrite microtubules are polarized with minus-end-out orientation in Drosophila neurons. Nucleation sites concentrate at dendrite branch points, but how they localize is not known. Using Drosophila, we found that canonical Wnt signaling proteins regulate localization of the core nucleation protein γTubulin (γTub).

Degeneration of Injured Axons and Dendrites Requires Restraint of a Protective JNK Signaling Pathway by the Transmembrane Protein Raw.

The degeneration of injured axons involves a self-destruction pathway whose components and mechanism are not fully understood. Here, we report a new regulator of axonal resilience. The transmembrane protein Raw is cell autonomously required for the degeneration of injured axons, dendrites, and synapses in In both male and female hypomorphic mutant or knock-down larvae, the degeneration of injured axons, dendrites, and synapses from motoneurons and sensory neurons is strongly inhibited.

Regulation of mRNA Translation Is a Novel Mechanism for Phthalate Toxicity.

Phthalates are a group of plasticizers that are widely used in many consumer products and medical devices, thus generating a huge burden to human health. Phthalates have been known to cause a number of developmental and reproductive disorders functioning as endocrine modulators. They are also involved in carcinogenesis with mechanisms less understood.

Mitochondria and Caspases Tune Nmnat-Mediated Stabilization to Promote Axon Regeneration.

Axon injury can lead to several cell survival responses including increased stability and axon regeneration. Using an accessible Drosophila model system, we investigated the regulation of injury responses and their relationship. Axon injury stabilizes the rest of the cell, including the entire dendrite arbor.

Thrombospondin peptide ABT-898 inhibits inflammation and angiogenesis in a colitis model.

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of the improved thrombospondin mimetic peptide ABT-898 in a murine model of ulcerative colitis.

Methods: The dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) was used for the induction of colitis in both TSP-1 deficient (TSP-1(-/-)) and wild type (WT) mice during 7 d. While mice were receiving the DSS dissolved in the drinking water, the ABT-898 peptide was dissolved in sterile 5% glucose solution and delivered using mini pumps subcutaneously implanted.