Candidate historical events for the emergence of Human Coronavirus OC43: A critical reassessment of the molecular evidence.

The "Russian Influenza"-coronavirus theory (RICT) proposes that the pandemic of 1889-1892, conventionally regarded as an influenza pandemic, was caused by the emergence of human coronavirus OC43 (HCoV-OC43) as a zoonosis of bovine coronavirus (BCoV). RICT is based on a Bayesian phylogenetic calculation of the date of the most recent common ancestor (MRCA) of HCoV-OC43 and BCoV. The theory also draws on comparison of both symptoms and some epidemiological parameters of the best studied coronavirus pandemic, i.

Chromosome-Scale Assembly of the Complete Genome Sequence of Leishmania (Mundinia) procaviensis Isolate 253, Strain LV425.

Leishmania (Mundinia) procaviensis is a parasitic kinetoplastid that was first isolated from a rock hyrax in Namibia in 1975. We present the complete genome sequence of Leishmania (Mundinia) procaviensis isolate 253, strain LV425, sequenced using combined short- and long-read technologies. This genome will contribute to our understanding of hyraxes as a reservoir.

Insecticide-impregnated netting: A surface treatment for killing (Diptera: Psychodidae), the vector of .

The sand fly is the main vector of in Brazil. Synthetic male-produced sex/aggregation pheromone co-located with micro-encapsulated λ-cyhalothrin in chicken sheds can significantly reduce canine infection and sand fly densities in a lure-and-kill strategy. In this study, we determined if insecticide-impregnated netting (IN) could replace insecticide residual spraying (IRS).

ICTV Virus Taxonomy Profile: 2021.

Members of the family have enveloped, spherical virions with characteristic complex structures consisting of symmetrical and non-symmetrical components. The linear, double-stranded DNA genomes of 125-241 kbp contain 70-170 genes, of which 43 have been inherited from an ancestral herpesvirus. In general, herpesviruses have coevolved with and are highly adapted to their hosts, which comprise many mammalian, avian and reptilian species.

Chromosome-Scale Assembly of the Complete Genome Sequence of Porcisia hertigi, Isolate C119, Strain LV43.

Porcisia hertigi is a parasitic kinetoplastid first isolated from porcupines (Coendou rothschildi) in central Panama in 1965. We present the complete genome sequence of , isolate C119, strain LV43, sequenced using combined short- and long-read technologies. This complete genome sequence will contribute to our knowledge of the parasitic genus .

Chromosome-Scale Assembly of the Complete Genome Sequence of () sp. Ghana, Isolate GH5, Strain LV757.

() sp. Ghana is a kinetoplastid parasite isolated in 2015 in Ghana. We report the complete genome sequence of () sp.

Chromosome-Scale Assembly of the Complete Genome Sequence of Leishmania (Mundinia) orientalis, Isolate LSCM4, Strain LV768.

Leishmania (Mundinia) orientalis is a kinetoplastid parasite first isolated in 2014 in Thailand. We report the complete genome sequence of () , sequenced using combined short-read and long-read technologies. This will facilitate greater understanding of this novel pathogen and its relationship to other members of the subgenus .

Chromosome-Scale Assembly of the Complete Genome Sequence of Leishmania (Mundinia) enriettii, Isolate CUR178, Strain LV763.

Leishmania (Mundinia) enriettii is a parasitic kinetoplastid first isolated from a guinea pig in Brazil in 1946. We present the complete genome sequence of () , isolate CUR178, strain LV763, sequenced using combined short-read and long-read technologies. This will facilitate a greater understanding of the genome diversity within () .

Mitochondrial DNA Profiling Reveals Two Lineages of Sun Bears in East and West Malaysia.

Sun bear populations are fragmented and at risk from habitat loss and exploitation for body parts. These threats are made worse by significant gaps in knowledge of sun bear population genetic diversity, population connectivity, and taxonomically significant management units. Using a complete sun bear mitochondrial genome, we developed a set of mitochondrial markers to assess haplotype variation and the evolutionary history of sun bears from Peninsular (West) Malaysia and Sabah (East Malaysia).

Reflections on integrating bioinformatics into the undergraduate curriculum: The Lancaster experience.

Bioinformatics is an essential discipline for biologists. It also has a reputation of being difficult for those without a strong quantitative and computer science background. At Lancaster University, we have developed modules for the integration of bioinformatics skills training into our undergraduate biology degree portfolio.

Visualization of protein sequence space with force-directed graphs, and their application to the choice of target-template pairs for homology modelling.

The protein sequence-structure gap results from the contrast between rapid, low-cost deep sequencing, and slow, expensive experimental structure determination techniques. Comparative homology modelling may have the potential to close this gap by predicting protein structure in target sequences using existing experimentally solved structures as templates. This paper presents the first use of force-directed graphs for the visualization of sequence space in two dimensions, and applies them to the choice of suitable RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) target-template pairs within human-infective RNA virus genera.

Delineating the Plausible Molecular Vaccine Candidates and Drug Targets of Multidrug-Resistant .

Nosocomial infections have become alarming with the increase of multidrug-resistant bacterial strains of . Being the causative agent in ~80% of the cases, these pathogenic gram-negative species could be deadly for hospitalized patients, especially in intensive care units utilizing ventilators, urinary catheters, and nasogastric tubes. Primarily infecting an immuno-compromised system, they are resistant to most antibiotics and are the root cause of various types of opportunistic infections including but not limited to septicemia, endocarditis, meningitis, pneumonia, skin, and wound sepsis and even urinary tract infections.

A decade of sustained selection pressure on two surface sites of the VP1 protein of Enterovirus A71 suggests that immune evasion may be an indirect driver for virulence.

Enterovirus A71 (EV-A71) is an emerging pathogen in the Enterovirus A species group. EV-A71 causes hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), with virulent variants exhibiting polio-like acute flaccid paralysis and other central nervous system manifestations. We analysed all enterovirus A71 complete genomes with collection dates from 2008 to mid-2018.

Sequence Variation in Multidrug-Resistant Plasmid pLUH01, Isolated from Human Nasopharyngeal Swabs.

Three variants of the multidrug-resistant plasmid pLUH01 were assembled by deep sequencing from nasopharyngeal swabs. All have a 21-bp deletion in the RS14515 hypothetical gene. Variants 1 through 3 have 2, 6, and 3 nucleotide substitutions, respectively, compared to the pLUH01 reference genome.

Paradigm Shift in Drug Re-purposing From Phenalenone to Phenaleno-Furanone to Combat Multi-Drug Resistant Serovar Typhi.

Over recent years, typhoid fever has gained increasing attention with several cases reporting treatment failure due to multidrug resistant (MDR) strains of serovar Typhi. While new drug development strategies are being devised to combat the threat posed by these MDR pathogens, drug repurposing or repositioning has become a good alternative. The latter is considered mainly due to its capacity for saving sufficient time and effort for pre-clinical and optimization studies.

Correlation between bacterial G+C content, genome size and the G+C content of associated plasmids and bacteriophages.

Based on complete bacterial genome sequence data, we demonstrate a correlation between bacterial chromosome length and the G+C content of the genome, with longer genomes having higher G+C contents. The correlation value decreases at shorter genome sizes, where there is a wider spread of G+C values. However, although significant (P<0.

In silico design of Mycobacterium tuberculosis epitope ensemble vaccines.

Effective control of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a global necessity. In 2015, tuberculosis (TB) caused more deaths than HIV. Considering the increasing prevalence of multi-drug resistant forms of M.

Muscle strength characteristics of the hamstrings and quadriceps in players from a high-level youth football (soccer) Academy.

The objective of this study was to investigate knee muscle strength characteristics in players from a high-level youth football Academy. In total, 110 players (aged 8-15 years) underwent muscle strength assessments carried out by a research physiotherapist using a computer-linked hand-held dynamometer. Results indicated that isometric hamstrings and quadriceps strength increased with age, whereas the isometric hamstring to quadriceps (H/Q) ratio decreased with age.

In silico design of knowledge-based Plasmodium falciparum epitope ensemble vaccines.

Malaria is a global health burden, and a major cause of mortality and morbidity in Africa. Here we designed a putative malaria epitope ensemble vaccine by selecting an optimal set of pathogen epitopes. From the IEDB database, 584 experimentally-verified CD8+ epitopes and 483 experimentally-verified CD4+ epitopes were collected; 89% of which were found in 8 proteins.

Nasopharyngeal metagenomic deep sequencing data, Lancaster, UK, 2014-2015.

Nasopharyngeal swabs were taken from volunteers attending a general medical practice and a general hospital in Lancaster, UK, and at Lancaster University, in the winter of 2014-2015. 51 swabs were selected based on high RNA yield and allocated to deep sequencing pools as follows: patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; asthmatics; adults with no respiratory symptoms; adults with feverish respiratory symptoms; adults with respiratory symptoms and presence of antibodies against influenza C; paediatric patients with respiratory symptoms (2 pools); adults with influenza C infection (2 pools), giving a total of 9 pools. Illumina sequencing was performed, with data yields per pool in the range of 345.