Neopetrotaurines A-C, Isoquinoline Alkaloids with an Unprecedented Taurine Bridge from the Sponge sp.

Neopetrotaurines A-C (-), unusual alkaloids possessing two isoquinoline-derived moieties that are linked via a unique taurine bridge, were isolated from a sp. marine sponge. These new compounds have proton-deficient structural scaffolds that are difficult to unambiguously assign using only conventional 2- and 3-bond H-C and H-N heteronuclear correlation data.

PRC2 disruption in cerebellar progenitors produces cerebellar hypoplasia and aberrant myoid differentiation without blocking medulloblastoma growth.

We show that Polycomb Repressive Complex-2 (PRC2) components EED and EZH2 maintain neural identity in cerebellar granule neuron progenitors (CGNPs) and SHH-driven medulloblastoma, a cancer of CGNPs. Proliferating CGNPs and medulloblastoma cells inherit neural fate commitment through epigenetic mechanisms. The PRC2 is an epigenetic regulator that has been proposed as a therapeutic target in medulloblastoma.

Assessment of the Field Utility of a Rapid Point-of-Care Test for SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in a Household Cohort.

Point-of-care (POC) tests to detect SARS-CoV-2 antibodies offer quick assessment of serostatus after natural infection or vaccination. We compared the field performance of the BioMedomics COVID-19 IgM/IgG Rapid Antibody Test against an ELISA in 303 participants enrolled in a SARS-CoV-2 household cohort study. The rapid antibody test was easily implemented with consistent interpretation across 14 users in a variety of field settings.

Household Transmission of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 in the United States: Living Density, Viral Load, and Disproportionate Impact on Communities of Color.

Background: Households are hot spots for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 transmission.

Methods: This prospective study enrolled 100 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases and 208 of their household members in North Carolina though October 2020, including 44% who identified as Hispanic or non-White. Households were enrolled a median of 6 days from symptom onset in the index case.

High household transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the United States: living density, viral load, and disproportionate impact on communities of color.

Background: Few prospective studies of SARS-CoV-2 transmission within households have been reported from the United States, where COVID-19 cases are the highest in the world and the pandemic has had disproportionate impact on communities of color.

Methods And Findings: This is a prospective observational study. Between April-October 2020, the UNC CO-HOST study enrolled 102 COVID-positive persons and 213 of their household members across the Piedmont region of North Carolina, including 45% who identified as Hispanic/Latinx or non-white.