SARS-CoV-2 Diversity and Transmission on a University Campus across Two Academic Years during the Pandemic.

Background: Institutions of higher education (IHE) have been a focus of SARS-CoV-2 transmission studies but there is limited information on how viral diversity and transmission at IHE changed as the pandemic progressed.

Methods: Here we analyze 3606 viral genomes from unique COVID-19 episodes collected at a public university in Seattle, Washington from September 2020 to September 2022.

Results: Across the study period, we found evidence of frequent viral transmission among university affiliates with 60% (n = 2153) of viral genomes from campus specimens genetically identical to at least one other campus specimen.

Fine-scale spatial and social patterns of SARS-CoV-2 transmission from identical pathogen sequences.

Pathogen genomics can provide insights into underlying infectious disease transmission patterns, but new methods are needed to handle modern large-scale pathogen genome datasets and realize this full potential. In particular, genetically proximal viruses should be highly informative about transmission events as genetic proximity indicates epidemiological linkage. Here, we leverage pairs of identical sequences to characterise fine-scale transmission patterns using 114,298 SARS-CoV-2 genomes collected through Washington State (USA) genomic sentinel surveillance with associated age and residence location information between March 2021 and December 2022.

Local-scale phylodynamics reveal differential community impact of SARS-CoV-2 in a metropolitan US county.

SARS-CoV-2 transmission is largely driven by heterogeneous dynamics at a local scale, leaving local health departments to design interventions with limited information. We analyzed SARS-CoV-2 genomes sampled between February 2020 and March 2022 jointly with epidemiological and cell phone mobility data to investigate fine scale spatiotemporal SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics in King County, Washington, a diverse, metropolitan US county. We applied an approximate structured coalescent approach to model transmission within and between North King County and South King County alongside the rate of outside introductions into the county.

Underdetected dispersal and extensive local transmission drove the 2022 mpox epidemic.

The World Health Organization declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern in July 2022. To investigate global mpox transmission and population-level changes associated with controlling spread, we built phylogeographic and phylodynamic models to analyze MPXV genomes from five global regions together with air traffic and epidemiological data. Our models reveal community transmission prior to detection, changes in case reporting throughout the epidemic, and a large degree of transmission heterogeneity.

Advertising creativity: Its influence on media response states towards the Hierarchy of effects.

The study investigates the influence of Advertising Creativity (AC) on Ad effectiveness in the context of Interactive Digital Media (IDM). The inquiry seeks to bridge a somewhat limited regard for AC in the context of IDM and provide insight into AC's place in audience communication processes as opposed to generally outcome-based perspectives. The study extends the process of AC effects towards the stages of the Hierarchy of Effects (HOE) by the inclusion of conditional media effects and media response states, which are major components of the Differential Susceptibility to Media Effects Model (DSMM), to elucidate dynamic audience processes especially in the context of interactive media.

Early underdetected dissemination across countries followed by extensive local transmission propelled the 2022 mpox epidemic.

The World Health Organization declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern in July 2022. To investigate global mpox transmission and population-level changes associated with controlling spread, we built phylogeographic and phylodynamic models to analyze MPXV genomes from five global regions together with air traffic and epidemiological data. Our models reveal community transmission prior to detection, changes in case-reporting throughout the epidemic, and a large degree of transmission heterogeneity.

Local-Scale phylodynamics reveal differential community impact of SARS-CoV-2 in metropolitan US county.

SARS-CoV-2 transmission is largely driven by heterogeneous dynamics at a local scale, leaving local health departments to design interventions with limited information. We analyzed SARS-CoV-2 genomes sampled between February 2020 and March 2022 jointly with epidemiological and cell phone mobility data to investigate fine scale spatiotemporal SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics in King County, Washington, a diverse, metropolitan US county. We applied an approximate structured coalescent approach to model transmission within and between North King County and South King County alongside the rate of outside introductions into the county.

Going digital: opportunities and barriers in the use of technology for health research.

Digital health refers to the use of novel information com-munication technologies in healthcare. The use of these technologies could positively impact public health and health outcomes of populations by generating timely data, and facili-tating the process of data collection, analysis, and knowledge translation. Using selected case studies, we aim to describe the opportunities and barriers in the use of technology applied to health-related research.

Associations Between Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Variants and Risk of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Hospitalization Among Confirmed Cases in Washington State: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is dominated by variant viruses; the resulting impact on disease severity remains unclear. Using a retrospective cohort study, we assessed the hospitalization risk following infection with 7 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants.

Methods: Our study includes individuals with positive SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in the Washington Disease Reporting System with available viral genome data, from 1 December 2020 to 14 January 2022.

Associations between SARS-CoV-2 variants and risk of COVID-19 hospitalization among confirmed cases in Washington State: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is dominated by variant viruses; the resulting impact on disease severity remains unclear. Using a retrospective cohort study, we assessed the hospitalization risk following infection with seven SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Methods: Our study includes individuals with positive SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR in the Washington Disease Reporting System with available viral genome data, from December 1, 2020 to January 14, 2022.

Transcriptome and Hormone Analyses Revealed Insights into Hormonal and Vesicle Trafficking Regulation among Fruit Tissues in Late Development.

Fruit ripening and abscission are the results of the cell wall modification concerning different components of the signaling network. However, molecular-genetic information on the cross-talk between ripe fruit and their abscission zone (AZ) remains limited. In this study, we investigated transcriptional and hormonal changes in olive ( L.

Cell Wall Composition and Ultrastructural Immunolocalization of Pectin and Arabinogalactan Protein during Olea europaea L. Fruit Abscission.

Cell wall modification is integral to many plant developmental processes where cells need to separate, such as abscission. However, changes in cell wall composition during natural fruit abscission are poorly understood. In olive (Olea europaea L.

Social Capital and Risk of Concurrent Sexual Partners Among African Americans in Jackson, Mississippi.

Concurrent sexual partnerships (i.e., relationships that overlap in time) contribute to higher HIV acquisition risk.

Regulation of sterol content and biosynthetic gene expression during flower opening and early fruit development in olive.

Phytosterols are lipophilic membrane components essential not only for diverse cellular functions but also are biosynthetic precursors of the plant hormone, brassinosteroid (BR). However, the interaction between phytosterol and BR during early fleshy-fruit growth remains largely uncharacterized. In olive, phytosterols are important lipids because they affect oil quality, but phytosterol composition during flowering and early fruit development has not been explored.

Modulation of sphingolipid long-chain base composition and gene expression during early olive-fruit development, and putative role of brassinosteroid.

Sphingolipids are abundant membrane components and signalling molecules in various aspects of plant development. However, the role of sphingolipids in early fleshy-fruit growth has rarely been investigated. In this study, we first investigated the temporal changes in sphingolipid long-chain base (LCB) content, composition, and gene expression that occurred during flower opening and early fruit development in olive (Olea europaea L.

The 7q11.23 Protein DNAJC30 Interacts with ATP Synthase and Links Mitochondria to Brain Development.

Despite the known causality of copy-number variations (CNVs) to human neurodevelopmental disorders, the mechanisms behind each gene's contribution to the constellation of neural phenotypes remain elusive. Here, we investigated the 7q11.23 CNV, whose hemideletion causes Williams syndrome (WS), and uncovered that mitochondrial dysfunction participates in WS pathogenesis.

Sphingolipid Distribution, Content and Gene Expression during Olive-Fruit Development and Ripening.

Plant sphingolipids are involved in the building of the matrix of cell membranes and in signaling pathways of physiological processes and environmental responses. However, information regarding their role in fruit development and ripening, a plant-specific process, is unknown. The present study seeks to determine whether and, if so, how sphingolipids are involved in fleshy-fruit development and ripening in an oil-crop species such as olive ( L.

FES Bike Race preparation to Cybathlon 2016 by EMA team: a short case report.

FES-assisted cycling has been recommended to people struggling to emerge from a disability to more functioning life after spinal cord injury. Recommendations issued by a gowing number of scientific papershas promised toimprove body composition and physical activity levels, as well as to controlinvoluntary muscle response; favoring activity and participation which break new grounds in expanding locomotion, leisure and occupational options for people with paraplegia and tetraplegia. In this report we described our experience to select and prepare a pilot to compete in the FES Bike Race modality at Cybathlon 2016 in Kloten (Zurick).

Localization of Sphingolipid Enriched Plasma Membrane Regions and Long-Chain Base Composition during Mature-Fruit Abscission in Olive.

Sphingolipids, found in membranes of eukaryotic cells, have been demonstrated to carry out functions in various processes in plant cells. However, the roles of these lipids in fruit abscission remain to be determined in plants. Biochemical and fluorescence microscopy imaging approach has been adopted to investigate the accumulation and distribution of sphingolipids during mature-fruit abscission in olive ( L.

Comparative transcriptional profiling analysis of olive ripe-fruit pericarp and abscission zone tissues shows expression differences and distinct patterns of transcriptional regulation.

Background: In fleshy fruit, abscission of fully ripe fruit is a process intimately linked to the ripening process. In many fruit-tree species, such as olive (Olea europaea L. cv.

In vivo evaluation of implant-host tissue interaction using morphology-controlled hydroxyapatite-based biomaterials.

In medicine, micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) perform several specific functions. The design of bio-packages for MEMS to be implanted into the human body has been an increasing challenge in the last years. Mechanical, chemical and thermal resistance, as well as excellent bonding to silicon surfaces, are needed.

Mature fruit abscission is associated with up-regulation of polyamine metabolism in the olive abscission zone.

This study investigates whether, and how, polyamines (PAs) are involved in mature fruit abscission of olive (Olea europaea L.). Physiological abscission was studied in relation to the activation of the abscission zone (AZ), located between fruit and peduncle, from two olive cultivars where the breakstrength profiles and the scanning electron micrographs illustrated differences in the abscission program, under natural conditions, of mature fruit.

Tissue-specific expression of olive S-adenosyl methionine decarboxylase and spermidine synthase genes and polyamine metabolism during flower opening and early fruit development.

Polyamines (PAs) are required for cell growth and cell division in eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms. The present study is aimed at understanding the developmental regulation of PA biosynthesis and catabolism during flower opening and early fruit development in relation to fruit size and shape. Two full-length cDNA clones coding for S-adenosyl methionine decarboxylase (SAMDC) and spermidine synthase (SPDS) homologs, key steps in the PA biosynthesis pathway, in the stone-fruit of olive (Olea europaea L.

Dual pulse shock wave lithotripsy: in vitro and in vivo study.

Purpose: We evaluated the performance of a novel dual pulse lithotriptor for extracorporeal lithotripsy.

Materials And Methods: A piezoelectric lithotriptor was modified to produce pairs of successive (tandem) shock waves. Four kidney stone models were exposed in vitro to 500 single shock waves with a standard lithotriptor.