A universal molecular control for DNA, mRNA and protein expression.

The expression of genes encompasses their transcription into mRNA followed by translation into protein. In recent years, next-generation sequencing and mass spectrometry methods have profiled DNA, RNA and protein abundance in cells. However, there are currently no reference standards that are compatible across these genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic methods, and provide an integrated measure of gene expression.

Bringing Generalists to Global Health: a Missed Opportunity and Call to Action.

The credo of the generalist physician has always been the promotion of health for all, in every aspect: not just multiple vulnerable organ systems, but multiple social, cultural, and political factors that contribute to poor health and exacerbate health inequity. In recent years, the field of global health has also adopted this same mission: working across both national and clinical specialty borders to improve health for all and end health disparities worldwide. Yet within the Society for General Internal Medicine, and among American generalists, engagement in global health, both within and outside the USA, remains uncommon.

Structural Factors Contributing to Compassion Fatigue, Burnout, and Secondary Traumatic Stress Among Hospital-Based Healthcare Professionals During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

High levels of burnout among healthcare providers (HCPs) have been a widely documented phenomenon, which have been exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the United States, qualitative studies that are inclusive of HCPs in diverse professional roles have been limited. Therefore, we utilized a qualitative-quantitative design to examine professional quality of life in terms of compassion fatigue, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress among hospital-based HCPs, including social workers, hospitalists, residents, and palliative care team members during COVID-19.

mRNA vaccine quality analysis using RNA sequencing.

The success of mRNA vaccines has been realised, in part, by advances in manufacturing that enabled billions of doses to be produced at sufficient quality and safety. However, mRNA vaccines must be rigorously analysed to measure their integrity and detect contaminants that reduce their effectiveness and induce side-effects. Currently, mRNA vaccines and therapies are analysed using a range of time-consuming and costly methods.

Identifying barriers and facilitators along the hepatitis C care cascade to inform human-centered design of contextualized treatment protocols for vulnerable populations in Austin, Texas: a qualitative study.

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a leading cause of liver-related mortality and morbidity. Despite effective direct acting antivirals and a simplified treatment algorithm, limited access to HCV treatment in vulnerable populations, including people experiencing homelessness (PEH) and people who inject drugs (PWID), hinders global elimination. Adapting the evidence-based, simplified HCV treatment algorithm to the organizational and contextual realities of non-traditional clinic settings serving vulnerable populations can help overcome specific barriers to HCV care.

Community engagement to inform development of strategies to improve referral for hypertension: perspectives of patients, providers and local community members in western Kenya.

Background: Hypertension is the leading cause of death and disability. Clinical care for patients with hypertension in Kenya leverages referral networks to provide basic and specialized healthcare services. However, referrals are characterized by non-adherence and delays in completion.

Development, implementation, and feasibility of site-specific hepatitis C virus treatment workflows for treating vulnerable, high-risk populations: protocol of the Erase Hep C study - a prospective single-arm intervention trial.

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the leading indication for liver transplantation and liver-related mortality. The development of direct-acting antivirals (DAA) and a simplified treatment algorithm with a > 97% cure rate should make global elimination of HCV an achievable goal. Yet, vulnerable populations with high rates of HCV still have limited access to treatment.

Library adaptors with integrated reference controls improve the accuracy and reliability of nanopore sequencing.

Library adaptors are short oligonucleotides that are attached to RNA and DNA samples in preparation for next-generation sequencing (NGS). Adaptors can also include additional functional elements, such as sample indexes and unique molecular identifiers, to improve library analysis. Here, we describe Control Library Adaptors, termed CAPTORs, that measure the accuracy and reliability of NGS.

Bioengineered textiles with peptide binders that capture SARS-CoV-2 viral particles.

The use of personal protective equipment (PPE), face masks and ventilation are key strategies to control the transmission of respiratory viruses. However, most PPE provides physical protection that only partially prevents the transmission of viral particles. Here, we develop textiles with integrated peptide binders that capture viral particles.

Collective skyrmion motion under the influence of an additional interfacial spin-transfer torque.

Here we study the effect of an additional interfacial spin-transfer torque, as well as the well-established spin-orbit torque and bulk spin-transfer torque, on skyrmion collections-group of skyrmions dense enough that they are not isolated from one another-in ultrathin heavy metal/ferromagnetic multilayers, by comparing modelling with experimental results. Using a skyrmion collection with a range of skyrmion diameters and landscape disorder, we study the dependence of the skyrmion Hall angle on diameter and velocity, as well as the velocity as a function of diameter. We show that inclusion of the interfacial spin-transfer torque results in reduced skyrmion Hall angles, with values close to experimental results.

Network characteristics of a referral system for patients with hypertension in Western Kenya: results from the Strengthening Referral Networks for Management of Hypertension Across the Health System (STRENGTHS) study.

Background: Health system approaches to improve hypertension control require an effective referral network. A national referral strategy exists in Kenya; however, a number of barriers to referral completion persist. This paper is a baseline assessment of a hypertension referral network for a cluster-randomized trial to improve hypertension control and reduce cardiovascular disease risk.

The potential of long noncoding RNA therapies.

The human genome expresses vast numbers of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA) that fulfil diverse roles in gene regulation, cell biology, development, and human disease. These roles are often mediated by sequence motifs and secondary structures bound by proteins and can regulate epigenetic, transcriptional, and translational pathways. These functional domains can be further optimised and engineered into RNA devices that are widely used in synthetic biology.

Using synthetic chromosome controls to evaluate the sequencing of difficult regions within the human genome.

Background: Next-generation sequencing (NGS) can identify mutations in the human genome that cause disease and has been widely adopted in clinical diagnosis. However, the human genome contains many polymorphic, low-complexity, and repetitive regions that are difficult to sequence and analyze. Despite their difficulty, these regions include many clinically important sequences that can inform the treatment of human diseases and improve the diagnostic yield of NGS.

The splicing effect of variants at branchpoint elements in cancer genes.

Purpose: Branchpoint elements are required for intron removal, and variants at these elements can result in aberrant splicing. We aimed to assess the value of branchpoint annotations generated from recent large-scale studies to select branchpoint-abrogating variants, using hereditary cancer genes as model.

Methods: We identified branchpoint elements in 119 genes associated with hereditary cancer from 3 genome-wide experimentally-inferred and 2 predicted branchpoint data sets.

Reporting guidelines for human microbiome research: the STORMS checklist.

The particularly interdisciplinary nature of human microbiome research makes the organization and reporting of results spanning epidemiology, biology, bioinformatics, translational medicine and statistics a challenge. Commonly used reporting guidelines for observational or genetic epidemiology studies lack key features specific to microbiome studies. Therefore, a multidisciplinary group of microbiome epidemiology researchers adapted guidelines for observational and genetic studies to culture-independent human microbiome studies, and also developed new reporting elements for laboratory, bioinformatics and statistical analyses tailored to microbiome studies.

Human-centered implementation research: a new approach to develop and evaluate implementation strategies for strengthening referral networks for hypertension in western Kenya.

Background: Human-centered design (HCD) is an increasingly recognized approach for engaging stakeholders and developing contextually appropriate health interventions. As a component of the ongoing STRENGTHS study (Strengthening Referral Networks for Management of Hypertension Across the Health System), we report on the process and outcomes of utilizing HCD to develop the implementation strategy prior to a cluster-randomized controlled trial.

Methods: We organized a design team of 15 local stakeholders to participate in an HCD process to develop implementation strategies.

Term Newborn Care Recommendations Provided in a Kenyan Postnatal Ward: A Rapid, Focused Ethnographic Assessment.

Background: Neonatal mortality (death within 0-28 d of life) in Kenya is high despite strong evidence that newborn care recommendations save lives. In public healthcare facilities, nurses counsel caregivers on term newborn care, but knowledge about the content and quality of nurses' recommendations is limited.

Purpose: To describe the term newborn care recommendations provided at a tertiary-level, public referral hospital in Western Kenya, how they were provided, and related content taught at a university nursing school.

Long-read cDNA sequencing identifies functional pseudogenes in the human transcriptome.

Pseudogenes are gene copies presumed to mainly be functionless relics of evolution due to acquired deleterious mutations or transcriptional silencing. Using deep full-length PacBio cDNA sequencing of normal human tissues and cancer cell lines, we identify here hundreds of novel transcribed pseudogenes expressed in tissue-specific patterns. Some pseudogene transcripts have intact open reading frames and are translated in cultured cells, representing unannotated protein-coding genes.

Testing at scale during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Assembly and publication of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genome in January 2020 enabled the immediate development of tests to detect the new virus. This began the largest global testing programme in history, in which hundreds of millions of individuals have been tested to date. The unprecedented scale of testing has driven innovation in the strategies, technologies and concepts that govern testing in public health.

Global health on the front lines: an innovative medical student elective combining education and service during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: An innovative medical student elective combined student-directed, faculty-supported online learning with COVID-19 response field placements. This study evaluated students' experience in the course, the curriculum content and format, and its short-term impact on students' knowledge and attitudes around COVID-19.

Methods: Students responded to discussion board prompts throughout the course and submitted pre-/post-course reflections.