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While improvements in genomic sequencing speed and availability have decreased the time to pathogen identification, crucial legal, policy, and technical knowledge gaps related to the risks a novel pathogen might pose and what an appropriate response should involve may still remain. Early detection of biological threats, whether naturally occurring or manmade, is critical for initiating a robust biodefense and public health response. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Usutu virus (USUV) is an emerging flavivirus, closely related to West Nile virus (WNV), that has spread into Europe from Africa. Since Culex tarsalis Coquillett is an important vector for WNV transmission in the United States, we tested the ability of USUV to replicate in and be transmitted by these mosquitoes. Materials and Methods: USUV was used to infect 3-4 day-old Cx. tarsalis with 5.6 to 7.5 log10 pfu/ml in goose bloodmeals. Saliva, heads, and bodies were collected on day 13 or 14 and analyzed by RT-qPCR for detection for USUV vRNA. Blotting paper punches were also collected daily to assess viral transmissibility. Results: The low and high dose blood meal resulted in 0% and 19.6% of the mosquitoes having established infections, respectively. All of the high dose had a dissemination of USUV RNA to the heads and none of the filter papers had detectable USUV RNA, but five of the capillary saliva collections were positive, representing 45.5% of the infected mosquitoes. Conclusions: Limited infection of Cx. tarsalis was observed when exposed to bloodmeals with greater than 107 pfu/mL of USUV, indicating this vector is not likely to have a key role in transmission of the virus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pursuit of disinfecting porous materials or fomites to inactivate viral agents has special challenges. To address these challenges, a highly portable chlorine dioxide (ClO2) gas generation system was used to ascertain the ability of a gaseous preparation to inactivate a viral agent, the MS2 bacteriophage, when associated with potentially porous fomites of cloth, paper towel, and wood. The MS2 bacteriophage is increasingly used as a model to identify means of inactivating infectious viral agents of significance to humans. Studies showed that MS2 bacteriophage can be applied to and subsequently recovered from potential porous fomites such as cloth, paper towel, and wood. Paired with viral plaque assays, this provided a means for assessing the ability of gaseous ClO2 to inactivate bacteriophage associated with the porous materials. Notable results include 100% inactivation of 6 log bacteriophage after overnight exposure to 20 parts per million(ppm) ClO2. Reducing exposure time to 90 minutes and gas ppm to lower concentrations proved to remain effective in bacteriophage elimination in association with porous materials. Stepwise reduction in gas concentration from 76 ppm to 5 ppm consistently resulted in greater than 99.99% to 100% reduction of recoverable bacteriophage. This model suggests the potential of ClO2 gas deployment systems for use in the inactivation of viral agents associated with porous potential fomites. The ClO2 gas could prove especially helpful in disinfecting enclosed areas containing viral contaminated surfaces, rather than manually spraying and wiping them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The text discusses the second workshop on the potential habitability of the Venus cloud layer, which was held by the Roscosmos/IKI-NASA Joint Science Definition Team for Russia's Venera-D mission. The workshop featured presentations and panel discussions with participants from 36 different countries. The text also mentions the delays in publishing a collection of Venus-relevant papers due to the global COVID pandemic, geopolitical developments, and budget pressures. It highlights the progress made in new discoveries and investigations, including the detection of phosphine in the venusian atmosphere and the observation of geologic signatures of active volcanism. The text concludes by mentioning upcoming missions to Venus and the potential for paradigm-shifting results in the field of astrobiology. [Extracted from the article]

We introduce the collection of papers from the first workshop on the habitability of the venusian cloud layer organized by the Roscosmos/IKI-NASA Joint Science Definition Team (JSDT) for Russia's Venera-D mission and hosted by the Space Research Institute in Moscow, Russia, during October 2–5, 2019. The collection also includes three papers that were developed independently of the workshop but are relevant to venusian cloud habitability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A call for special issue papers has been issued by the journal Environmental Engineering Science on the topic of microplastics. Microplastic pollution is a growing problem that can have negative impacts on ecosystems, human health, and the environment. Urban areas and agricultural practices are significant sources of plastic pollution, and conventional water treatment methods may not effectively remove microplastics, potentially allowing them to reach consumers' drinking water. The call invites researchers to contribute their work on various aspects of plastic pollution, including sources, transport pathways, fate in water systems, mitigation practices, and impacts on organisms and ecosystems. Abstracts are due by January 31, 2024, and full manuscripts by March 31, 2024. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease that mostly affects populations in tropical and subtropical countries. In Ghana, cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is the most common form of the disease affecting communities of the Volta Region. Conventional parasitological method (microscopy) is the commonly used test for CL diagnosis in many endemic countries, but has low sensitivity in chronic cases. Therefore, there is a clear need for a sensitive and easy-to-use point-of-care diagnostic method like an isothermal recombinase polymerase amplification-lateral flow (RPA-LF) test, suitable for use in austere and low-resource settings for the identification of CL cases. This study compared the efficacy of RPA-LF test with quantitative PCR (qPCR) in detecting Leishmania in suspected CL cases from the Volta Region. Methods: Twenty-five participants between 5 and 14 years were enrolled in the study from whom a total of 26 samples were obtained. Lesion samples were collected using FTA® filter papers applied to ulcerated lesions for molecular diagnosis. DNA isolated from filter papers was used for both the RPA-LF test and qPCR. Results: Twenty-two participants (88%) presented with one or two ulcerated active lesions per individual, while the rest of them had plaques or dried lesions. Among the 26 samples, 19/26 (73%) had concordant results when comparing the two diagnostic methods. Conclusion: Data from this study suggest that the RPA-LF test can be used in addition to a conventional parasitological diagnostic test (microscopy) to detect CL cases in communities of the Volta Region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-solids anaerobic digestion (HS-AD) is used to recover energy and nutrients from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste. However, the low degradability of lignocellulosic wastes, such as yard wastes, limits the rate and extent of methane production from this process. This study investigated the potential to enhance methane yields from lignocellulosic waste during HS-AD through inoculation with granular anaerobic digester sludge from pulp and paper mill wastewater treatment systems (P&P sludge). P&P sludge contains microbial populations that are acclimated to a lignin-rich waste stream and has been shown to enhance methane production from agricultural residues. In this study, side-by-side bench-scale HS-AD experiments were carried out with yard waste inoculated with P&P sludge and domestic wastewater anaerobic digester (WW-AD) sludge. Average methane yield with the P&P inoculation strategy reached 100.2 ± 2.4 L CH4/kg volatile solids (VS), a 72.7% enhancement compared with WW-AD sludge (58.1 ± 1.2 L CH4/kg VS) over 106 days of batch digestion under mesophilic conditions. Trends in evolution of leachate volatile fatty acid and total ammonia nitrogen concentrations suggested that hydrolysis was accelerated in the P&P-inoculated digesters, causing methanogenesis to become rate limiting. Additional experiments were carried out to determine if the enhancement could be sustained through inoculation of fresh yard waste with digestate from the initial digesters, resulting in a 68.5% enhancement of methane yield. Although observed improvements are comparable to certain pretreatment methods, inoculation with sludge from the pulp and paper industry could be a low cost and less resourceintensive alternative to pretreatment and improve the overall sustainability of HS-AD processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morphea (localized scleroderma) is an inflammatory connective tissue disease. Borrelia burgdorferi, as a causative factor, has been discussed controversially. The aim of this original study was to evaluate the frequency of IgM and IgG classes of anti-Borrelia antibodies in groups of morphea and psoriasis patients using the traditional ELISA method. Blood samples of 82 patients with morphea and 112 patients with psoriasis vulgaris were examined for the presence of IgM and IgG classes of anti-Borrelia antibodies (ELISA). IgM and IgG classes of anti-Borrelia antibodies were detected in 4% of blood samples taken from morphea patients, while 4.5% of blood samples from patients with psoriasis vulgaris. There is one major limitation in this study that could be addressed in future research. First, the study focused on the determination of IgM and IgG classes of anti-Borrelia antibodies as a risk factor for morphea, but other infectious agents also require further testing, such as Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and other viral or bacterial infections. The results of this study showed no significant relationship between Borrelia infection and morphea. Detection of IgM and IgG classes of anti-Borrelia antibodies is not recommended for routine diagnostics of patients with morphea at this time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GEN Biotechnology is calling for papers for a special issue on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Biotechnology. The use of AI and machine learning in biological research has become increasingly important, with applications in drug discovery, cell and gene therapy, clinical data analysis, and more. The journal is inviting researchers to submit original research, reviews, and commentaries on various aspects of AI and ML in biological research. Accepted articles will be published online ahead-of-print, and authors will benefit from expert peer review, global visibility, and open access options. [Extracted from the article]

Wastewater generated during pulp and paper production usually contains large amounts of organic matter that may be converted to biogas through anaerobic treatment. These effluents can also contain a variety of inhibitors such as resin acids and long-chain fatty acids (RFAs) among other compounds. A multivariate data analysis was conducted with performance and water quality data from an anaerobic reactor at a pulp and paper mill, which provides unprecedented evidence for the long-term inhibitory effects of RFAs during full-scale operation. Although RFAs in the reactor influent did not cause serious process disturbance, they significantly contributed to the variability in the percentage removal of soluble chemical oxygen demand (percent sCOD removal) (∼45% to ∼75%), as well as the variability in volatile fatty acid concentration in the effluent (2 to >20 meq/L). Furthermore, a linear correlation was found between RFA concentrations in the reactor sludge bed and the percent sCOD removal. An effective strategy to remove RFAs before anaerobic treatment is upfront removal of particles within the primary clarifier. Based on an exploratory model, a graphical method is introduced that allows for quick assessment of the extent to which resin acids are sorbed to particles, and associated potential for upfront settling. When the pH of high-solids wastewater is below 7, the majority of resin acids will be associated with particles and a considerable fraction of these can therefore be removed by means of settling or floatation. Finally, a novel liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method that rapidly quantifies major RFA constituents was developed. In the full-scale reactor, dehydroabietic acid (DHA) represented the bulk (∼92%) of the resin acids within the granular sludge. DHA in sludge warrants special attention and should be monitored closely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biotech industry has seen significant growth in recent years, with numerous new drugs and technologies being developed. However, there are still significant disparities in representation and accessibility within the industry, affecting various groups based on race, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability status, socioeconomic status, and geographic location. This lack of diversity also extends to leadership positions, with a majority of CEOs identifying as white and male. To address these issues, GEN Biotechnology is calling for papers for a special issue on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Biotechnology. The collection will explore topics such as data representation, accessibility to treatments, DEI initiatives in the industry, and the impact on the bioeconomy. Researchers are encouraged to submit manuscripts that address these important considerations. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Assessing the potential for mosquitoes to transmit medically important arboviruses is essential for understanding their threat to human populations. Currently, vector competence studies are typically performed by collecting saliva using a glass capillary tube system which involves sacrificing the mosquito at the time of saliva collection allowing only a single data point. These techniques also require handling infected mosquitoes and glass capillaries, constituting a safety risk. Materials and Methods: To improve the efficiency and safety of assessing vector competence, a novel containment and saliva collection approach for individually housed mosquitoes was developed. The improved housing, allowing longitudinal tracking of individual mosquitoes, consists of a 12-well Corning polystyrene plate sealed with a three-dimensional printed lid that holds organdy netting firmly against the rims of the wells. Results: This method provides excellent mosquito survival for five species of mosquitoes, with at least 79% of each species tested surviving for more than 2 weeks, comparable to the carton survival rates of ≥76%. When the plate housing system was used to assess vector infection, replication of West Nile virus (WNV) in mosquito tissues was similar to traditional containment mosquito housing. Mosquito saliva was collected using either blotting paper pads or traditional glass capillaries to assay viral transmission. The blotting paper collection showed similar or better sensitivity than the capillary method; in addition, longitudinal saliva samples could be collected from individual mosquitoes housed in the 12-well plates. Conclusions: The improved housing and saliva collection technique described herein provides a safer and more informative method for determining vector competence in mosquitoes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article calls for the submission of papers before August 31, 2020 which focus on the effectiveness, implementation, and dissemination research in integrative health.

The article presents the discussion on supporting health equity promotion in the context of digital health communication and intervention. Topics include digital health equity is the fair and just distribution of digital health resources and opportunities to all people, regardless of their race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender; and achieving equity and reducing disparities in health are global priorities.

Background: The Pontifical Academy for Life (PAV) is an academic institution of the Holy See (Vatican), which aims to develop and promote Catholic teachings on questions of biomedical ethics. Palliative care (PC) experts from around the world professing different faiths were invited by the PAV to develop strategic recommendations for the global development of PC ("PAL-LIFE group"). Design: Thirteen experts in PC advocacy participated in an online Delphi process. In four iterative rounds, participants were asked to identify the most significant stakeholder groups and then propose for each, strategic recommendations to advance PC. Each round incorporated the feedback from previous rounds until consensus was achieved on the most important recommendations. In a last step, the ad hoc group was asked to rank the stakeholders' groups by order of importance on a 13-point scale and to propose suggestions for implementation. A cluster analysis provided a classification of the stakeholders in different levels of importance for PC development. Results: Thirteen stakeholder groups and 43 recommendations resulted from the first round, and, of those, 13 recommendations were chosen as the most important (1 for each stakeholder group). Five groups had higher scores. The recommendation chosen for these top 5 groups were as follows: (1) Policy makers: Ensure universal access to PC; (2) Academia: Offer mandatory PC courses to undergraduates; (3) Healthcare workers: PC professionals should receive adequate certification; (4) Hospitals and healthcare centers: Every healthcare center should ensure access to PC medicines; and (5) PC associations: National Associations should be effective advocates and work with their governments in the process of implementing international policy framework. A recommendation for each of the remaining eight groups is also presented. Discussion: This white paper represents a position statement of the PAV developed through a consensus process in regard to advocacy strategies for the advancement of PC in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palliative care is an evolving field with extensive studies demonstrating its benefits to patients, families, and the health care system. Many health systems have developed or are developing palliative care programs. The Canadian Society of Palliative Care Physicians (CSPCP) is often asked to recommend how many palliative care specialists are needed to implement and support an integrated palliative care program. This information would allow health service decision makers and educational institutions to plan resources accordingly to manage the needs of their communities. The CSPCP is well positioned to answer this question, as many of its members are Directors of palliative care programs and have been responsible for creating and overseeing the pioneering work of building these programs over the past few decades. In 2017, the CSPCP commissioned a working group to develop a staffing model for specialist palliative care teams based on the interdependence of three key professional roles, an extensive literature search, key stakeholder interviews, and expert opinions. This article is the Canadian Society of Palliative Care's recommended starting point that will be further evaluated as it is utilized across Canada. For more information and to see sample calculations go to the Canadian Society of Palliative Care Physicians Staffing Model for Palliative Care Programs (https://www.cspcp.ca). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I Brought to you by the Johns Hopkins Centers for Health Security, Health Equity, American Indian Health, and Public Health and Human Rights. i Graph: hs.2020.29000.cfp-2 figure1.jpg The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has substantially damaged population health, social fabrics, economies, and health systems across the world. B Potential topics of interest include: b Health disparities: How have underlying, longstanding health inequities exacerbated COVID-19 morbidity and mortality among racially marginalized populations in the United States?. [Extracted from the article]

These include the SARS, MERS and the SARS-CoV-2 (the novel coronavirus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19) outbreaks. To highlight COVID-19 as a comorbidity of HIV infections, we would like to organize a special issue on this topic. [Extracted from the article]

These include the SARS, MERS and the SARS-CoV-2 (the novel coronavirus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19) outbreaks. To highlight COVID-19 as a comorbidity of HIV infections, we would like to organize a special issue on this topic. [Extracted from the article]

TEX file as is needed for processing, selecting the file designation of TeX/LaTeX Suppl File. Graph Professor Waterman is one of the founders of the field of computational biology and has made many fundamental contributions to the field. [Extracted from the article]

This special issue focuses on reporting CPPTs for imaging applications, including but not limited to: (a) assay development based on fluorescent probes and tools; (b) probes for clinically relevant imaging (e.g. PET imaging); (c) visualization probes for cell biology; (d) high-content imaging screening and method development; (e) live cell and whole animal imaging assays, and similar. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to: Development of drug discovery assays based on the use of fluorescent probes and tools Development and validation of probes for clinical imaging applications Development of live cell and live animal assays for studying pharmacological properties of drugs Phenotypic screening assays using high-content imaging Developing imaging technologies to accelerate drug discovery Contributions will receive prompt and thorough peer review, feedback, and decision. [Extracted from the article]

Planetary health omics has been featured in many articles in I OMICS i over the past several years, and builds upon the rise of planetary health (Horton et al., [4]), the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the introduction of digital technologies to systems science. Planetary health omics is a new field that expands the boundaries and tools of its predecessor fields public health genomics and global health. Planetary health omics as a new field of inquiry in systems science is relevant and timely going forward with COVID-19 as an endemic disease (Katzourakis, [5]), and for both communicable and noncommunicable chronic diseases. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses importance of real-world research to help the public, academics, decision makers for complementary and integrative health practices and practitioners. Topics discussed include efforts of the U.S. Veteran's Administration to transform that agency into a ‘‘whole health'' model; effectiveness research on integrative practices, dissemination and implementation articles; and efforts to implement new forms of integrative care.

The article offers information on Effectiveness, Implementation and Dissemination Research in Integrative Health.

The article announces the deadline for submission of manuscript on the effectiveness, implementation, and dissemination research in integrative health on May 31, 2020.

This study expands on game character perspective-taking effects on political opinions while controlling for players' social dominance orientation or inclination for inequality among social groups. Random assignment to play a game as an immigration inspector decreased intention, subjective norms, and self-efficacy to help immigrants relative to baseline scores. The scores of participants randomly assigned to play a game similar in style but instead featuring the role of a newspaper editor remained unchanged. Within-subjects effects implied that baseline reductions in intention, subjective norms, and self-efficacy to help immigrants were solely attributed to playing games as game immigration inspectors. The study provides initial evidence that taking on the perspective of game characters can influence players' opinions about political issues, such as immigration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]