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Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses cause high mortality rates in wild birds and farmed poultry, and their potential for adaptation to humans remains a major pandemic threat (2). In [...]

BackgroundViral conjunctivitis (pink eye) can be highly contagious and is of public health importance. There remains significant debate whether SARS-CoV-2 can present as a primary conjunctivitis. The aim of this study was to identify pathogens associated with outpatient infectious conjunctivitis during the COVID-19 Delta surge.MethodsThis prospective study was conducted in the spring and summer months of 2021. 106 patients with acute conjunctivitis who presented to the Aravind Eye Center in Madurai, India were included. One anterior nasal swab and one conjunctival swab of each eye were obtained for each enrolled patient. Samples were subsequently processed for unbiased metagenomic RNA deep sequencing (RNA-seq). Outcomes included clinical findings and codetection of other pathogens with SARS-CoV-2 in patients with conjunctivitis.ResultsAmong the 13 patients identified with human coronavirus RNA fragments in their swabs, 6 patients had SARS-CoV-2 infection, 5 patients had coinfections of SARS-CoV-2 and human adenovirus (HAdV), 1 patient had a coinfection with human coronavirus OC43 and HAdV, and 1 patient had a coinfection of Vittaforma corneae and SARS-CoV-2. 30% had bilateral disease and symptoms on presentation. Petechial hemorrhage was noted in 33% of patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. No patients with SARS-CoV-2 or SARS-CoV-2 and HAdV infections had subepithelial infiltrates on presentation. All patients denied systemic symptoms.ConclusionsAmong the patients presented with conjunctivitis associated with human coronavirus infection, over 50% of the patients had co-infections with other circulating pathogens, suggesting the public-health importance of broad pathogen testing and surveillance in the outpatient conjunctivitis population.

BackgroundSeasonal outbreaks of infectious conjunctivitis remain a public health issue. Determination of outbreak etiologies in the context of a worldwide pandemic may provide useful information to guide public health strategies. The aim of this study was to identify pathogens associated with outpatient infectious conjunctivitis during the COVID-19 Delta surge.MethodsThis prospective study was conducted from April 2021 to September 2021. All outpatients presenting to the Aravind Eye Center (Madurai, India) with signs and symptoms consistent with acute infectious conjunctivitis were eligible. Three swabs were obtained from each participant: one from each conjunctiva and one from the anterior nares. Samples were processed for metagenomic RNA deep sequencing (RNA-seq).ResultsSamples from 106 study participants were sequenced. The most common presenting symptoms were tearing (86%) and itching (71%). Preauricular lymphadenopathy was present in 38% of participants. 20% of participants had close contacts with similar symptoms. Systemic symptoms such as coughing, runny nose, vomiting or diarrhea were uncommonly reported. 60% of all participants used some medicated eye drops upon enrollment. 75% of study participants demonstrated infection with human adenovirus D (HAdV-D). 11% of conjunctivitis was associated with SARS-CoV-2. 15% had no definitive pathogen detected. 8% of all participants had codetection of more than one pathogen on RNA-seq.ConclusionsDuring the COVID-19 Delta surge in India, HAdV-D was the most common pathogen associated with infectious conjunctivitis. SARS-CoV-2 was the second most common associated pathogen. Seasonal surveillance may be necessary for the determination of emerging and reemerging pathogens responsible for infectious conjunctivitis.

BackgroundMolecular diagnostics such as pathogen-directed PCRs have transformed testing for ocular infections since the late 1990s. Although these assays remain important diagnostic tools for samples with low biomass, the lack of diagnostic range motivates alternative molecular approaches for ocular infections. The aim of this study was to determine the performance of a high-throughput RNA sequencing approach, RNA-seq, to detect infectious agents in ocular samples from patients with presumed ocular infections.MethodsWe compared the performance of RNA-seq to pathogen-directed PCRs using remnant nucleic acids from 41 aqueous or vitreous samples of patients with presumed ocular infections. Pathogen-directed PCRs were performed at the CLIA-certified Stanford Clinical Virology Laboratory. RNA-seq was performed in a masked manner at the Proctor Foundation at the University of California San Francisco. Percent positive and negative agreement between the two testing approaches were calculated. Discordant results were subjected to orthogonal testing.ResultsThe positive percent agreement between RNA-seq and pathogen-directed PCRs was 100% (95% confidence interval (CI): 78.5%-100%). The negative percent agreement was 92.6% (95% CI: 76.6%-97.9%). RNA-seq identified pathogens not on the differential diagnosis for 9.7% (4/41) of the samples. Two pathogens solely identified with RNA-seq were confirmed with orthogonal testing.ConclusionsRNA-seq can accurately identify common and rare pathogens in aqueous and vitreous samples of patients with presumed ocular infections. Such an unbiased approach to testing has the potential to improve diagnostics although practical clinical utility warrants additional studies.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a huge challenge to education systems. Most governments around the world have temporarily closed schools, universities, and colleges. At the same time, teachers and students are encouraged to use the online and distance learning programs and platforms as an alternative. In the present study, we proposed a series of innovative solutions in Medical Molecular Biology education during the COVID-19 pandemic in China, including a flipped classroom model, live streaming course, chat Apps, and scientific papers on COVID-19 as additional learning material. Our results demonstrated that these innovations not only help teachers to maintain the teaching process as usual but also be useful for protecting students from psychological trauma. Our study indicates that online education with a well-designed workflow for conducting provides an alternative approach for teachers to maintain quality education during the onset of the emerging crisis.

The 2022 multicountry monkeypox outbreak has been linked primarily to intimate contact among men who have sex with men (1,2). We describe a case of monkeypox in a traveler who [...]

An integrated and projected‐based laboratory course was described, integrating interconnected knowledge points and biochemistry and molecular biology techniques on a research project‐based system. The program, which served as an essential extension of theoretical courses to practice, was conducted with a sophomore of basic medical science who had completed the course in medical biochemistry and molecular biology. This course engaged students in learning "genetic manipulation" and "recombinant DNA technology" to understand the target gene's role in disease mechanics, thus altering evaluation and treatment for clinical disease. Students could master applied and advanced techniques, such as cell culture, transfection, inducing exogenous fusion protein expression, purifying protein and its concentration assay, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and western bot analysis. This laboratory exercise links laboratory practices with the methods of current basic research. Students need to complete the experimental design report and laboratory report, which could be advantageous for improving their ability to write lab summaries and scientific papers in the future. The reliability and validity analyses were conducted on the questionnaire, and we examined students' satisfaction with the course and their gains from the course. The student feedback was generally positive, indicating that the exercise helped consolidate theoretical knowledge, increase scientific research enthusiasm, and provide a powerful tool to be a better person and make informed decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In December 2020, a 61-year-old woman living with HIV/AIDS was tested for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection at a community testing center in California, USA; she produced [...]

Measles is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable, systemic viral disease caused by measles virus (MV), an enveloped, single-stranded, negativesense RNA virus in the genus Morbillivirus, family Paramyxoviridae. MV may cause persistent [...]

Real-time reverse transcription PCR (rRT-PCR) is the standard diagnostic method for coronavirus disease 2019, but it cannot differentiate between actively replicating and inactive virus. Active replication is a critical factor [...]

The ability of clinical laboratories to meet the demand for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) testing is critical for reducing coronavirus disease (COVID-19)-related illness, death, and economic impact. [...]

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a serious threat to public health and is accompanied by increased morbidity and mortality worldwide. Neuronal PAS domain protein2 (NPAS2) has been confirmed as an oncogene in LUAD; however, little is known about its molecular mechanism. Here, the expression level of NPAS2 was detected in LUAD cell lines and 16HBE cells. Gain‐ and loss‐of‐function experiments were performed. Cell Counting Kit‐8, colony formation, flow cytometry, wound‐healing and Transwell assays were conducted to assess cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion, respectively. Reprogramming of glucose metabolism was evaluated via oxygen consumption rate (OCR), complexes activities, lactic production and glucose consumption. The expression of critical proteins was examined by western blot. We demonstrated aberrant upregulation of NPAS2 and β‐arrestin‐1 (ARRB1) in LUAD cell lines. ARRB1 was found to be a critical transcription factor of NPAS2 with binding sites within the promoter region of NPAS2, thereby causing its transcriptional activation. Functional experiments revealed that NPAS2 depletion significantly inhibited the malignant behaviours of A549 cells by suppressing cell proliferation, migration, invasion and epithelial‐mesenchymal transition and promoting cell apoptosis. Meanwhile, NPAS2 depletion increased OCR and activities of complexes (I, II, III and V), and reduced lactic acid production and glucose uptake in A549 cells, indicating that NPAS2 depletion inhibited aerobic glycolysis, accompanied by reduced expression of glycolytic enzymes. However, the changes caused by NPAS2 knockdown were partly restored by ARRB1 overexpression. In conclusion, our study suggests that ARRB1 could transcriptionally activate NPAS2, facilitating malignant activities and glycolysis, and ultimately promoting the progression of LUAD, proving a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of LUAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dengue virus (DENV) is a reemerging arbovirus with an expansive worldwide range (1). Recent modeling studies suggest wider dengue circulation in Africa than previously recognized (2). In addition, both major [...]

The rapid development and popularization of smart phones and mobile internet has created a new social lifestyle, and correspondingly prompts the transformation of network teaching from desktop computer to mobile teaching. This article has compared the pros and cons of Tsinghua Education Online and WeChat official account (WOA) in fulfilling teaching functions. We also described the construction of WOA platform with the example of WOA-based teaching in biochemistry and molecular biology. The platform can establish nearly 75 menu catalogs and 2,250 items, which is capable for the publication of any types of teaching materials and information. The WOA teaching is well accepted and becomes popular in China due to the free, interactive, attractive, adaptable, portable, sustainable, and more participatory teaching styles.

High specific capacity and long cycle life are the key to high-performance lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries, but they are hard to achieve simultaneously due to the notorious polysulfide shuttle effect. Transition metal oxide nanocatalysts are expected to help address the above issue, but their low conductivity and cumbersome synthesis process limit their application. Here, we propose a defect engineering strategy to induce electron rearrangement by heteroatom doping. Boron-doped spinel-type oxide (B-ZnCo2O4‑x) is synthesized by a two-step hydrothermal method for separator modification. The boron-produced oxygen vacancy (OV) increases unsaturated sites by changing the electron cloud density, and therefore, the B-ZnCo2O4‑x nanocatalyst can reduce the reaction energy barrier and accelerate the nucleation and activation rate of Li2S. Meanwhile, the unique pore defects effectively increase the Li+ flux and ensure battery performance at a high rate and high sulfur loading. The battery equipped with a B-ZnCo2O4‑x-modified separator delivered an initial specific capacity of 1108 mAh g–1 at 0.2 C and a capacity retention rate of 80.4% at 0.5 C after 200 cycles. In particular, at a high sulfur loading of 10.0 mg cm–2, the battery yielded a first-cycle capacity of 1321.9 mAh g–1. This work demonstrates that boron-doping-enabled defect engineering is an effective strategy to improve the catalytic activity of transition metal oxides for application in Li–S batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]