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Viruses are the most numerically abundant biological entities on Earth. As ubiquitous replicators of molecular information and agents of community change, viruses have potent effects on the life on Earth, and may play a critical role in human spaceflight, for life-detection missions to other planetary bodies and planetary protection. However, major knowledge gaps constrain our understanding of the Earth's virosphere: (1) the role viruses play in biogeochemical cycles, (2) the origin(s) of viruses and (3) the involvement of viruses in the evolution, distribution and persistence of life. As viruses are the only replicators that span all known types of nucleic acids, an expanded experimental and theoretical toolbox built for Earth's viruses will be pivotal for detecting and understanding life on Earth and beyond. Only by filling in these knowledge and technical gaps we will obtain an inclusive assessment of how to distinguish and detect life on other planetary surfaces. Meanwhile, space exploration requires life-support systems for the needs of humans, plants and their microbial inhabitants. Viral effects on microbes and plants are essential for Earth's biosphere and human health, but virus–host interactions in spaceflight are poorly understood. Viral relationships with their hosts respond to environmental changes in complex ways which are difficult to predict by extrapolating from Earth-based proxies. These relationships should be studied in space to fully understand how spaceflight will modulate viral impacts on human health and life-support systems, including microbiomes. In this review, we address key questions that must be examined to incorporate viruses into Earth system models, life-support systems and life detection. Tackling these questions will benefit our efforts to develop planetary protection protocols and further our understanding of viruses in astrobiology.

A colloidal droplet is an integral part of spray-drying based applications such as food, pharmaceuticals, drug delivery, etc. The complex physico-chemical dynamics determine the final structures obtained in the process. Therefore, a complete understanding of the different forces involved and the evaluation of the governing parameters is crucial to control the final morphologies as desired. The evaporation-induced dynamics are studied in milk droplets placed on hydrophobic substrates under natural drying condition. Experiments were performed systematically by varying the initial concentration of protein (BSA) in the droplets. The results were analyzed using energy-based models. Capillary forces and inter-particle interaction are found to have dominating effects upon the particle deposition in the evaporating droplets. Furthermore, inclusion of protein beyond a threshold initial concentration leads to buckling instability which produces cavitated structures. Maintenance of hydrophobicity for a sufficient amount of time is an important criterion to initiate the buckling instability. Our study provides physical insights into the dynamics involved in desiccating droplets, including the buckling dynamics. These insights have far-reaching implications in spray-based industries

The role of viruses has been studied extensively for use as curative cancer therapies. However, the natural immunogenicity of viruses and their interaction with the host’s immune system needs to be examined to determine the full effectiveness of the viral treatment. The prevalence of cancer is increasing globally, and treatments are needed to support the increasing body of patient care. Oncolytic viral therapies used existing pathogenic viruses, which are genetically modified to not cause disease in humans when administered using a vaccine viral vector. Immunotherapies are another avenue of recent interest that has gained much traction. This review will discuss oncolytic viral approaches using three DNA-based viruses, including herpes simplex virus (HSV), vaccinia virus, and adenovirus; as well as four RNA-based viruses, including reovirus, Newcastle disease virus (NDV), poliovirus, and measles virus (MV). It also examines the novel field of cancer-based immunotherapies.

Sunlight exposure during pregnancy could be implicated in the physiological development and growth of the fetus, as well as long-term health after birth. Although several studies suggest the involvement of ultraviolet radiation-mediated vitamin D synthesis, current knowledge regarding the effects of sunlight exposure during pregnancy remains limited. We aimed to (i) summarize the existing body of research studying the influence of sunlight exposure on fetal growth-related birth outcomes and long-term health outcomes and (ii) determine its implications for therapeutics and public health policy. Of the studies identified on birth outcomes, the majority (5/8) demonstrated an association between sunlight exposure and reduced adverse birth outcomes (e.g., low birth weight, preterm births, small for gestational age, etc.), 2/8 studies showed no association, and 1/8 suggested a negative association between sunlight exposure and reduction of these adverse birth outcomes. Of the studies examining long-term health outcomes, sunlight exposure during pregnancy was shown to promote skeletal growth and development (2/6), and reduce the incidence of multiple sclerosis (2/6), asthma (2/6) and pneumonia (1/6). However, several of these studies used different methodologies and populations making it difficult to compare and integrate findings. Based on these results, we examined: the importance of exposure at different stages of pregnancy, proposed mechanisms by which sunlight exposure could lead to optimal outcomes, epidemiological differences influencing the findings, and necessary practical considerations prior to the implementation of public health policy recommendations. While these findings are promising, more rigorous research is warranted to support these recommendations.

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In this commentary, we strive to illustrate common misconceptions of the dopamine fasting fad that has become popular among wellness enthusiasts and purported by health gurus. Here, we review the proposed Dopamine fasting technique for managing behavioral addictions as proposed by California psychiatrist Dr. Cameron Sepah. We first summarize correct and incorrect interpretations of what Dopamine fasting involves. Next, we contextualize the role of dopamine as it relates to behavioral modification interventions for addiction. Particularly, we discuss the role of dopamine in behavioral addiction and the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques for various addictions which are the basis of the proposed dopamine fasting technique. While we see potential for dopamine fasting to offer significant benefits to individuals, we highlight the limitation of the self‐guided aspect of dopamine fasting, which could pose physical and emotional harm to individuals if the guideline is misinterpreted or misused as the sole treatment for severe disorders which require clinician input. Future studies should aim to assess not only the scientific efficacy of dopamine fasting as a potential treatment approach for behavioral addiction, but also the needs and well‐being of individuals who seek self‐directed treatment from popular media trends.

In 2020, we are facing unprecedented times, and as some form of lockdown continues with no signs of ending feelings of hopelessness are completely natural and understandable. Unprecedented times does not mean that these current issues and struggles have never been faced by humanity before, however. The Spanish Flu which took place after World War One and the Black Death that was rampant in Asia and Europe in the 14th century quickly come to mind as examples of past pandemics, but these are only two examples of devastating diseases throughout human history. The Plague of Athens that was raging during the beginning of the Peloponnesian War in 430 BCE is another such example. Though removed from our current situation by many centuries, its symptoms and the effects it had on the population of Athens have been meticulously recorded by the general and historian Thucydides, giving us the opportunity to compare his account to our own experiences today. The disease may be different, and the image he portrays may be more violent and desperate than our own, but nonetheless we can see similarities in how these two separate societies have reacted to unforeseen hardships. In this comparison, we can come to understand at once our own good fortune at going through a pandemic with the support of modern technology and medicine as well as how universal our reactions are to this type of suffering, thereby making it natural rather than shameful. Humanity has faced a great deal of diversity before, and COVID-19 will likely prove to be no different.

While much attention has been given to the phenomenon of boiling, the underlying physics and mechanisms are still not fully understood due to its complicated and illusive nature. In this study, an experimental investigation of subcooled pool boiling of de-ionized (DI) water, at a bulk temperature of 30 °C and atmospheric pressure, was performed on a platinum wire with a diameter of 250 μm, starting from the onset of nucleate boiling (ONB) point and rising to higher heat fluxes. A high speed camera system was utilized for visualization. Images of bubbles growth, migration, coalescence, leaping and detachment were recorded. Each of these events was investigated separately, and a comprehensive discussion undertaken. High speed camera images were analyzed by taking the most important parameters, such as surface tension, bubble-bubble interactions, nucleation site-bubble interactions, Marangoni convection and accumulation of non-condensable gases inside the bubbles. Lower applied heat fluxes led to bubble nucleation from the nucleation sites and slow growth of bubbles to a certain diameter, which were ready to migrate along the wire. Increasing the heat flux made the bubbles grow faster and favored coalescence, leaping and detaching that be observed one after another due to an increase in the temperature gradient and perturbation of the temperature field near the nucleation sites. Another important mechanism considered was the momentum of the non-condensable gases inside the bubbles, especially while the bubble tail disappeared and the bubble shrank whilst stopping near an immobile bubble or near the nucleation sites.

Very few studies evaluated the impact of acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) on heart failure (HF) hospitalization risk following an acute myocardial infarction (AMI). For this retrospective cohort analysis, we identified adult AMI survivors from January to June 2014 from the United States Nationwide Readmissions Database. Outcomes were a 6-month HF, fatal HF, composite of HF during the AMI or a 6-month HF, and a composite of 6-month HF or death during a non-HF-related admission. We analyzed differences in outcomes across categories of patients without renal injury, AKI without CKD, stable CKD, AKI on CKD, and end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Of 237,549 AMI survivors, AKI was present in 13.8%, CKD in 16.5%, ESRD in 3.4%, and AKI on CKD in 7.7%. Patients with renal failure had lower coronary revascularization rates and higher in-hospital HF. A 6-month HF hospitalization occurred in 12,934 patients (5.4%). Compared with patients without renal failure (3.3%), 6-month HF admission rate was higher in patients with AKI on CKD (14.6%; odds ratio [OR] 1.99; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.81 to 2.19), ESRD (11.2%; OR 1.57; 95% CI 1.36 to 1.81), stable CKD (10.7%; OR 1.72; 95% CI 1.56 to 1.88), and AKI (8.6%; OR 1.52; 95% CI 1.36 to 1.70). Results were generally homogenous in prespecified subgroups and for the other outcomes. In conclusion, 1 in 4 AMI survivors had either acute or chronic renal failure. The presence of any form of renal failure was associated with a substantially increased risk of 6-month HF hospitalizations and associated mortality with the highest risk associated with AKI on CKD.

Thousands of exoplanets orbit nearby stars and the possibility that one of them may contain extraterrestrial life should be explored. Earth’s atmospheric spectrum has a few characteristic gases (O2,CH4,N2O) and others are posited to appear on exo-Earths (e.g., dimethyl sulfide and CH3Cl). Seager et al. (2016) provided a list of potential biosignatures that could be examined to allow for the further narrowing of gases that could be valuable in determining exoplanet habitability and signs of life. Here, we build on this previous work by examining gas stability and volatility in Earth-like temperatures and pressures. This allows us to further refine the number of potential gases that are useful. We draw and expand upon two viable biosignature gases: Methyl chloride (CH3Cl) and dimethyl sulfide (CH3SCH3or DMS). The biggest limitation is this: the biochemistry and ecology of a potential biosignature vary even among Earth-life and so cannot be assumed to be the same on other worlds.

Recently, the TOI-700 System was characterized as the first habitable-zone Earth-sized planet using TransitingExoplanetSurvey Satellite (TESS). Ground-based follow-up combined with diagnostic vetting and validation tests enables this system to rule out common astrophysical false-positive scenarios and validate the planetary data. However, TESS systems are restricted by a Nyquist limit that can interfere with internal structure data, especially at different oscillation modes. Another key limitation is the necessity of an ultra-stable light source for standardization purposes. Although several studies have shown promise, reliable data has yet to be validated.