Cristopher M. Niell
Jul 23, 2008; 28:7520-7536
BehavioralSystemsCognitive

A newly discovered pyramid yields a baffling mystery: A royal tomb, usually reserved for kings, is found to contain a mystery woman. Who was she and why was she given such a great honor?

Attention has been paid to H5N6 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) because of its heavy burden on the poultry industry and human mortality. Since an influenza A virus carrying N6 neuraminidase (NA) has never spread in humans, the potential for H5N6 HPAIV to cause disease in humans and the efficacy of antiviral drugs against the virus need to be urgently assessed. We used non-human primates to elucidate the pathogenesis of H5N6 HPAIV as well as to determine the efficacy of antiviral drugs against the virus. H5N6 HPAIV infection led to high fever in cynomolgus macaques. The lung injury caused by the virus was severe with diffuse alveolar damage and neutrophil infiltration. In addition, an increase in IFN-α showed an inverse correlation with virus titers during the infection process. Oseltamivir was effective for reducing H5N6 HPAIV propagation, and continuous treatment with peramivir reduced virus propagation and severity of symptoms in the early stage. This study also showed the pathologically severe lung injury states in the cynomolgus macaques infected with H5N6 HPAIV, even in those that received early antiviral drug treatments, indicating the need for close monitoring and the need for further studies on the virus pathogenicity and new antiviral therapies.

Math teachers are more likely to be using highly-rated curricula than English-language arts teachers, according to a new analysis from the RAND Corporation.

The Congress has mandated that the H1-B visa has an annual limit cap of 65,000 visas during each fiscal year. Moreover, the first 20,000 petitions filed by beneficiaries having a US master's degree get an exemption from the cap.A few major changes Presently,…

A merit-based immigration plan being put together by Jared Kushner, White House senior adviser it could lead to an escalation in US visas for extremely skilled workers, sources revealed on 24 Apr 2019.Merit-based Immigration ProposalKushner is assumed…

Hello Spectre Users, Simulating S-parameters in a time domain (transient, periodic steady state) simulator has been and continues to be a challenge for many analog and RF designers. I'm often asked: What is required in order to achieve accurate...(read more)

Hi All, If you were unable to attend IMS 2017 in June 2017, the IMS MicroApp “7 Habits of Highly Successful S-Parameters” is on our Cadence website. On Cadence Online Support , the in-depth AppNote is here: 20466646 . Best regards, Tawna...(read more)

Farakh Rashid v Teyub Nasrullah (Acting as Executor of the Estate of the late Mohammed Rashid) [2018] EWCA Civ 2685 The Court of Appeal has decided that a registered owner of land can also be in adverse possession of the same land. The late Mohammed...

Chambers & Partners, an independent editorial and research team recently published the latest editions of Chambers Global and Chambers Europe legal guides. We are proud to announce that Eversheds Sutherland Ots & Co has again been highly...

Coronavirus has taught us that we do not need to leave our homes to get groceries and supplies.

Ducks usually show little or no clinical signs following highly pathogenic avian influenza virus infection. In order to analyze whether the microbiota could contribute to the control of influenza virus replication in ducks, we used a broad-spectrum oral antibiotic treatment to deplete the microbiota before infection with a highly pathogenic H5N9 avian influenza virus. Antibiotic-treated ducks and nontreated control ducks did not show any clinical signs following H5N9 virus infection. We did not detect any significant difference in virus titers neither in the respiratory tract nor in the brain nor spleen. However, we found that antibiotic-treated H5N9 virus-infected ducks had significantly increased intestinal virus excretion at days 3 and 5 postinfection. This was associated with a significantly decreased antiviral immune response in the intestine of antibiotic-treated ducks. Our findings highlight the importance of an intact microbiota for an efficient control of avian influenza virus replication in ducks.

IMPORTANCE Ducks are frequently infected with avian influenza viruses belonging to multiple subtypes. They represent an important reservoir species of avian influenza viruses, which can occasionally be transmitted to other bird species or mammals, including humans. Ducks thus have a central role in the epidemiology of influenza virus infection. Importantly, ducks usually show little or no clinical signs even following infection with a highly pathogenic avian influenza virus. We provide evidence that the microbiota contributes to the control of influenza virus replication in ducks by modulating the antiviral immune response. Ducks are able to control influenza virus replication more efficiently when they have an intact intestinal microbiota. Therefore, maintaining a healthy microbiota by limiting perturbations to its composition should contribute to the prevention of avian influenza virus spread from the duck reservoir.

On 31 December 2019, the World Health Organization was informed of a cluster of cases of pneumonia of unknown etiology in Wuhan, China. Subsequent investigations identified a novel coronavirus, now named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), from the affected patients. Highly sensitive and specific laboratory diagnostics are important for controlling the rapidly evolving SARS-CoV-2-associated coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic. In this study, we developed and compared the performance of three novel real-time reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) assays targeting the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp)/helicase (Hel), spike (S), and nucleocapsid (N) genes of SARS-CoV-2 with that of the reported RdRp-P2 assay, which is used in >30 European laboratories. Among the three novel assays, the COVID-19-RdRp/Hel assay had the lowest limit of detection in vitro (1.8 50% tissue culture infective doses [TCID₅₀]/ml with genomic RNA and 11.2 RNA copies/reaction with in vitro RNA transcripts). Among 273 specimens from 15 patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 in Hong Kong, 77 (28.2%) were positive by both the COVID-19-RdRp/Hel and RdRp-P2 assays. The COVID-19-RdRp/Hel assay was positive for an additional 42 RdRp-P2-negative specimens (119/273 [43.6%] versus 77/273 [28.2%]; P < 0.001), including 29/120 (24.2%) respiratory tract specimens and 13/153 (8.5%) non-respiratory tract specimens. The mean viral load of these specimens was 3.21 x 10⁴ RNA copies/ml (range, 2.21 x 10² to 4.71 x 10⁵ RNA copies/ml). The COVID-19-RdRp/Hel assay did not cross-react with other human-pathogenic coronaviruses and respiratory pathogens in cell culture and clinical specimens, whereas the RdRp-P2 assay cross-reacted with SARS-CoV in cell culture. The highly sensitive and specific COVID-19-RdRp/Hel assay may help to improve the laboratory diagnosis of COVID-19.

Lactoferrin (LF) is a multifunctional milk protein with antimicrobial activity against a range of pathogens. While numerous studies report that LF is active against fungi, there are considerable differences in the level of antifungal activity and the capacity of LF to interact with other drugs. Here we undertook a comprehensive evaluation of the antifungal spectrum of activity of three defined sources of LF across 22 yeast and 24 mold species and assessed its interactions with six widely used antifungal drugs. LF was broadly and consistently active against all yeast species tested (MICs, 8 to 64 μg/ml), with the extent of activity being strongly affected by iron saturation. LF was synergistic with amphotericin B (AMB) against 19 out of 22 yeast species tested, and synergy was unaffected by iron saturation but was affected by the extent of LF digestion. LF-AMB combination therapy significantly prolonged the survival of Galleria mellonella wax moth larvae infected with Candida albicans or Cryptococcus neoformans and decreased the fungal burden 12- to 25-fold. Evidence that LF directly interacts with the fungal cell surface was seen via scanning electron microscopy, which showed pore formation, hyphal thinning, and major cell collapse in response to LF-AMB synergy. Important virulence mechanisms were disrupted by LF-AMB treatment, which significantly prevented biofilms in C. albicans and C. glabrata, inhibited hyphal development in C. albicans, and reduced cell and capsule size and phenotypic diversity in Cryptococcus. Our results demonstrate the potential of LF-AMB as an antifungal treatment that is broadly synergistic against important yeast pathogens, with the synergy being attributed to the presence of one or more LF peptides.

Although they are usually not considered to be diabetes complications, musculoskeletal disorders (MSKDs) are common in individuals with type 1 or type 2 diabetes and can strongly interfere with daily diabetes care, especially in people using diabetes technologies. The authors of this retrospective study in a population of 140 patients with type 1 diabetes report the distribution of subtypes of MSKDs and speculate about the mechanisms involved. The authors emphasize the need for multidisciplinary care involving not only the diabetes care team but also orthopedic surgeons. This report should lead to large, prospective studies to increase knowledge about these under-studied complications.

Hydrogen is a possible next generation energy solution, and it can be produced from sunlight and water using photocatalysts. A research group has now developed a strategy that greatly increases the amount of hydrogen produced using hematite photocatalysts. In addition to boosting the high efficiency of what is thought to be the world's highest performing photoanode, this strategy will be applied to artificial photosynthesis and solar water-splitting technologies via university-industry collaborations.

Bosses at John Lewis have started talks on which department stores should keep their doors permanently closed once the coronavirus lockdown ends, according to sources.

A 20-year-old man who threw a teenage girl over a stairwell balcony after an argument at a "pre-trial party" has been sentenced to 14 years in prison.

- Libtayo decreased the risk of death by 32.4% compared to chemotherapy

Photo Courtesy of Millionaire-Maker PackageOh how we love to hate the filthy rich--even more so in these tough economic times. While the rest of us mere mortals are struggling to make ends meet, the hyper-rich live by the motto "if you've got it,

Computers and technology let designers do things that were unimaginable just a decade ago.

Highly refined mineral oils are safe to be used in cosmetics assures German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) and its related study. The

Experience yields great results has been proved in this study. Exceptional post-operative success rates of pediatric thyroid patients, particularly children

The migration of women is a growing phenomenon in most countries. About half of all international migrants are women, according to OECD data. Over the years, the body of knowledge on the participation of highly skilled women to migration flows has increased but despite this growing knowledge, there is low visibility of research findings for policy makers and multilateral organizations.

How far to go – and to remain – in the direction of highly expansionary monetary policy hinges on the balance of marginal benefits and costs of additional monetary easing and its expected evolution over time. This paper sketches a framework for assessing this balance and applies it to four OECD economic areas: the euro area, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The prospective normalisation of monetary policies in the main OECD areas will be challenging given that current policy rates are likely to be significantly below neutral levels and that central bank balance sheets will be above the pre-crisis levels by a wide margin.

Airline calls shareholder vote on directors in latest escalation of dispute

One of Latin America’s top real estate developers puts some of his triumphs down to luck

The explosive device used in the Manchester terror attack was ‘highly similar’ to bombs used by Islamic State jihadis in the 2015 Paris attacks.

EXCLUSIVE BY DANIEL MATTHEWS: Anthony Joshua's heavyweight rematch with Andy Ruiz Jnr was the most-watched event on burgeoning streaming platform DAZN in 2019.

Rachel Johnson reveals the challenges of life in the public eye and behind the scenes of the 'Westminster bubble' in her book, Rake's Progress, My Political Midlife Crisis.

Detailed analysis of the bones from a site at Paliokastro, on the Greek island of Thasos, revealed a muscle-bound horse-riding warrior underwent 'extraordinary' surgery.

Retailing at $150, it comes with a custom black carton, which features a carrying handle. One special edition includes an 18-carat gold plated sculpture book stand, which goes for $5.5k.

The undefeated boxer has not fought since defeating Conor McGregor in 2017, but a deal appears to have been agreed that will see Mayweather face off against an unnamed UFC fighter.

The former One Direction star was clad in a knitted short-sleeved sweater worn atop a white shirt and a pair of checked trousers to shoot scenes in St Abbs, Scotland on Thursday

It's understood that the former One Direction singer could be returning Down Under as early as mid-November or December 2020.

Australia were due to play three ODIs and three Twenty20s against England from July 3 and ECB chief executive Tom Harrison last week expressed hopes that they would still go ahead.

The 38-year-old, currently ranked three in the world, had committed to playing the inaugural tournament in Australia at the start of 2020, but has opted out in order to spend more time with his family.

Swansea City manager Steve Cooper is keen to sign Reece James from Chelsea. James is recovering from damaging ankle ligaments nd much will hinge on his rehabilitation timeframe.

The 22-year-old Wales international has returned to Steve Cooper's starting line-up in recent weeks after recovering from an ankle injury that had sidelined him since October.

Researchers at the University of Hertfordshire brought 100 mobile phones listed on eBay and found 19 per cent contained personally identifiable information.

Antibody tests can tell whether a person has ever been infected and are considered crucial in efforts to get Americans back to work safely as the presence of antibodies to the virus indicate possible immunity to future infection.