Project description:=Since the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan City in December of 2019, numerous model predictions on the COVID-19 epidemics in Wuhan and other parts of China have been reported. These model predictions have shown a wide range of variations. In our study, we demonstrate that nonidentifiability in model calibrations using the confirmed-case data is the main reason for such wide variations. Using the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) for model selection, we show that an SIR model performs much better than an SEIR model in representing the information contained in the confirmed-case data. This indicates that predictions using more complex models may not be more reliable compared to using a simpler model. We present our model predictions for the COVID-19 epidemic in Wuhan after the lockdown and quarantine of the city on January 23, 2020. We also report our results of modeling the impacts of the strict quarantine measures undertaken in the city after February 7 on the time course of the epidemic, and modeling the potential of a second outbreak after the return-to-work in the city.
Project description:The snow samples were collected in winter 2018 in Moscow city and its regions. The molten water was filtrated triugh a paper filter and extracted with dichloromathene. The extracts were further analysed with GC-HRMS.
Project description:The 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster initiated a series of catastrophic events resulting in long-term and widespread environmental contamination. We characterize the genetic structure of 302 dogs representing three free-roaming dog populations living within the power plant itself, or 15-45 km from the disaster site. Genome-wide profiles from Chernobyl, purebred, and free-breeding dogs world-wide reveal that the individuals from the power plant and Chernobyl City are genetically distinct, with the former displaying increased intrapopulation genetic similarity and differentiation. Analysis of shared ancestral genome segments highlights differences in the extent and timing of western breed introgression. Kinship analysis reveals 15 families, with the largest spanning all collection sites within the radioactive exclusion zone, reflecting migration of dogs between the power plant and Chernobyl City. This study presents the first characterization of a domestic species in Chernobyl, establishing their relevance for genetic studies into the effects of exposure to long-term, low-dose ionizing radiation.
Project description:Ethiopia indigenous chicken breeds are typically divided into low and high altitude chicken breeds. Firstly, representative city of low altitude such as Awash is an altitude of around 950 meters above sea level and have a climate which is humidity and high temperature with 37℃ between May and June. Secondly, representative city of high altitude such as Addis Ababa is the capital of Ethiopia in eastern Africa and this city is an altitude of over 2,400 meters above sea level and has a climate which is generally comparable with the average annual temperature of around 16℃. These chicken breeds are adapted to the environmental (climate, temperature and altitude) on the city. Moreover, in Awash, chicken breed is more adapted to heat resistance. So we generated RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data of Ethiopia indigenous chicken breeds such as low altitude chicken breed (adapted heat) and high altitude chicken breed (Non-adapted heat) to compare the gene expression profiling induced by heat stress (HS). Therefore, we identified 13 hub differentially expressed genes (DEGs) using cuffdiff within cufflinks, which validated by real-time quantitative-PCR (qRT-PCR) in Kenya chicken breed for biological and technical validation. These hub DEGs were subjected to pathway enrichment, protein/protein interaction, and the partial correlation coefficient with information theory (PCIT) to determine their involvement in heat stress and immune response. Our findings suggest that not only hub DEGs but also many others DEGs may play a role in heat stress and immune response.
Project description:A novel coronavirus pneumonia, first identified in Wuhan City and referred to as COVID-19 by the World Health Organization, has been quickly spreading to other cities and countries. To control the epidemic, the Chinese government mandated a quarantine of the Wuhan city on January 23, 2020. To explore the effectiveness of the quarantine of the Wuhan city against this epidemic, transmission dynamics of COVID-19 have been estimated. A well-mixed "susceptible exposed infectious recovered" (SEIR) compartmental model was employed to describe the dynamics of the COVID-19 epidemic based on epidemiological characteristics of individuals, clinical progression of COVID-19, and quarantine intervention measures of the authority. Considering infected individuals as contagious during the latency period, the well-mixed SEIR model fitting results based on the assumed contact rate of latent individuals are within 6-18, which represented the possible impact of quarantine and isolation interventions on disease infections, whereas other parameter were suppose as unchanged under the current intervention. The present study shows that, by reducing the contact rate of latent individuals, interventions such as quarantine and isolation can effectively reduce the potential peak number of COVID-19 infections and delay the time of peak infection.
2020-10-28 | BIOMD0000000970 | BioModels
Project description:Cultural relics bricks unearthed from the Mausoleum of the Dingtao King
Project description:An NFkB target gene array (Panomics, Inc., Redwood City, CA) was performed to profile the expression pattern of 107 NFkB-regulated genes in mouse embryonic stem cells. A small scale microarray was carried out using NFkB target gene array kit (Panomics, Inc., Redwood City, CA). A long sense-strand oligonucleotide for each of the 107 human genes that have been previously shown to be regulated by NFkB signaling pathway was spotted in duplicate on the nitrocellulose membrane. Biotinylated DNA was spotted along the right and bottom sides of the array membrane as control. The arrays were performed according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Keywords: embryonic stem cell differentiation
Project description:Background: Epigenetic marks, like asthma, are heritable. They are influenced by the environment, direct the maturation of T cellslymphocytes, and have been shown to enhance the development of allergic airways disease in mice. Thus, we hypothesized that epigenetic marks are associated with allergic asthma in inner-city children. Methods: We compared methylation patterns and gene expression in inner-city children with persistent atopic asthma versus healthy controls, using DNA and RNA from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from inner city children aged 6-12 years with persistent atopic asthma children and healthy controls. Results were externally validated with the GABRIELA study population. Results: Comparing asthmatics (N=97) to controls (N=97), we identified 81 regions that were differentially methylated. Several immune genes were hypomethylated in asthmatics, including IL-13, RUNX3, and a number of specific genes relevant to natural killer cells (KIR2DL4, KIR2DL3, KIR3DL1, and KLRD1) and T cells lymphocytes (TIGIT). 14 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were associated with the serum IgE concentration of IgE, including RUNX3. These results were internally and externally validated with a global methylation assessment using a different methodology in our inner-city cohort and an independent European cohort (GABRIELA). Hypo- and hypermethylated genes tended to be associated with increased and decreased gene expression, respectively (P<0.6x10-11 for asthma and ; P<0.01 for IgE). To further explore the relationship between methylation and gene expression, we created a matrix of genomic changes in methylation versus transcriptional changes (methyl eQTL) for asthma, and identified cis- and trans-regulated genes whose expression was related to asthma asthma-associated methylation marks.