Adapting Undergraduate Research to Remote Work to Increase Engagement

Demand for undergraduate research experiences typically outstrips the available laboratory positions, which could have been exacerbated during the remote work conditions imposed by the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 pandemic. This report presents a collection of examples of how undergraduates have been engaged in research under pandemic work restrictions. Examples include a range of projects related to fluid dynamics, cancer biology, nanomedicine, circadian clocks, metabolic disease, catalysis, and environmental remediation. Adaptations were made that included partnerships between remote and in-person research students and students taking on more data analysis and literature surveys, as well as data mining, computational, and informatics projects. In many cases, these projects engaged students who otherwise would have worked in traditional bench research, as some previously had. Several examples of beneficial experiences are reported, such as the additional time spent studying the literature, which gave students a heightened sense of project ownership, and more opportunities to integrate feedback into writing and research. Additionally, the more intentional and regular communication necessitated by remote work proved beneficial for all team members. Finally, online seminars and conferences have made participation possible for many more students, especially those at predominantly undergraduate institutions. Participants aim to adopt these beneficial practices in our research groups even after pandemic restrictions end.

Home-based immersive virtual reality physical rehabilitation in paediatric patients for upper limb motor impairment: a feasibility study.

Upper limb motor impairment (ULMI) rehabilitation is a long-term, demanding and challenging process to recover motor functionality. Children and adolescents may be limited in daily life activities due to reduced functions such as decreased joint movement or muscle weakness. Home-based therapy with Immersive Virtual Reality can offer greater accessibility, delivery and early rehabilitation to significantly optimise functional outcomes and quality of life. This feasibility study aimed to explore the perceptions and impacts of an immersive and interactive VR scenario suitable for ULMI rehabilitation for children at home. It was analysed using mixed methods (quantitative and qualitative) and from a multidirectional perspective (patients, clinicians and family members). Amongst the main results, it was found that IVR for ULMI home rehabilitation (1) is easy to learn and acceptable; (2) improves motor function; (3) reduces the difficulty in the reproduction of therapeutic movements; (4) is motivating and enjoyable and (5) improves quality of life. This study is the first study on the use of IVR applied to home rehabilitation of ULMI in children. These results suggested that similar outcomes may be possible with self-directed IVR home rehabilitation compared to face to face conventional rehabilitation, which can be costly to both the patient and the healthcare system, decreasing the length of stay at the hospital and treatment duration. It has also presented an innovative solution to the Covid-19 emergency where children could not receive their clinic therapy. Further research is recommended to understand better the mechanisms involved in physiotherapeutic recovery and how IVR rehabilitation helps to improve conventional treatments. Trial Registration Protocol ID NCT05272436. Release Date: 9th March 2022.

Structural domains of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein coordinate to compact long nucleic acid substrates.

The SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N) protein performs several functions including binding, compacting, and packaging the ∼30 kb viral genome into the viral particle. N protein consists of two ordered domains, with the N terminal domain (NTD) primarily associated with RNA binding and the C terminal domain (CTD) primarily associated with dimerization/oligomerization, and three intrinsically disordered regions, an N-arm, a C-tail, and a linker that connects the NTD and CTD. We utilize an optical tweezers system to isolate a long single-stranded nucleic acid substrate to measure directly the binding and packaging function of N protein at a single molecule level in real time. We find that N protein binds the nucleic acid substrate with high affinity before oligomerizing and forming a highly compact structure. By comparing the activities of truncated protein variants missing the NTD, CTD, and/or linker, we attribute specific steps in this process to the structural domains of N protein, with the NTD driving initial binding to the substrate and ensuring high localized protein density that triggers interprotein interactions mediated by the CTD, which forms a compact and stable protein-nucleic acid complex suitable for packaging into the virion.

Steroids and therapeutic lovenox demonstrate synergistic survival benefit in COVID-19 mechanically ventilated patients

RATIONALE As of August 22, 2020 a total of 5,477 COVID-19 positive cases were identified at Elmhurst Hospital Center (EHC), New York, highlighting it as one of the earliest and hardest hit systems globally. Unraveling the COVID-19 pathophysiology remains slow alongside recommendations against autopsies.(1) Eventually COVID 19 placentas with micro-thrombi were identified,(2) as were autopsy confirmed thrombosis of small to mid sized pulmonary vessels with viral inclusion bodies in small bowel intima vasculature.3 The IDSA now supports steroids to counteract the inflammatory storm and reduce mortality.(4, 5) However, recommendations for the management of coagulopathies remain hesitant, citing the lack of descriptive patient characteristics and ineffective reporting of mortality outcomes.(6) METHODS We conducted a retrospective survival analysis on COVID-19 positive mechanically ventilated adults (n=335, 273 male, 62 female) between 3/8/2020 to 5/28/2020. The relative risk of mortality was compared with stratified analyses for hypertension and diabetes. Groups included standard of care (SOC) plus steroids, SOC plus therapeutic lovenox and SOC plus therapeutic lovenox and steroids. The SOC included +/-hydroxychloroquine, +/-azithromycin, +/-additional antibiotics, +/-DVT prophylaxis, sedatives, pressors, IVF and PPIs. RESULTS As of May 28, 2020, 62/335 (19%) mechanically ventilated patients remained alive. The average length of stay for survivors was 31 days. Those receiving SOC plus therapeutic lovenox and steroids demonstrated a survival benefit (33/73, 45%) with a statistically significant reduced relative risk of mortality RR=.5956, 95% CI (.4810-.7374;p<0.0001). Evidence of associations was enhanced in patients receiving SOC plus therapeutic lovenox and steroids with diabetes (n=127) and hypertension (n=140) demonstrating RR= 0.4119, 95% CI (0.2405-0.7057;p=0.0012) and RR=0.5492, 95% CI (0.3955-0.7627;p=0.0003), respectively. The SOC plus lovenox group demonstrated a significant difference in mortality, RR=.7932, 95% CI (.6483-.9704;p=.0244), while the SOC plus steroid group demonstrated no significant difference, RR .9855, 95% CI (.9038-1.0747;p=.7411). CONCLUSION Inflammatory storm and hypercoagulability from COVID 19 can lead to micro thrombosis and organ failure.(7) Our findings suggest that in mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19 infection therapeutic anticoagulation plus steroids synergistically reduced the risk of mortality and should be treatment of choice. Endothelial damage from diabetes and hypertension may hasten dysfunction in COVID-19 infection, thus therapeutic anticoagulation in less severe cases may demonstrate benefit and warrants investigation.(8).