Request a woman scientist: A database for diversifying the public face of science.

A global online register of women scientists, ready to share their science, was established by a cohort of volunteer women from the grassroots organization 500 Women Scientists on January 17th, 2018. In less than one year, the database "Request a Woman Scientist" comprised over 7,500 women from 174 scientific disciplines and 133 countries. The database is built upon a voluntary questionnaire regarding career stage, degree, scientific discipline, geographic location, and other self-identifying dimensions of representation. The information was visualized using the software platform Tableau, with dropdown menus that help query the database and output a list of names, email addresses, and websites. The biological sciences and women scientists from the United States of America were best represented in the database. A survey of women in the database conducted in November 2018 showed that of 1,278 respondents, 11% had been contacted since signing up for a variety of engagements, including media, peer review, panel participation, educational outreach, and professional/research connections. These engagements resulted in consultations for articles, video chats with students, and speaking opportunities at conferences and events. With improved functionality and marketing, outreach in the global south, and future translation in other languages, this database will further promote the profile and participation of women scientists across society, which in turn will benefit the advancement of science.

Pseudouridylation meets next-generation sequencing.

The isomerization of uridine to pseudouridine (Ψ), known as pseudouridylation, is the most abundant post-transcriptional modification of stable RNAs. Due to technical limitations in pseudouridine detection methods, studies on pseudouridylation have historically focused on ribosomal RNAs, transfer RNAs, and spliceosomal small nuclear RNAs, where Ψs play a critical role in RNA biogenesis and function. Recently, however, a series of deep sequencing methods-Pseudo-seq, Ψ-seq, PSI-seq, and CeU-seq-has been published to map Ψ positions across the entire transcriptome with single nucleotide resolution. These data have greatly expanded the catalogue of pseudouridylated transcripts, which include messenger RNAs and noncoding RNAs. Furthermore, these methods have revealed conditionally-dependent sites of pseudouridylation that appear in response to cellular stress, suggesting that pseudouridylation may play a role in dynamically modulating RNA function. Collectively, these methods have opened the door to further study of the biological relevance of naturally occurring Ψs. However, an in-depth comparison of these techniques and their results has not yet been undertaken despite all four methods relying on the same basic principle: Ψ detection through selective chemical labeling by the carbodiimide known as CMC. In this article, we will outline the currently available high-throughput Ψ-detection methods and present a comparative analysis of their results. We will then discuss the merits and limitations of these approaches, including those inherent in CMC conjugation, and their potential to further elucidate the function of this ubiquitous and dynamic modification.

Base J and H3.V Regulate Transcriptional Termination in Trypanosoma brucei.

Trypanosoma brucei is a protozoan parasite that lacks many transcription factors found in other eukaryotes, such as those whose binding demarcates enhancers. T. brucei retains histone variants and modifications, however, and it is hypothesized that it relies on epigenetic marks to define transcription-related boundaries. The histone H3 variant (H3.V) and an alternate nucleotide, base J (ß-D-glucosyl-hydroxymethyluracil), are two chromatin marks found at both transcription termination sites (TTSs) and telomeres. Here, we report that the absence of both base J and H3.V result in transcription readthrough and the appearance of antisense transcripts near TTSs. Additionally, we find that maintaining the transcriptional silencing of pol I-transcribed telomeric Variant Surface Glycoprotein (VSG) genes appears to be dependent on deposition of H3.V alone. Our study reveals that gene expression depends on different epigenetic cues depending on chromosomal location and on the transcribing polymerase. This work provides insight into how these signals may have evolved into the more nuanced and fine-tuned gene regulatory mechanisms observed in other model systems.

Reduction of chronic non-specific low back pain: a randomised controlled clinical trial on acupuncture and baclofen.

BACKGROUND: Chronic non-specific low back pain (LBP) is a prevalent (80%) and multi-dimensional illness. This study aims to test whether acupuncture, baclofen, or combined treatment with acupuncture and baclofen alleviates symptoms of non-specific chronic LBP in men. METHODS: Eight-four (84) men aged 50-60 years with non-specific chronic LBP were randomly assigned to four groups: the baclofen group received only baclofen (30 mg/day); the acupuncture group received only acupuncture at selected acupoints; the acupuncture + baclofen group received combined treatment with acupuncture and baclofen treatments; and the control group received no pain reduction treatment. After five weeks of treatment, visual analogue scale (VAS) and self-reported pain disability with the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RDQ) were conducted for outcome measures. RESULTS: After treatment, the baclofen, acupuncture and acupuncture + baclofen groups all had lower VAS and RDQ scores. Significantly higher reduction and improvement in VAS and RDQ scores were found in the acupuncture and acupuncture + baclofen groups compared to the baclofen group. CONCLUSION: The present study indicates that the combined treatment of acupuncture and baclofen is more effective than baclofen treatment alone to reduce pain in patients with non-specific chronic LBP. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ACTRN12609000698279.