Insights into the specificity for the interaction of the promiscuous SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein N-terminal domain with deoxyribonucleic acids.

The SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein (N) is a multifunctional promiscuous nucleic acid-binding protein, which plays a major role in nucleocapsid assembly and discontinuous RNA transcription, facilitating the template switch of transcriptional regulatory sequences (TRS). Here, we dissect the structural features of the N protein N-terminal domain (N-NTD) and N-NTD plus the SR-rich motif (N-NTD-SR) upon binding to single and double-stranded TRS DNA, as well as their activities for dsTRS melting and TRS-induced liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). Our study gives insights on the specificity for N-NTD(-SR) interaction with TRS. We observed an approximation of the triple-thymidine (TTT) motif of the TRS to ß-sheet II, giving rise to an orientation difference of ~25° between dsTRS and non-specific sequence (dsNS). It led to a local unfavorable energetic contribution that might trigger the melting activity. The thermodynamic parameters of binding of ssTRSs and dsTRS suggested that the duplex dissociation of the dsTRS in the binding cleft is entropically favorable. We showed a preference for TRS in the formation of liquid condensates when compared to NS. Moreover, our results on DNA binding may serve as a starting point for the design of inhibitors, including aptamers, against N, a possible therapeutic target essential for the virus infectivity.

Knowledge About COVID-19 in Brazil: Cross-Sectional Web-Based Study.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 is a highly transmissible illness caused by SARS-CoV-2. The disease has affected more than 200 countries, and the measures that have been implemented to combat its spread, as there is still no vaccine or definitive medication, have been based on supportive interventions and drug repositioning. Brazil, the largest country in South America, has had more than 140,000 recorded deaths and is one of the most affected countries. Despite the extensive quantity of scientifically recognized information, there are still conflicting discussions on how best to face the disease and the virus, especially with regard to social distancing, preventive methods, and the use of medications. OBJECTIVE: The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the Brazilian population's basic knowledge about COVID-19 to demonstrate how Brazilians are managing to identify scientifically proven information. METHODS: A cross-sectional study design was used. An original online questionnaire survey was administered from June 16 to August 21, 2020, across all five different geopolitical regions of the country (ie, the North, Northeast, Center-West, Southeast, and South). The questionnaire was comprised of questions about basic aspects of COVID-19, such as the related symptoms, conduct that should be followed when suspected of infection, risk groups, prevention, transmission, and social distancing. The wrong questionnaire response alternatives were taken from the fake news combat website of the Brazilian Ministry of Health. Participants (aged ≥18 years) were recruited through social networking platforms, including Facebook, WhatsApp, and Twitter. The mean distributions, frequencies, and similarities or dissimilarities between the responses for the different variables of the study were evaluated. The significance level for all statistical tests was less than .05. RESULTS: A total of 4180 valid responses representative of all the states and regions of Brazil were recorded. Most respondents had good knowledge about COVID-19, getting an average of 86.59% of the total score with regard to the basic aspects of the disease. The region, education level, age, sex, and social condition had a significant association (P<.001) with knowledge about the disease, which meant that women, the young, those with higher education levels, nonrecipients of social assistance, and more economically and socially developed regions had more correct answers. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, Brazilians with social media access have a good level of basic knowledge about COVID-19 but with differences depending on the analyzed subgroup. Due to the limitation of the platform used in carrying out the study, care should be taken when generalizing the study findings to populations with less education or who are not used to accessing social networking platforms.

Public perception of COVID-19 in the Triângulo Mineiro region, Minas Gerais state, Brazil: a cross-sectional survey

This was a cross-sectional, anonymous, online survey aimed at assessing the perceptions and basic knowledge of COVID-19, a highly transmissible disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, in a sample population in the Triângulo Mineiro region, Minas Gerais, Brazil. A questionnaire devised by the researchers and distributed through social media was applied between June 16, 2020 and August 21, 2020. The survey consisted of questions about the basic aspects of COVID-19, which included symptoms, risk groups, suspicion of infection, prevention, transmission, and perception regarding social isolation. The average distribution, frequencies, similarities and differences between the responses for the different variables were evaluated. Five hundred twenty valid responses were obtained from participants aged ≥18 years. Most of the respondents showed satisfactory basic knowledge of COVID-19. Moreover, the data showed that the participants scored an average of 87.6%. Sex, age, and socioeconomic vulnerability presented a statistically significant link with knowledge of the disease; women, young participants, and the least socioeconomically vulnerable had the highest scores. This study indicated that the population in the Triângulo Mineiro region able to access social networking platforms were basically well informed regarding COVID-19, although differences were observed depending on the group analyzed.

As ontologias do comum e a psicologia social: fragmentos de uma aposta / Las ontologías del común y la psicología social: fragmentos de una apuesta / The ontologies of the common and social psychology: fragments of a bet

Resumo No presente artigo, pretende-se apresentar as bases ontológicas que possibilitam a emergência de um modo específico de performatizar a Psicologia Social a partir daquilo que denominaremos de ontologias do comum.Ao versarmos sobre a ontologia, o fazemos considerando-a um modo de montar o mundo, sempre revestido de uma dimensão ética, estética e política.É a partir dessa indissociabilidade entre ontologia e ética que nos afastamos da tradição filosófica da representação e nos aproximamos principalmente da perspectiva de Baruch de Espinosa e Friedrich Nietzsche - notadamente junto ao modo como os filósofos franceses Gilles Deleuze e Michel Foucault singularizam as respectivas apropriações destes pensadores.Sob este trabalho de revisão bibliográfica é que, a partir de um mosaico conceitual, gostaríamos de entender alguns conceitos-ferramenta como fundamentais para pensarmos a teoria e a prática de uma Psicologia Social específica na qual apostamos.

Resumen En el presente artículo, se pretende presentar las bases ontológicas que posibilitan la emergencia de un modo específico de performatizar la Psicología Social a partir de lo que denominaremos de ontologías de lo común.Al versar sobre la ontología, lo hacemos considerando un modo de montar el mundo, siempre revestido de una dimensión ética, estética y política.Es a partir de esa indisociación entre ontología y ética que nos alejamos de la tradición filosófica de la representación y nos acercamos principalmente a la perspectiva de Baruch de Espinosa y Friedrich Nietzsche, sobre todo al modo en que los filósofos franceses Gilles Deleuze y Michel Foucault singularizan la apropiación de estos pensadores.En este trabajo de revisión bibliográfica es que, a partir de un mosaico conceptual, quisiéramos entender algunos conceptos-herramienta como fundamentales para pensar la teoría y la práctica de una Psicología Social específica en la que apostamos.

Abstract In this article, we intend to present the ontological foundations that enable the emergence of a specific mode of Social Psychology which we refer to as the common ontologies.When we talk about ontology, we consider it to be a way of assembling the world, always coated with an ethical, aesthetics and politics dimension.It is from this inseparability between ontology and ethics that we move away from the philosophical tradition of representation and we come mainly from the perspective of Baruch Spinoza and Friedrich Nietzsche - notably along the way as the French philosophers Gilles Deleuze and Michel Foucault singularize the work of these thinkers.Under this work of literature review, from a conceptual mosaic, we would like to understand some concepts-tool as essential to think about the theory and practice of a specific Social Psychology in which we bet.