High-pressure Synthesis of Cobalt Polynitrides: Unveiling Intriguing Crystal Structures and Nitridation Behavior.

In this study, we conduct extensive high-pressure experiments to investigate phase stability in the cobalt-nitrogen system. Through a combination of synthesis in a laser-heated diamond anvil cell, first-principles calculations, Raman spectroscopy, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction, we establish the stability fields of known high-pressure phases, hexagonal NiAs-type CoN, and marcasite-type CoN2 within the pressure range of 50-90 GPa. We synthesize and characterize previously unknown nitrides, Co3N2, Pnma-CoN and two polynitrides, CoN3 and CoN5, within the pressure range of 90-120 GPa. Both polynitrides exhibit novel types of polymeric nitrogen chains and networks. CoN3 feature branched-type nitrogen trimers (N3) and CoN5 show π-bonded nitrogen chain. As the nitrogen content in the cobalt nitride increases, the CoN6 polyhedral frameworks transit from face-sharing (in CoN) to edge-sharing (in CoN2 and CoN3), and finally to isolated (in CoN5). Our study provides insights into the intricate interplay between structure evolution, bonding arrangements, and high-pressure synthesis in polynitrides, expanding the knowledge for the development of advanced energy materials.

The PNG Midwifery Leadership Buddy Program: An evaluation.

PROBLEM: Papua New Guinea (PNG) has a high rate of preventable maternal and neonatal deaths. BACKGROUND: Developing midwifery leadership is vital to addressing the current deficits in health outcomes for women and their babies. The PNG Midwifery Leadership Buddy Program responds to this need through leadership training and partnering of midwives across PNG and Australia. Participants in the program undertake a workshop in Port Moresby and commit to a 12-month peer support relationship with a midwife 'buddy'. AIM: To evaluate participants' experiences of the Buddy Program and the impact of the program on leadership skills. METHODS: All 23 midwives who had completed the program were invited to participate in the evaluation. The study used a concurrent mixed methods approach. Qualitative data were collected via interviews and then thematically analysed. Quantitative data were collected via a survey and analysed with descriptive statistics, then findings were triangulated. FINDINGS: Participants reported increased confidence for leadership, action and advocacy. Numerous quality improvement projects were implemented in health services in PNG. Challenges to the success of the program included technological limitations, cultural differences and the COVID-19 pandemic. DISCUSSION: Participants reported the PNG Midwifery Leadership Buddy Program was successful in increasing their leadership skills and collaborative opportunities, as well as strengthening midwifery more broadly. While there were barriers, most participants valued the experience and believed it benefited them professionally and personally CONCLUSION: The Buddy Program provides a practical model for building midwifery leadership capacity that may be transferrable to other contexts.

Concomitant illnesses in pregnancy in Indonesia: A health systems analysis at a District level.

BACKGROUND: In LMICs, including Indonesia, there is a rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) with a prevailing burden of infectious diseases, including among pregnant women. The Indonesian health system faces significant challenges to provide effective care for infectious diseases, and even more so, NCDs. This is concerning due to the greater vulnerability of pregnant women to complications caused by concomitant illnesses (NCDs and infectious diseases), and the need for complex, integrated healthcare between maternal care and other health services. METHODS: The objective of this study was to understand supporting factors and challenges of the health system to providing care for concomitant illnesses in pregnancy and how it may be improved. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with sixteen key stakeholders, including health providers and health service managers, involved in maternal healthcare for concomitant illnesses at a District level in Indonesia. The study was conducted in Kutai Kartanegara District of East Kalimantan. Analysis was conducted using framework analysis to identify themes from transcripts. RESULTS: Supporting factors of the health system to provide care for concomitant illness in pregnancy included collaboration between health providers and health services, availability of screening and diagnostic tools, and access to universal healthcare coverage and financial subsidies. Common challenges included knowledge and awareness of concomitant illnesses among health providers, competency to diagnose and/or manage concomitant illnesses, and inappropriate referrals. Suggested improvements identified to address these gaps included increasing education and refresher training for healthcare providers and strengthening referrals between primary and hospital care. CONCLUSIONS: The findings identified gaps in the health system to provide care for concomitant illnesses in pregnancy in Indonesia that need to be strengthened. More evidence-based research is needed to guide the implementation of policy and practice interventions for the health system to deal with a broader range of concomitant illnesses in pregnancy, particularly NCDs.

Fasting increases susceptibility to acute myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion injury through a sirtuin-3 mediated increase in fatty acid oxidation.

Fasting increases susceptibility to acute myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) but the mechanisms are unknown. Here, we investigate the role of the mitochondrial NAD+-dependent deacetylase, Sirtuin-3 (SIRT3), which has been shown to influence fatty acid oxidation and cardiac outcomes, as a potential mediator of this effect. Fasting was shown to shift metabolism from glucose towards fatty acid oxidation. This change in metabolic fuel substrate utilisation increased myocardial infarct size in wild-type (WT), but not SIRT3 heterozygous knock-out (KO) mice. Further analysis revealed SIRT3 KO mice were better adapted to starvation through an improved cardiac efficiency, thus protecting them from acute myocardial IRI. Mitochondria from SIRT3 KO mice were hyperacetylated compared to WT mice which may regulate key metabolic processes controlling glucose and fatty acid utilisation in the heart. Fasting and the associated metabolic switch to fatty acid respiration worsens outcomes in WT hearts, whilst hearts from SIRT3 KO mice are better adapted to oxidising fatty acids, thereby protecting them from acute myocardial IRI.

Intimate-partner violence and its association with symptoms of depression, perceived health, and quality of life in the Himalayan Mountain Villages of Gilgit Baltistan.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: We aimed to estimate the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) and associated risk factors in married women in rural villages of Gilgit Baltistan in Pakistan. METHODS: A cross-sectional design to assess the magnitude and factors associated with IPV in a random sample of 789 married women aged 18-49 years. A World Health Organization screening instrument was used to assess the presence of IPV in the previous 12 months. A locally validated instrument was adopted to identify self-reported symptoms of major depression according to the DSM IV. Trained nurses obtained socio-demographic and reproductive history through structured interviews. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to estimate prevalence and identify significant predictors of IPV. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 38.3 years (SD: ±12.8). The prevalence of IPV in women was 22.8% (95% Confidence Interval: 20.0-25.9), 18.5% in pregnant women (95% CI: 11.7-27.9) and significantly associated with depression in 55.1% of IPV cases. Husband education level (college/higher) (Adjusted Odds Ratio: 0.40; 95%CI: 0.22-0.70) and high household income (AOR: 0.44; 95% CI: 0.29-0.68) were protective against IPV. Increase in age (AOR;1.02; 95% CI: 1.01-1.02) and poor relationship with mother-in-law increased the risk of IPV (AOR = 2.85; 95% CI: 1.90-4.28). IPV was positively associated with symptoms of depression (AOR = 1.97; 95% CI:1.39-2.77), poor perceived quality of life (AOR = 3.54; 95% CI: 1.90-6.58) and poor health (AOR = 2.74; 95% CI: 1.92-3.92). CONCLUSION: IPV is substantial public health burden significantly associated with depressive symptoms, poor perceived health and the quality of life.

Chronic hepatitis B management in six South Australian Aboriginal community controlled health services.

BACKGROUND: Chronic hepatitis B is a significant public health issue; however, there is limited understanding of the engagement in primary health care of Aboriginal people living with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). METHODS: To better understand the management of CHB, diagnostic reports and case note audits were conducted in six South Australian Aboriginal community controlled health services. The audits covered the initial assessment, CHB monitoring, and hepatocellular carcinoma screening. The initial assessment was reviewed by auditing client clinical records for the first 12months from the date of diagnosis, whereas CHB monitoring and hepatocellular carcinoma screening were determined by auditing a 12-month sample period (January to December 2019). Associations with CHB monitoring were determined using a Chi-squared test and Fisher's exact test P -values, as appropriate. RESULTS: There were 50 current clients with a diagnosis of CHB at the time of the audit (January 2020). Testing was incomplete for the initial assessment, CHB monitoring and hepatocellular carcinoma screening. There were significant associations between the increased likelihood of accessing monitoring and the number of times a person attended an Aboriginal community controlled health service, accessing care in a more remote region, having a documented recall and having a GP management plan containing CHB. CONCLUSION: Through providing evidence of significant associations between having a recall set and GP management plans with increased uptake of disease monitoring, this study has highlighted areas for improvement in clinical management.

Indicator-activities to apply primary health care principles in national or large-scale community health worker programs in low-and middle-income countries: a Delphi exercise.

INTRODUCTION: Primary Health Care (PHC) gained considerable momentum in the past four decades and led to improved health outcomes across a wide variety of settings. In low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), national or large-scale Community Health Worker Programs (CHWPs) are considered as vehicles to incorporate PHC principles into healthcare provision and are an essential aspect of the PHC approach to achieve health for all and sustainable development goals. The success of CHWPs is rooted in the application of PHC principles. However, there is evidence that shows patchy implementation of PHC principles across national CHWPs in LMICs. This may reflect the lack of information on what activities would illustrate the application of these principles in CHWPs. This study aimed to identify a set of core/indicator-activities that reflect the application of PHC principles by CHWPs in LMICs. METHODS: A two-round modified Delphi study was undertaken with participants who have extensive experience in planning, implementation and evaluation of CHWPs. Survey design and analysis was guided by the four PHC principles namely Universal Health Coverage, Community Participation, Intersectoral Coordination and Appropriateness. Responses were collected using a secure online survey program (survey monkey). In round one, participants were asked to list 'core activities' that would reflect the application of each PHC principle and its sub-attributes and challenges to apply these principles in CHWPs. In round two, participants were asked to select whether they agree or disagree with each of the activities and challenges. Consensus was set a priori at 70% agreement of participants for each question. RESULTS: Seventeen participants from 15 countries participated in the study. Consensus was reached on 59 activities reflecting the application of PHC principles by CHWPs. Based on participants' responses, a set of 29 indicator-activities for the four PHC principles was developed with examples for each indicator-activity. CONCLUSION: These indicator-activities may provide guidance on how PHC principles can be implemented in CHWPs. They can be used in the development and evaluation of CHWPs, particularly in their application of PHC principles. Future research may focus on testing the utility of indicator-activities on CHWPs in LMICs.

Application of primary healthcare principles in national community health worker programmes in low-income and middle-income countries: a scoping review.

OBJECTIVE: To identify which primary healthcare (PHC) principles are reflected in the implementation of national community health worker (CHW) programmes and how they may contribute to the outcomes of these programmes in the context of low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). DESIGN: Scoping review. DATA SOURCES: A systematic search was conducted through PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE and Scopus databases. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: The review considered published primary studies on national programmes, projects or initiatives using the services of CHWs in LMICs focused on maternal and child health. We included only English language studies. Excluded were programmes operated by non-government organisations, study protocols, reviews, commentaries, opinion papers, editorials and conference proceedings. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: We reviewed the application of four PHC principles (universal health coverage, community participation, intersectoral coordination and appropriateness) in the CHW programme's objectives, implementation and stated outcomes. Data extraction was undertaken systematically in an excel spreadsheet while the findings were synthesised in a narrative manner. The quality appraisal of the selected studies was not performed in this scoping review. RESULTS: From 1280 papers published between 1983 and 2019, 26 met the inclusion criteria. These 26 papers included 14 CHW programmes from 13 LMICs. Universal health coverage and community participation were the two commonly reported PHC principles, while intersectoral coordination was generally missing. Similarly, the cultural acceptability aspect of the principle of appropriateness was present in all programmes as these programmes select CHWs from within the communities. Other aspects, particularly effectiveness, were not evident. CONCLUSION: The implementation of PHC principles across national CHW programmes in LMICs is patchy. For comprehensiveness and improved health outcomes, programmes need to incorporate all attributes of PHC principles. Future research may focus on how to incorporate more attributes of PHC principles while implementing national CHW programmes in LMICs. Better documentation and publications of CHW programme implementation are also needed.

Preparedness and response to COVID-19 in a quaternary intensive care unit in Australia: perspectives and insights from frontline critical care clinicians.

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to explore the perspectives and opinions of intensive care unit (ICU) nurses and doctors at a COVID-19-designated pandemic hospital concerning the preparedness and response to COVID-19 and to consolidate the lessons learnt for crisis/disaster management in the future. DESIGN: A qualitative study using in-depth interviews (IDIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs). Purposeful sampling was conducted to identify participants. A semistructured guide was used to facilitate IDIs with individual participants. Two FGDs were conducted, one with the ICU doctors and another with the ICU nurses. Thematic analysis identified themes and subthemes informing about the level of preparedness, response measures, processes, and factors that were either facilitators or those that triggered challenges. SETTING: ICU in a quaternary referral centre affiliated to a university teaching COVID-19-designated pandemic hospital, in Adelaide, South Australia. PARTICIPANTS: The participants included eight ICU doctors and eight ICU nurses for the IDIs. Another 16 clinicians participated in FGDs. RESULTS: The study identified six themes relevant to preparedness for, and responses to, COVID-19. The themes included: (1) staff competence and planning, (2) information transfer and communication, (3) education and skills for the safe use of personal protective equipment, (4) team dynamics and clinical practice, (5) leadership, and (6) managing end-of-life situations and expectations of caregivers. CONCLUSION: Findings highlight that preparedness and response to the COVID-19 crisis were proportionate to the situation's gravity. More enablers than barriers were identified. However, opportunities for improvement were recognised in the domains of planning, logistics, self-sufficiency with equipment, operational and strategic oversight, communication and managing end-of-life care.

Body Mass Index and Other Risk Factors Effects on Colon Cancer Prognosis in Pakistan.

Introduction: Asian developing countries share the burden of colorectal cancer (CRC) with rising mortality rates. This prospective study aims to apprehend the clinical relevance of age, gender, lifestyle choices (dietary habits and addiction) and body mass index (BMI) to the occurrence and progression of colon cancer (CC). Methods: A cohort of non-cancer (NC) and CC patients of South-Central Asian origin registered for screening colonoscopy or surgery at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (SKMCH and RC), Lahore, Pakistan, from 2015 to 2020 was identified. BMI (Kg/m2) was classified according to the World Health Organization criteria as underweight (<18.5 Kg/m2), normal weight (18.5-24.9 Kg/m2) and overweight (≥25 Kg/m2). Results: Among 236 participants, 99 (41.9%) belonged to the NC group, and 137 (58.1 %) participants had CC Overall, participants included 74 women and 162 men aged 20-85 years (mean ± SD; 49.9 ± 14.9). Notably, 46.0% of cancer patients had a family history of cancer. There was a direct relationship between CC with abnormal BMI (underweight and overweight), positive smoking history and positive family history of cancer. Conclusion: Being underweight or overweight is a potential risk factor for CC patients. The overall survival in patients with CC is clinically associated with lifestyle choices before CC diagnosis. A balanced diet, walking and other forms of exercise should be strongly recommended to the community and those undergoing screening colonoscopy.

Characteristics and significance of "green snake" bites in Myanmar, especially by the pit vipers Trimeresurus albolabris and Trimeresurus erythrurus.

Snakebite is an important problem in Myanmar. Regionally, bites by Eastern Russell's vipers, Daboia siamensis (Viperidae, Viperinae), and monocled cobras, Naja kaouthia are considered medically important, but those categorised as "green snake" bites are not. However, these may include bites by green pit vipers, Trimeresurus spp. (Viperidae, Crotalinae) for which no antivenom is available in Myanmar. Elsewhere in Southeast Asia, these snakes are reported to cause local and systemic envenoming. As part of the Myanmar Snakebite Project, prospective case data were collected over 3 years from five hospitals in the Mandalay region. These included 3803 snakebite cases reported from Mandalay region. Of these, 355 were listed as bites by a witnessed green-coloured snake. In 22 cases, the snakes responsible were retained and preserved, then expertly identified; 21 were medically important white-lipped pit vipers (Trimeresurus albolabris), and one as an Asian vine snake, Ahaetulla prasina (Colubridae, Ahaetuliinae) which is not of medical importance. Among confirmed Trimeresurus albolabris bites, 15/21 developed swelling of the bitten limb, and 3/21 coagulopathy, defined as a positive 20-min whole blood clotting test (20WBCT). None developed necrosis, blistering, thrombocytopenia or acute kidney injury (AKI). Of the remaining 333 patients bitten by green snakes that were not specifically identified, 241 (72%) developed swelling of the bitten limb, and 62 (19%) coagulopathy. AKI occurred in 21/333 patients, but only one required dialysis. At least 10/21 of the cases with AKI in this study were more likely to represent bites from Trimeresurus spp. than D. siamensis because the snake responsible was brought into the hospital, examined and described by the treating physician as "green-coloured". This study describes a previously unpublished case of AKI from envenoming by T. erythrurus in Yangon, and reviews cases of AKI following bites by this species and T. albolabris in Myanmar. This confirms that, at least on rare occasions, Trimeresurus spp. envenoming can cause AKI. This has important implications for snakebite management in Myanmar as the finding of local swelling, coagulopathy and AKI is generally considered pathognomonic of D. siamensis envenoming. Further collection of confirmed Trimeresurus spp. bites is required in Myanmar in order better to define the syndrome of envenoming and to assess the possible need for antivenom against Trimeresurus spp. in this country.

Realization of an Ideal Cairo Tessellation in Nickel Diazenide NiN2: High-Pressure Route to Pentagonal 2D Materials.

Most of the studied two-dimensional (2D) materials are based on highly symmetric hexagonal structural motifs. In contrast, lower-symmetry structures may have exciting anisotropic properties leading to various applications in nanoelectronics. In this work we report the synthesis of nickel diazenide NiN2 which possesses atomic-thick layers comprised of Ni2N3 pentagons forming Cairo-type tessellation. The layers of NiN2 are weakly bonded with the calculated exfoliation energy of 0.72 J/m2, which is just slightly larger than that of graphene. The compound crystallizes in the space group of the ideal Cairo tiling (P4/mbm) and possesses significant anisotropy of elastic properties. The single-layer NiN2 is a direct-band-gap semiconductor, while the bulk material is metallic. This indicates the promise of NiN2 to be a precursor of a pentagonal 2D material with a tunable direct band gap.

Direct Measurement of the Affinity between tBid and Bax in a Mitochondria-Like Membrane.

The execution step in apoptosis is the permeabilization of the outer mitochondrial membrane, controlled by Bcl-2 family proteins. The physical interactions between the different proteins in this family and their relative abundance literally determine the fate of the cells. These interactions, however, are difficult to quantify, as they occur in a lipid membrane and involve proteins with multiple conformations and stoichiometries which can exist both in soluble and membrane. Here we focus on the interaction between two core Bcl-2 family members, the executor pore-forming protein Bax and the truncated form of the activator protein Bid (tBid), which we imaged at the single particle level in a mitochondria-like planar supported lipid bilayer. We inferred the conformation of the proteins from their mobility, and detected their transient interactions using a novel single particle cross-correlation analysis. We show that both tBid and Bax have at least two different conformations at the membrane, and that their affinity for one another increases by one order of magnitude (with a 2D-KD decreasing from ≃1.6µm-2 to ≃0.1µm-2) when they pass from their loosely membrane-associated to their transmembrane form. We conclude by proposing an updated molecular model for the activation of Bax by tBid.

Incidence of concomitant illnesses in pregnancy in Indonesia: Estimates from 1990-2019, with projections to 2030.

BACKGROUND: 'Indirect' causes of maternal death including concomitant illnesses such as infectious and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), accounted for 23% of maternal deaths in Indonesia in 2010. Reproductive-age women in Indonesia face a "double burden" of disease with increasing rates of NCDs and persisting rates of infectious disease. However, there is a lack of data on the burden of these diseases in pregnancy. The aim of this study was to estimate incidence of concomitant illnesses among pregnant women in Indonesia from 1990-2030. METHODS: Publicly available data was accessed including incidence of concomitant illnesses in Indonesian reproductive-age women, population data and crude birth rate data from 1990-2019, and formed basis for projections to 2030. A dataset of estimates for all variables was generated for each year and sampled from a binomial distribution. Using these estimates, pregnancy estimates and incidence in pregnant women were calculated. A cubic splines model was fitted to generate estimates of incidence of concomitant illnesses in pregnancy. FINDINGS: Past trends to 2019 show a decline in incident cases of infectious diseases except for HIV/AIDs, and an increase in most NCDs. In 2019, the most common disease was sexually transmitted infections. From 2020-2030, incidences of diabetes and lower respiratory infections are estimated to continue to increase. INTERPRETATION: With an increasing incidence of NCDs and high-incidence of infectious diseases in pregnancy, Indonesian policymakers and stakeholders should consider what evidence-based strategies and interventions are best to reduce potential impacts of concomitant illnesses on pregnancy outcomes. FUNDING: Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship.

High-Pressure Synthesis of Dirac Materials: Layered van der Waals Bonded BeN_{4} Polymorph.

High-pressure chemistry is known to inspire the creation of unexpected new classes of compounds with exceptional properties. Here, we employ the laser-heated diamond anvil cell technique for synthesis of a Dirac material BeN_{4}. A triclinic phase of beryllium tetranitride tr-BeN_{4} was synthesized from elements at ∼85 GPa. Upon decompression to ambient conditions, it transforms into a compound with atomic-thick BeN_{4} layers interconnected via weak van der Waals bonds and consisting of polyacetylene-like nitrogen chains with conjugated π systems and Be atoms in square-planar coordination. Theoretical calculations for a single BeN_{4} layer show that its electronic lattice is described by a slightly distorted honeycomb structure reminiscent of the graphene lattice and the presence of Dirac points in the electronic band structure at the Fermi level. The BeN_{4} layer, i.e., beryllonitrene, represents a qualitatively new class of 2D materials that can be built of a metal atom and polymeric nitrogen chains and host anisotropic Dirac fermions.

Expression of cornulin in tongue squamous cell carcinoma.

The aim of the study is to identify cornulin (CRNN) protein expression associated with advancement of tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC). A comparison of addictive (containing potential carcinogens) versus non-addiction causative agents was expected to allow detection of differences in CRNN expression associated with TSCC. Bespoke tissue microarrays (TMAs) were prepared and immunohistochemistry (IHC) performed to determine the changes in CRNN expression in epithelial cells of node-negative (pN-), node-positive (pN+) TSCC and non-cancer patients' oral tissues. TMAs were validated by performing IHC on whole diagnostic tissues. Chi-square test or Fisher's-exact tests were used to establish significant expression differences. Analogous analyses were performed for biomarkers previously associated with TSCC, namely collagen I alpha 2 (COL1A2) and decorin (DCN) to compare the significance of CRNN. Keratinisation and its level (low, extensive) were studied in relation to CRNN so that the extent of squamous differentiation could better be assessed. IHC immunoreactive score (IRS) clustered the patients based on weak/moderate (Low (IRS ≤ +3)) or strong (High (IRS ≥ +4)) expression groups. A low expression was observed in a larger number of patients in control proteins COL1A2 (77.3%), DCN (87.5%) and target protein CRNN (52.3%), respectively. Low CRNN expression was observed in TSCC where nodes were involved (pN+: mean 1.4 ± 2.1) (p = 0.248). Keratinisation (%) was low (0% ≤ 50%) in 42.2% and extensive (1% ≥ 50.0%) in 57.8% patients. In conclusion, our study suggested that Low CRNN expression was associated with grade and lymph node metastasis in TSCC. CRNN expression is independent of addiction, however potentially carcinogenic addictive substances might be aiding in the disease progression.

US3 Serine/Threonine Protein Kinase from MDV-1, MDV-2, and HVT Differentially Regulate Viral Gene Expression and Replication.

Gallid alphaherpesvirus 2 (GaHV-2), commonly known as Marek's disease virus type 1 (MDV-1), is an oncogenic avian alphaherpesvirus, and along with its close relatives-Gallid alphaherpesvirus 3 (GaHV-3) or MDV-2 and Meleagrid alphaherpesvirus 1 (MeHV-1) or turkey herpesvirus (HVT)-belongs to the Mardivirus genus. We and others previously showed that MDV-1 US3 protein kinase plays an important role in viral replication and pathogenesis, which could be partially compensated by MDV-2 and HVT US3. In this study, we further studied the differential roles of MDV-1, MDV-2 and HVT US3 in regulating viral gene expression and replication. Our results showed that MDV-2 and HVT US3 could differentially compensate MDV-1 US3 regulation of viral gene expression in vitro. MDV-2 and HVT US3 could also partially rescue the replication deficiency of MDV-1 US3 null virus in the spleen and thymus, as determined by immunohistochemistry analysis of MDV-1 pp38 protein. Importantly, using immunohistochemistry and dual immunofluorescence assays, we found that MDV-2 US3, but not HVT US3, fully compensated MDV-1 US3 regulation of MDV-1 replication in bursal B lymphocytes. In conclusion, our study provides the first comparative analysis of US3 from MDV-1, MDV-2 and HVT in regulating viral gene expression in cell culture and MDV-1 replication in lymphocytes.

Stabilization of pentazolate anions in the high-pressure compounds Na2N5 and NaN5 and in the sodium pentazolate framework NaN5·N2.

Synthesis and characterization of nitrogen-rich materials is important for the design of novel high energy density materials due to extremely energetic low-order nitrogen-nitrogen bonds. The balance between the energy output and stability may be achieved if polynitrogen units are stabilized by resonance as in cyclo-N5- pentazolate salts. Here we demonstrate the synthesis of three oxygen-free pentazolate salts Na2N5, NaN5 and NaN5·N2 from sodium azide NaN3 and molecular nitrogen N2 at ∼50 GPa. NaN5·N2 is a metal-pentazolate framework (MPF) obtained via a self-templated synthesis method with nitrogen molecules being incorporated into the nanochannels of the MPF. Such self-assembled MPFs may be common in a variety of ionic pentazolate compounds. The formation of Na2N5 demonstrates that the cyclo-N5 group can accommodate more than one electron and indicates the great accessible compositional diversity of pentazolate salts.

Applying Public Health Principles to Better Manage the COVID-19 Pandemic: "Community Participation," "Equity," and "Cultural Sensitivity".

Although coronavirus vaccine roll-out is beginning, standard public health practices will, for most people, remain their first line of protection for some time. Three principles guiding the pandemic control process, namely community participation, promotion of equity, and cultural sensitivity, can help people adhere to public health advice. These three principles can enhance intervention effectiveness, decreasing the rate of infection and protecting human rights, promoting social harmony and preventing unrest.