Large-scale re-engineering of synonymous sites is a promising strategy to generate attenuated viruses for vaccines. Attenuation typically relies on de-optimisation of codon pairs and maximization of CpG dinculeotide frequencies. So as to formulate evolutionarily-informed attenuation strategies, that aim to force nucleotide usage against the estimated direction favoured by selection, here we examine available whole-genome sequences of SARS-CoV2 to infer patterns of mutation and selection on synonymous...
Fri May 15, 2020 03:00
Topologically associating domains (TADs) are regarded as functional and structural units of higher-order spatial genome organization of many eukaryotic genomes. However, our knowledge of how evolution affects TADs remains limited. To decipher the evolutionary significance of TADs, we de novo assembled the genome of D. pseudoobscura and created a high-resolution (~800 bp) Hi-C contact map to annotate TADs. Remarkably, more than 40% of TADs between D. pseudoobscura and D. melanogaster are conserved,...
Fri May 15, 2020 03:00
The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Wuhan city, China in December 2019 and thereafter its spillover across the world has created a global pandemic and public health crisis. Today, it appears as a threat to human civilization. Scientists and medical practitioners across the world are involved to trace out the origin and evolution of SARS-CoV-2 (also called 2019 novel coronavirus and referred as 2019-nCoV), its transmission route, cause of pathogenicity,...
Fri May 15, 2020 03:00
Chemotherapeutic resistance via the mechanism of competitive release of resistant tumor cell subpopulations is a major problem associated with cancer treatments and one of the main causes of tumor recurrence. Often, chemoresistance is mitigated by using multidrug schedules (two or more combination therapies) that can act synergistically, additively, or antagonistically on the heterogeneous population of cells as they evolve. In this paper, we develop a three-component evolutionary game theory model...
Fri May 15, 2020 03:00
Many insects exhibit geographic variation in voltinism, the number of generations produced per year. This includes high-latitude species in previously glaciated areas, implying divergent selection on life cycle traits during or shortly after recent colonization. Here, we use a whole-genome approach to genetically characterize a set of populations of the butterfly Pararge aegeria that differ in voltinism. We construct a high-quality de novo genome for P. aegeria, and assess genome-wide genetic diversity...
Fri May 15, 2020 03:00
How genetic variation arises and persists over evolutionary time despite the depleting effects of natural selection remains a long-standing question. Here, we investigate the impacts of two extreme forms of population regulation - at the level of the total, mixed population (hard selection) and at the level of local, spatially distinct patches (soft selection) - on the emergence and fate of diversity under strong divergent selection. We find that while the form of population regulation has little...
Fri May 15, 2020 03:00
The pace of aging varies considerably in nature. Historically, scientists focused mostly on why and how has aging evolved, while only a few studies explored mechanisms driving evolution of specific rates of aging. Here we develop an agent-based model simulating evolution of aging in prey subject to predation. Our results suggest that predation affects the pace of aging in prey only if young, vivid animals are not much more likely to escape predators than the old ones. However, even this effect slowly...
Fri May 15, 2020 03:00
Genetic drift is an important evolutionary force of strength inversely proportional to Ne, the effective population size. The impact of drift on genome diversity and evolution is known to vary among species, but quantifying this effect is a difficult task. Here we assess the magnitude of variation in drift power among species of animals via its effect on the mutation load - which implies also inferring the distribution of fitness effects of deleterious mutations (DFE). To this aim, we analyze the...
Fri May 15, 2020 03:00
There is no satisfactory explanation for why peacock possesses a tail, presence and especially courtship display of which makes the organism vulnerable to predation. Here, I present a model according to which in a polygynous mating system a mechanism which increases vulnerability to predation, a Zahavian handicap, evolves when other two mechanisms to identify high-quality males are either absent or are not sufficiently strong. The two mechanisms are: 1) male resource acquisition ability, and 2) male-male...
Fri May 15, 2020 03:00
Optimality models have a checkered history in evolutionary biology. While optimality models have been successful in providing valuable insight into the evolution of a wide variety of biological traits, a common objection is that optimality models are overly simplistic and ignore organismal genetics. We revisit evolutionary optimization in the context of a major bacteriophage life history trait, lysis time. Lysis time refers to the period spanning phage infection of a host cell and its lysis, whereupon...
Fri May 15, 2020 03:00
The world is going through a global viral pandemic with devastating effects on human life and socioeconomic activities. This pandemic is the result of a zoonotic coronavirus, Severe Acute Respirsatory Syndrom Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) which is believed to have originated in bats and transferred to humans possibly through an intermediate host species (Zhou et al. 2020; Coronaviridae Study Group of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses 2020). The virus attacks host cells by attaching...
Fri May 15, 2020 03:00
Starting in Wuhan, China, SARS-CoV-2 epidemics quickly propagated worldwide in less than three months, geographically sorting genomic variants in newly established propagules of infections. Stochasticity in transmission within and between countries and/or actual advantage in virus transmissibility could explain the high frequency reached by some genomic variants during the course of the outbreak. Using a suite of statistical, population genetics, and theoretical approaches, we show that the...
Mon May 18, 2020 03:00
There is no satisfactory explanation for why peacock possesses a tail, presence and especially courtship display of which makes the organism vulnerable to predation. Here, I present a model according to which in a polygynous mating system a mechanism which increases vulnerability to predation, a Zahavian handicap, evolves when other two mechanisms to identify high-quality males are either absent or are not sufficiently strong. The two mechanisms are: 1) male resource acquisition ability, and 2) male-male...
Fri May 15, 2020 03:00
Assessing the relative importance of geographic and environmental factors to the spatial distribution of genetic variation can provide relevant information about the processes that maintain genetic variation in natural populations. With a globally wide but very restricted habitat distribution, mangrove trees are an interesting model for studies aiming to understand the contributions of these factors. Mangroves occur along the continent-ocean interface of tropical and subtropical latitudes, regions...
Fri May 15, 2020 03:00
Related ArticlesGender differences and occupational factors for the risk of obesity in the Italian working population. BMC Public Health. 2020 May 16;20(1):706 Authors: Di Tecco C, Fontana L, Adamo G, Petyx M, Iavicoli S Abstract BACKGROUND: Obesity is a multifactorial condition and a major risk factor associated with several non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, and with a higher risk of premature death and disability. Sex-specific...
Mon May 18, 2020 15:23
Related ArticlesLong-term sickness absence in a working population: development and validation of a risk prediction model in a large Dutch prospective cohort. BMC Public Health. 2020 May 15;20(1):699 Authors: van der Burg LRA, van Kuijk SMJ, Ter Wee MM, Heymans MW, de Rijk AE, Geuskens GA, Ottenheijm RPG, Dinant GJ, Boonen A Abstract BACKGROUND: Societal expenditures on work-disability benefits is high in most Western countries. As a precursor of long-term...
Mon May 18, 2020 03:14
Related Articles"[Repeat] testing and counseling is one of the key [services] that the government should continue providing": participants' perceptions on extended repeat HIV testing and enhanced counseling (ERHTEC) for primary HIV prevention in pregnant and lactating women in the PRIMAL study, Uganda. BMC Public Health. 2020 May 15;20(1):694 Authors: Bannink Mbazzi F, Namukwaya Z, Amone A, Ojok F, Etima J, Byamugisha J, Katabira E, Fowler MG, Homsy J, King R, PRIMAL...
Mon May 18, 2020 03:14
Related ArticlesDevelopment and validation of the Oral health behavior questionnaire for adolescents based on the health belief model (OHBQAHBM). BMC Public Health. 2020 May 15;20(1):701 Authors: Xiang B, Wong HM, Cao W, Perfecto AP, McGrath CPJ Abstract BACKGROUND: Oral health belief is a prerequisite of changing oral health behaviors especially during adolescence. However, there is a paucity of well-established questionnaire for use among adolescents....
Mon May 18, 2020 03:14
Related ArticlesMultilevel analysis of factors associated with unmet need for family planning among Malawian women. BMC Public Health. 2020 May 15;20(1):705 Authors: Nkoka O, Mphande WM, Ntenda PAM, Milanzi EB, Kanje V, Guo SJG Abstract BACKGROUND: Malawi has a high fertility rate which is also characterized by a relatively high prevalence of unmet need for contraception. However, little is known about the influence of individual- and community- level...
Mon May 18, 2020 03:14
Related ArticlesTuberculosis treatment outcomes among prisoners and general population in Zomba, Malawi. BMC Public Health. 2020 May 15;20(1):700 Authors: Singano V, Kip E, Ching'ani W, Chiwaula L Abstract BACKGROUND: TB remains a major global health problem. It is particularly prevalent in prisons in sub-Saharan Africa due to overcrowding, malnutrition, high HIV prevalence and insufficient medical services. Prisoners have experienced worse TB treatment...
Mon May 18, 2020 03:14
Related ArticlesOpportunities for the development of drowning interventions in West Bengal, India: a review of policy and government programs. BMC Public Health. 2020 May 15;20(1):704 Authors: Gupta M, Zwi AB, Jagnoor J Abstract BACKGROUND: Four million people living in the Indian Sundarbans region in the state of West Bengal face a particularly high risk of drowning due to rurality, presence of open water, lack of accessible health systems and poor...
Mon May 18, 2020 03:14
Related ArticlesFactors influencing cognitive reactivity among young adults at high risk for depression in China: a cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health. 2020 May 15;20(1):703 Authors: Huang FF, Wen ZP, Li Q, Chen B, Weng WJ Abstract BACKGROUND: Understanding the factors influencing cognitive reactivity (CR) may help identify individuals at risk for first episode depression and relapse and facilitate routine access to preventative treatments. However,...
Mon May 18, 2020 03:14
Related ArticlesDemographics and medical disorders associated with smoking: a population-based study. BMC Public Health. 2020 May 15;20(1):702 Authors: Chung WS, Kung PT, Chang HY, Tsai WC Abstract BACKGROUND: Few studies have investigated factors associated with smoking behaviors. In this population-based study, we investigated demographics and medical comorbid diseases to establish a prediction model for smoking behaviors by using the National Health...
Mon May 18, 2020 03:14
Related ArticlesSocio-demographic characteristics and risk factors for HIV transmission in female bar workers in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic literature review. BMC Public Health. 2020 May 15;20(1):697 Authors: Dambach P, Mahenge B, Mashasi I, Muya A, Barnhart DA, Bärnighausen TW, Spiegelman D, Harling G Abstract BACKGROUND: Although sex workers are considered a key population in the HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), less consideration has...
Mon May 18, 2020 03:14
Related ArticlesTransition shocks during adulthood and health a few decades later in post-socialist Central and Eastern Europe. BMC Public Health. 2020 May 15;20(1):698 Authors: Bíró A, Branyiczki R Abstract BACKGROUND: Health of the population of post-socialist Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries lags behind the European Union average. Our aim in this paper is to analyse the link between transition shocks and health two-three decades later....
Mon May 18, 2020 03:14
Related ArticlesThe PAPHIO study protocol: a randomised controlled trial with a 2 x 2 crossover design of physical activity adherence, psychological health and immunological outcomes in breast cancer survivors. BMC Public Health. 2020 May 15;20(1):696 Authors: Pudkasam S, Pitcher M, Fisher M, O'Connor A, Chinlumprasert N, Stojanovska L, Polman R, Apostolopoulos V Abstract BACKGROUND: The PAPHIO study; a randomized controlled trial with 2X2 crossover...
Mon May 18, 2020 03:14
Related ArticlesAdherence to ready-to-use food and acceptability of outpatient nutritional therapy in HIV-infected undernourished Senegalese adolescents: research-based recommendations for routine care. BMC Public Health. 2020 May 15;20(1):695 Authors: Niasse F, Varloteaux M, Diop K, Ndiaye SM, Diouf FN, Mbodj PB, Niang B, Diack A, Cames C Abstract BACKGROUND: Ready-to-use food (RUF) is increasingly used for nutritional therapy in HIV-infected individuals....
Mon May 18, 2020 03:14
Change in quality of life over eight years in a nationally representative sample of US adults with heart disease and type 2 diabetes:minority race and toxic stress as keysocial determinants. BMC Public Health. 2020 May 14;20(1):684 Authors: Nkwata AK, Song X, Zhang M, Ezeamama AE Abstract BACKGROUND: Toxic stress (TS), minority race and their interaction are evaluated as determinants of change in quality of life (QOL) over 8 years follow-up in a nationally...
Sat May 16, 2020 15:14
A sex education program for teachers of preschool children: a quasi-experimental study in Iran. BMC Public Health. 2020 May 14;20(1):692 Authors: Martin J, Riazi H, Firoozi A, Nasiri M Abstract BACKGROUND: Sex education is an important educational dimension. Together with families, teachers play a significant role in providing sex education to children. However, in most cases, they do not have enough information on this topic. The present study aimed...
Sat May 16, 2020 15:14
Factors associated with good health among older persons who received a preventive home visit: a cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health. 2020 May 14;20(1):688 Authors: Nivestam A, Westergren A, Petersson P, Haak M Abstract BACKGROUND: The ageing population is increasing worldwide, and this trend is bringing challenges both for the older person and for society. In order to meet the challenges a comprehensive approach is needed involving both health promotion...
Sat May 16, 2020 15:14
Qualitative study of knowledge, perception, behavior and barriers associated with cardiovascular disease risk among overweight and obese Hispanic taxi drivers of South Bronx, NYC. BMC Public Health. 2020 May 14;20(1):683 Authors: Kanna B, Ukudeyeva A, Faiz M, Roques E, Washington T, Ramirez L, Shariff MA, Espejo M Abstract BACKGROUND: Taxi drivers are prone to developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors by adopting poor health behaviors due...
Sat May 16, 2020 15:14
Overweight and obesity of school-age children in El Salvador according to two international systems: a population-based multilevel and spatial analysis. BMC Public Health. 2020 May 14;20(1):687 Authors: Pérez W, Melgar P, Garcés A, de Marquez AD, Merino G, Siu C Abstract BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization (WHO-2007) and the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF-Cole) systems assess child weight status. However, derived estimations often differ....
Sat May 16, 2020 15:14
Health literacy and its effect on chronic disease prevention: evidence from China's data. BMC Public Health. 2020 May 14;20(1):690 Authors: Liu L, Qian X, Chen Z, He T Abstract BACKGROUND: Improving health literacy is an important public health goal in many countries. Although many studies have suggested that low health literacy has adverse effects on an individual's health outcomes, confounding factors are often not accounted. This paper examines the...
Sat May 16, 2020 15:14
Posttraumatic stress disorder and depression of survivors 12 months after the outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome in South Korea. BMC Public Health. 2020 May 15;20(1):605 Authors: Park HY, Park WB, Lee SH, Kim JL, Lee JJ, Lee H, Shin HS Abstract BACKGROUND: The 2015 outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in the Republic of Korea is a recent and representative occurrence of nationwide outbreaks of Emerging Infectious Diseases (EIDs)....
Sat May 16, 2020 15:14
Magnitude and predictors of common mental disorder among people with HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Public Health. 2020 May 14;20(1):689 Authors: Belayneh Z, Mekuriaw B, Mehare T, Shumy S, Tsehay M Abstract BACKGROUND: Common mental disorders are frequent psychiatric comorbid conditions among people with HIV/AIDS. The presence of such psychiatric disorders negatively affects the treatment adherence, viral load suppression,...
Sat May 16, 2020 15:14
Sickness absence and disability pension in relation to first childbirth and in nulliparous women according to occupational groups: a cohort study of 492,504 women in Sweden. BMC Public Health. 2020 May 14;20(1):686 Authors: Björkenstam C, László KD, Orellana C, Lidwall U, Lindfors P, Voss M, Svedberg P, Alexanderson K Abstract BACKGROUND: Childbirth has been suggested to increase sickness absence (SA) and disability pension (DP). This may vary by occupation;...
Sat May 16, 2020 15:14
Patient and nurse perspectives of a nurse-led community-based model of HIV care delivery in Malawi: a qualitative study. BMC Public Health. 2020 May 14;20(1):685 Authors: Sande O, Burtscher D, Kathumba D, Tweya H, Phiri S, Gugsa S Abstract BACKGROUND: Differentiated models of care (DMOC) are used to make antiretroviral therapy (ART) accessible to people living with HIV (PLHIV). In Malawi, Lighthouse Trust has piloted various DMOCs aimed at providing...
Sat May 16, 2020 15:14
"I can't stand it…but I do it sometimes" parental smoking around children: practices, beliefs, and conflicts - a qualitative study. BMC Public Health. 2020 May 14;20(1):693 Authors: Myers V, Lev E, Guttman N, Tillinger E, Rosen L Abstract BACKGROUND: Many parents continue to smoke around their children despite the widely known risks of children's exposure to tobacco smoke. We sought to learn about parental smoking behavior around children from parents'...
Sat May 16, 2020 15:14
Patriarchy and gender-inequitable attitudes as drivers of intimate partner violence against women in the central region of Ghana. BMC Public Health. 2020 May 13;20(1):682 Authors: Sikweyiya Y, Addo-Lartey AA, Alangea DO, Dako-Gyeke P, Chirwa ED, Coker-Appiah D, Adanu RMK, Jewkes R Abstract BACKGROUND: In order to reduce women's exposure to violence and develop culturally appropriate interventions, it is important to gain an understanding of how men who...
Fri May 15, 2020 15:26
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