New therapy may effectively control HIV in Uganda

Weill Cornell Medicine

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Transmission electron micrograph of HIV-1 virus particles (teal) exiting an infected immune cell after replicating inside the cell. Inset: Interior view a HIV-1 virus showing the capsid (yellow) that surrounds the RNA and enzymes necessary for replication.

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Credit: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

A multi-national, multi-institutional study led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators found little natural resistance to a new HIV therapy called lenacapavir in a population of patients in Uganda.

The study, published Jan. 30 in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, adds to growing evidence that lenacapavir may be a powerful new tool in the global anti-HIV drug arsenal. Approximately, 1.5 million people are living with HIV in Uganda.

“Our data shows that only 1.6% of the individuals studied are living with HIV strains that have any known lenacapavir-associated resistance mutations,” said senior author Dr. Guinevere Lee, assistant professor of virology in medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine. “That’s important because it shows lenacapavir is likely to be effective against strains of HIV circulating in East Africa.”

Since the 1990s, HIV drug combinations targeting different steps in the virus’ life cycle have been able to reduce virus load in patients to nearly undetectable levels. But drug resistance is a growing concern as the virus has evolved ways to thwart existing therapies. Lenacapavir, however, is the first drug to disrupt the protective capsid layer surrounding HIV’s genetic material (RNA), blocking the virus’s ability to reproduce and be transmitted from person to person.

Treatment twice a year with lenacapavir has been effective in patients who have never been treated and those with HIV strains that are resistant to other drugs. Last year, clinical trials showed that lenacapavir injections were 100% effective in preventing HIV infection among women in sub-Saharan Africa, who were HIV-negative.

However, little information was available about pre-existing resistance to lenacapavir in less well-studied HIV-1 strains like subtype A1 and D, which are more common in Eastern and Southern Africa. HIV-1 subtype B strains, which predominantly affect Europe and the United States, rarely have pre-existing mutations that would cause lenacapavir drug resistance. 

Dr. Lee and her colleagues at Mbarara University of Science and Technology in Uganda and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston helped fill that gap. They sequenced the capsid proteins from HIV-1 subtypes A1 and D from 546 Ugandan patients, who had never used antiretroviral therapy before. This approach allowed the investigators to examine naturally circulating viral variants.

They found that none of the patients had genetic mutations that would lead to major lenacapavir resistance. Only nine participants had minor lenacapavir resistance mutations that could partially reduce the effectiveness, but not enough to cause full resistance to the drug.

“Our study supports lenacapavir’s potential efficacy in this region. As lenacapavir is rolled out in East Africa, further studies will need to monitor for the emergence of drug-resistant strains,” Dr. Lee said. “It is important that we ensure HIV research reaches understudied communities where unique viral strains circulate.”

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Journal

Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy

CLIMATE CRISIS

Devastating storms define Appalachia’s 2024 climate

East Tennessee State University

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Dr. Andrew Joyner, in a yellow safety vest and cap stands on the bank of a river in East Tennessee, observing debris and downed trees following Hurricane Helene. 

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Credit: ETSU/Steven May

After a year of weather extremes that brought everything from deadly floods to bitter cold, experts at East Tennessee State University have released a detailed analysis of the region’s 2024 weather patterns.  

Their findings highlight both record-breaking temperatures and catastrophic storms – underscoring the growing need for preparedness as communities face unpredictable conditions. 

The report, published by Tennessee’s Climate Office housed at ETSU, details how Southern Appalachia endured scorching heat and devastating floods, including the tragic September storm linked to remnants of Hurricane Helene. That flood claimed more than a dozen lives and left key highways like I-40 and I-26 closed for weeks. 

“From record heat to heartbreaking losses from flooding, 2024 tested the resilience of our communities,” said Dr. Andrew Joyner, Tennessee’s state climatologist and a faculty member in the ETSU Department of Geosciences. “It was a year that reinforced the need for communities to have detailed plans in place in response to extreme weather.” 

Weather extremes 

The Tri-Cities area experienced its hottest year on record, with Knoxville and Chattanooga close behind. Meanwhile, a January cold snap plunged East Tennessee into sub-zero wind chills and heavy snow, leading to widespread closures and at least 36 weather-related deaths across the state. 

Then came the dry months. 

By summer, parched farmland and dwindling water supplies forced some communities to enact conservation measures. Farmers reported stressed cattle and crop losses as creeks and ponds ran low. 

Helene 

But nothing compared to the devastation of September.  

When remnants of Hurricane Helene collided with a stalled front, the result was catastrophic flooding. The Pigeon River at Newport crested higher than ever recorded, while the Nolichucky River washed away bridges and submerged entire neighborhoods and farmlands. 

Joyner and his team offered a detailed analysis of what made the storm so severe.  

“Floodwaters rose faster than many had ever seen,” Joyner said. “Lives were lost. Homes were destroyed. It was a reminder that extreme weather can arrive with little warning and devastating speed.” 

While overall precipitation in Tennessee ended near average, the analysis shows East Tennessee remained drier than usual. Snowfall was also below average in much of the region’s higher elevations. 

Preparation  

These patterns are part of an ongoing trend that requires attention and adaptation, Joyner said. 

Last year, Tennessee’s Climate Office became one of only nine sites nationwide to receive federal pilot funding aimed at helping communities better understand and respond to long-term weather vulnerabilities. 

“We need to be prepared for more extremes, both wet and dry,” said Joyner. “Our work at ETSU and Tennessee’s Climate Office helps communities access the data and tools they need to build resilience against future weather disasters.” 

New study links dust storms to increased emergency department visits in the U.S. Southwest

National Jewish Health

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DENVER -  A new research study highlights the significant health risks associated with dust storms, revealing an increase in emergency department (ED) visits for respiratory and cardiovascular conditions, as well as motor vehicle accidents, in three Southwestern U.S. states. The study, which was led at National Jewish Health was published this month in JAMA Network Open.

Researchers at National Jewish Health, Emory University and the University of Colorado analyzed over 33,500 ED visits across Arizona, California and Utah from 2005 to 2018. The findings indicate that dust storms are associated with a heightened risk of asthma, culture-negative pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease and motor vehicle accident admissions on the day of the storm or the days immediately following. The findings support the growing body of evidence that dust storms are dangerous, not only for drivers but also for people with chronic health conditions.

“Dust storms are expected to become more frequent due to climate change, so it’s crucial that we understand their immediate and long-term health impacts,” said James Crooks, PhD, associate professor at National Jewish Health and senior author on the study. “Our study provides important data for public health officials to develop strategies aimed at reducing dust storm-related health risks.”

Key findings of the study include:
 

• A 6% increase in ED visits for asthma in the two days following a dust storm.
• A 6% rise in ED visits for culture-negative pneumonia and congestive heart failure in the week following a storm.
• A 13% increase in motor vehicle accidents on the day of a dust storm.

The study, which utilized National Weather Service storm reports and patient-level ED records, emphasizes the need for improved warning systems and public awareness initiatives to mitigate dust storm-related health impacts.

“Given the expected rise in dust storms, policymakers and health officials must take proactive measures to safeguard vulnerable populations,” said Dr. Crooks.

The research was supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
 

National Jewish Health is the leading respiratory hospital in the nation. Founded in 1899 as a nonprofit hospital, National Jewish Health today is the only facility in the world dedicated exclusively to groundbreaking medical research and treatment of children and adults with respiratory, cardiac, immune, and related disorders. Patients and families come to National Jewish Health from around the world to receive cutting-edge, comprehensive, coordinated care. To learn more, visit the media resources page.

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Journal

JAMA Network Open

DOI

10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.57666 

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Dust Storms and Emergency Department Visits in 3 Southwestern States Using NWS Storm Reports

 

Chlorine plus UV light degrades toxins caused by harmful algae blooms

Researchers examine one strategy to protect public drinking water

University of Cincinnati

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The late UC Professor Dionysios Dionysiou holds up a beaker of blue green algae. Dionysiou, who passed away in 2023, inspired generations of chemical engineers in his lab.

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Credit: Andrew Higley

Treatment plants use a combination of tools to keep toxins and contaminants out of drinking water.

Researchers with the University of Cincinnati examined two such tools in addressing a toxin produced by harmful algae blooms, which are becoming increasingly common in waters around the world.

Blue green algae can reproduce en masse in waters laden with nitrogen, phosphorus or other excess nutrients. These algae “blooms” also can form when water levels drop during droughts or when bottom sediments heavy with nutrients get churned up in a storm, said Minghao Kong, a doctoral graduate of UC’s College of Engineering and Applied Science.

When the blue green algae bloom and die, they release toxins into the water that can be harmful or even lethal to people and pets, Kong said.

“Boiling the water or even filtering it won’t help because that doesn’t remove the toxins, which target your liver,” he said.

Kong now studies environmental health at Emory University. He is lead author of a paper published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology examining the benefits of one particular water treatment method.

“Cyanotoxins are not a new phenomenon on Earth. In fact, there is speculation that dinosaurs, whose fossils were discovered near water sources in Madagascar, may have been killed by toxins produced by prehistoric harmful algal blooms,” Kong said.

Often, these algae blooms produce toxins in extremely dangerous levels as was observed in Clear Lake, California, in 2014 and in Lake Okeechobee, Florida, in 2021, prompting advisories warning residents not to drink their water and that boiling tapwater would provide no health protection.

In the lab of the late UC Professor Dionysios Dionysiou, Kong and his co-authors examined the combination of ultraviolet light and chlorine to detoxify water laden with toxins from cyanobacteria.

Their experiments demonstrated that the combination of ultraviolet light and chlorine significantly enhanced the degradation of toxins compared to chlorine alone.

“The integration of UV radiation and chlorination offers an efficient strategy for the treatment of toxins in drinking water with both low chemical demand and energy consumption,” researchers concluded.

One concern, Kong said, is that chlorine and ultraviolet light in combination can create disinfection byproducts, including carcinogens toxic to human health.

But UC's lab-scale experiments showed that UV/chlorine treatment effectively reduced the level of toxins below World Health Organization guidelines without generating harmful byproducts.

“Our tests confirmed that resulting byproduct concentrations remained within safe limits,“ Kong said.

“We found that chloride ions present in the water enhanced the process by forming reactive molecular chlorine,“ Kong explained. "Our work provides a comprehensive assessment of using UV/chlorine as a final barrier against harmful algal bloom events, especially in mitigating toxins while minimizing unintended toxic consequences.“

The study was funded through grants from the National Science Foundation in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency.

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Journal

Environmental Science & Technology

DOI

10.1021/acs.est.4c04255 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Guarding Drinking Water Safety against Harmful Algal Blooms: Could UV/Cl2 Treatment Be the Answer?

 

New Australian dinosaurs and the oldest megaraptorid fossils in the world

Australia’s first carcharodontosaur fossils unearthed along Victoria’s Cretaceous coast

Museum Victoria

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Cretaceous Australia Landscape. Artwork by Jonathan Metzger. Source - Museums Victoria

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Credit: Credit: Artwork by Jonathan Metzger. Source: Museums Victoria

Groundbreaking research published today in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology has unveiled a landmark discovery – fossils of the world’s oldest known megaraptorid and the first evidence of carcharodontosaurs in Australia. These finds rewrite the evolutionary history of theropod dinosaurs, uncovering a predator hierarchy unique to Cretaceous Australia.

The research, led by Museums Victoria Research Institute and Monash University PhD student Jake Kotevski, describes five theropod fossils discovered along Victoria’s coastline. The fossils were unearthed in the upper Strzelecki Group (Bunurong/Boonwurrung Country, Bass Coast, ~121.4-118 million years ago) and the Eumeralla Formation (Eastern Marr Country, Otway Coast, ~113-108 million years ago).

These fossils offer new insights into Victoria’s ancient ecosystem, which was dominated by large powerful megaraptorids (6–7 metres long) alongside smaller carcharodontosaurs (2–4 metres long) and agile, metre-long unenlagiines, or ‘southern raptors’.

‘The discovery of carcharodontosaurs in Australia is groundbreaking,’ says Kotevski. ‘It’s fascinating to see how Victoria’s predator hierarchy diverged from South America, where carcharodontosaurs reached Tyrannosaurus rex-like sizes up to 13 metres, towering over megaraptorids. Here, the roles were reversed, highlighting the uniqueness of Australia’s Cretaceous ecosystem.’

Two of the fossils represent the oldest known megaraptorids globally, expanding our understanding of the group’s evolutionary history and suggesting Australia’s theropod fauna played a pivotal role in Gondwanan ecosystems.

Dr Thomas Rich, senior curator of vertebrate palaeontology at Museums Victoria Research Institute, explains, ‘The findings not only expand Australia’s theropod fossil record but offer compelling evidence of faunal interchange between Australia and South America through Antarctica during the Early Cretaceous. The findings also challenge previous assumptions about body-size hierarchies in Gondwanan predator ecosystems highlighting Victoria’s unique Cretaceous fauna.’

The research demonstrates the vital role of museum collections in building on scientific knowledge and fostering significant scientific breakthroughs. ‘Museum collections are crucial to advancing our understanding of prehistoric life,’ says Tim Ziegler, vertebrate palaeontology collection manager at Museums Victoria Research Institute. ‘Specimens preserved in the State Collection for decades – unidentifiable until now – are providing new insights into the evolution of dinosaur ecosystems.’

Additionally, the research illustrates the multigenerational efforts of Museums Victoria Research Institute palaeontologists. From senior curator Dr Thomas Rich, who has been with the museum since 1974, to collection manager Tim Ziegler and onto the next generation in PhD student Jake Kotevski, this study is one example of the collective efforts of our scientists in creating and sharing trusted knowledge.

Three of the fossils, uncovered between 2022 and 2023, were first identified by Museums Victoria volunteer Melissa Lowery. This discovery highlights the essential contributions of community members working alongside seasoned researchers to further our understanding of Australia's Cretaceous past.

Kotevski and the team continue to survey key fossil sites, including where the fossils of the large megaraptorid were discovered, prompting new avenues of investigation for the Dinosaur Dreaming project, which has led to many significant discoveries including more than 10,000 fossil bones and teeth since the project began – including at least seven different dinosaurs, three groups of mammals, birds, pterosaurs, plesiosaurs, turtles and fishes.

To learn more about Victoria’s ancient ecosystems and fauna, visit Melbourne Museum’s 600 Million Years: Victoria Evolves exhibition and Gandel Gondwana Garden.

This research is a collaboration between Museums Victoria Research Institute and Monash University.

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Journal

Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology

DOI

10.1080/02724634.2024.2441903 

Method of Research

Commentary/editorial

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Evolutionary and palaeobiogeographic implications of new carcharodontosaurian, megaraptorid, and unenlagiine theropod remains from the upper Lower Cretaceous of Victoria, southeast Australia

Article Publication Date

20-Feb-2025

 

Study reveals palm trees once thrived in subarctic Canada

Connecticut College

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Palm phytoliths from the Giraffe Pipe locality, a 48 million-year old Eocene deposit situated in the Canadian subarctic.  Top: Two isolated phytoliths.  Bottom: Partial remains of a stegmata with five phytoliths. These specimens were uncovered 70 meters below the Earth surface in the remains of an ancient maar lake.

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Credit: Peter Siver

New London, Conn. — A new study by Connecticut College provides strong evidence that palm trees once thrived in subarctic Canada, reshaping scientific understanding of past Arctic climates.

Conn Professor Peter Siver’s research, published in the journal Annals of Botany, confirms that during the late early Eocene—approximately 48 million years ago—this region maintained warm temperatures year-round, even during months of winter darkness. The work was done in collaboration with colleagues from Canada and Poland.

Siver’s team identified fossilized phytoliths—microscopic silica structures formed in plant tissues—from palm trees in ancient lakebed sediments extracted from the Giraffe kimberlite pipe locality in Canada’s Northwest Territories. These fossils, alongside preserved remains of warm-water aquatic organisms, indicate a climate far warmer than previously thought, challenging assumptions about when and where ice first formed in the Northern Hemisphere.

“The discovery of palm fossils this far north provides clear evidence that the Arctic was once ice-free, with a climate similar to today’s subtropics,” said Siver. “These findings give us a window into past greenhouse conditions and help refine models predicting future climate change.”

Some of the fossil analysis for this study took place in Siver’s lab at Connecticut College, where students are involved in examining microfossils to reconstruct ancient ecosystems. His ongoing research continues to provide hands-on opportunities for students to contribute to climate science while gaining experience with advanced microscopy and fossil identification techniques.

In addition to confirming the northernmost record of palms during this time, the study also documents, for the first time, fossilized stegmata—linear arrays of phytoliths in palm foliage—establishing that this evolutionary trait had emerged by the early Eocene. The presence of multiple warm-adapted aquatic species further reinforces that this prehistoric Arctic region supported a lush, temperate ecosystem.

Siver’s research contributes to the broader understanding of Earth’s climate history, particularly the extent and timing of ice formation in the Cenozoic era. By reconstructing these past environments, scientists gain valuable insights into how ecosystems respond to long-term climate shifts.

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Journal

Annals of Botany

DOI

10.1093/aob/mcaf021 

Method of Research

Imaging analysis

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Palm phytoliths in subarctic Canada imply ice-free winters 48 million years ago during the late early Eocene

Article Publication Date

19-Feb-2025