Anatomy

‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Fans Are Calling Out Producers for Falsely Advertising the ‘Station 19’ Crossovers – Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Since Jan. 23, 2020,Greys Anatomyand Station 19 have almostweekly crossover eventsbetween the two shows. What this generally means is that the storylines blend with characters from one show appearing on the other.

However, fans are getting hostile about the many crossover events claiming that the producers of the shows are falsely advertising that the two shows are going to overlap.

The fire station show Station 19 is a spin-off to the ABC flagship series, Greys Anatomy. It began on Mar. 22, 2018 and is set in Seattle like the original show. The action-drama took star Jason George who portraysBen Warren from Greys Anatomy to star in the show that features the lives of the men and women at Seattle Fire Station 19.

Co-producer of the show Krista Vernoff explained in an interview that the writing team is doing its best to ensure that each episode is a stand-alone story. They do not want viewers to watch both shows if they dont want to.

Each hour of each show needs to be a whole story [by] itself,Vernoff told Variety. And when merged with the other show, when there are crossover elements, it needs to feel like, Oh, thats a bigger movie. So I had to make two-hour movies, [but] if you only watched [either the first or last] hour, you felt totally satisfied.

The writing team feels that you can watch either show and not be lost. However, there is a more cohesive picture if you watch both.

OMG, I just watched [Station 19] because I was bored, but literally, it had nothing that related to Greys, one fanwrote on Reddit. You would miss nothing if you didnt watch it, they basically stayed at the firehouse the whole episode. They had that face time with Carina, but do people even care for her; she is not a series regular.

Fans are outraged that every episode promo indicates that the shows are planning a crossover event. However, when they tune in to Station 19, they havent seen many of Greys Anatomys characters at all.

So annoyed tonights episode is yet another crossover, another fan added. If Station 19 cant stand on its own, they should let it go. Its taking valuable screen time from Greys. This season alone has issues. Stop dragging it down just for the sake of keeping another show on air. If its good enough, [Station 19] will succeed and find its own fan base.

Viewers dont like feeling pressured to watch both shows. However, when the promo indicates that there is a crossover event, they tune it to make sure they dont miss anything with their Greys Anatomy characters.

The spin-off is not the first for Greys Anatomy. In 2007, the medical drama Private Practice premiered, featuring the former Greys starKate Walshas the lead, Addison Montgomery Shepherd.

Greys Anatomy and Private Practice had a total of nine crossover events over the course of the six seasons that the spin-off was on air. In six years that means it happened less than two times per season.

For Station 19, there are four crossovers in the works for season 3 alone. The weekly promos also include both show names and clips from Greys Anatomy and Station 19.

Read more:Greys Anatomy Fans Feel Private Practice Was a Significantly Better Spin-Off Than Station 19 Will Ever Be

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'Grey's Anatomy' Fans Are Calling Out Producers for Falsely Advertising the 'Station 19' Crossovers - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Anatomy

Anatomy of a perfect cottage tips and trends from Parry Sound experts – parrysound.com

(Photos courtesy Schlager Inc.)

Peter Olyschlager, Schlager Inc.

Landscaping and hardscaping projects is a great way to enhance enjoyment of a property and increase its value. Flagstone patios and fire pits are really popular. They add to the outdoor living space of the cottage and are a nice area for family to get together and socialize. Its like creating an outdoor living room, but better! It also greatly adds the retail value of the cottage.

Granite is the product of choice with landscaping because it completely matches the natural environment. However, we often find limestone is a great option as well and can blend in naturally, depending on the style of cottage being built. Also, many man-made products have come a long way to complement the natural surroundings of cottage country.

Reputable contractors have the environment in mind. Using plants that are native to our area is important because it creates less waste by helping reduce water costs because they naturally adapt. They are better for our native wildlife species such as bees, butterflies and birds. Its important to use vegetation when possible to control run-off into the lakes; rather than clear-cut a property, maintain vegetation in place to filters pollutants. Also during construction, all measures must be taken to control run off into lakes and streams by using things such as silt curtains, and try to disturb as small of area as possible.

People often have to do costly and time-consuming backtracking when they hit roadblocks along the way because they did not first consult with all of the right contractors and municipalities before they begin their project. It is good to do thorough research before you begin, to know what permits you need and what bylaws exist, so you do not have to stop the work while waiting for these things to be sorted out. Hiring the right contractor is important and getting lots of information from them will help you keep things on track. Not to say there is never hiccups along the way, but you can plan and prepare to try and avoid them.

(Photos courtesy The Deck Store)

Stan Weiland, president, The Deck Store

Some of the deciding factors when it comes to selecting a decking material include budget, usage, exposure, environment, aesthetics, and personal preference. If a client wants a decking material that will last a long time and requires very little maintenance, a composite or PVC decking board would be the right choice. PVC decking performs great in pretty much all environments due to the fact there are no organic ingredients in the boards. Make sure the installer knows how to work with the plastic materials and understands how to fasten them to eliminate expansion and contraction issues.

For lower budgets, pressure-treated wood or cedar lumber are viable options but they tend to require more maintenance to keep them looking good. Also, the life span of a wood deck in some environments is only 10 years because the quality of the wood used for decking today is not up to the same standards as what was used 15-25 years ago; due to the high demand, younger trees are being harvested and the integrity of the material is not what it needs to be to last for any substantial amount of time. As well, it takes a lot of work to keep a wood deck looking nice I dont know too many people who enjoy spending their cottage time sanding and staining their wood decks.

Coming up with the right design is a process that involves getting to know the client and how they plan to use their outdoor space. We like to gather information using questions such as: How do you plan to use your deck (for dining, lounging, entertaining, access to the yard, sunbathing, evening cocktails, etc.)? How many people on average will be on the deck? Do you require privacy from any direction? Does it get hot on your deck and is shade needed? Are there any special features that you would like to see, such as borders, inlays, lights? Do you have a view that you would like to maintain?

(Photos courtesy Black Rock Landscaping)

Larry Martin, owner, Black Rock Landscaping

Trends are always evolving with gardening. Cottage country gardening is no different. Low maintenance gardens, which are practical for people who dont want to spend weekends gardening, are coming back in style right now. Also gaining in popularity again is the inclusion of some grass lawn areas for childrens activities. And combination gardens a healthy mixture of hardy perennials and shrubs are always a hit with people because they look great and are easier to maintain than purely flower gardens.

There is a lot of interest lately in preserving shorelines and near-shore areas because of their ecological importance. There are ways to beautify the waterfront and still maintain its natural function. Cleaning shorelines of dead limbs, debris and unwanted weeds provides a tidier appearance. Plant selectively with desired plants to give some colour to shoreline indigenous plants are best but do so with an eye towards maintaining natural appearance. Some common plants that can be used are iris, cotoneaster, daylilies, stephanandra, and hosta (if deer arent a problem) to name a few.

A lot of cottagers are adding raised beds into their designs because they offer a number of advantages. They are easier to maintain, offer a better planting base where soil is poor, accent an area that is plan and flat, and offer the opportunity raise and stack plants to different levels to show off different species.

People want to put planters on their docks to offer lake appeal, but there are valid concerns about chemicals entering the water from them. You can have flowering pots on your dock while still being environmentally friendly simply by using drip trays, which work well to collect excess water and fertilizer and also help to prevent deck stains.

(Photo courtesy Canadian Contracting Services)

Rick Zanussi, owner, Canadian Contracting Services

When it comes to a build, dont overlook the basement, where the use of ICF (insulated concrete form) is becoming the standard. This type of basement foundation provides many advantages. It gives incredible structure and an easily achieved level, plumb and square foundation. As important, a good quality ICF provides an incredible insulation value of R30. ICF foundations are certainly more expensive than a standard, uninsulated block foundation but the extra cost is well worth it. A solid, level and square foundation is the key building block to a quality build.

Electrical planning is paramount for providing all electrical needs a customer wants. Property owners should take the time to go through the entire build with the electrical subcontractor and builder, on site. Think about the layout of the Great Room, kitchen and bedrooms with respect to where you will or may need receptacles. The best rule of thumb is to install more receptacles than less.

Exterior windows and doors should never be skimped on. We encourage our customers to spend more to achieve more in R-value, weather resistance and longevity of windows and doors. Youll spend far more time gazing out windows at the cottage than at your permanent home you want to enjoy the cottage viewsso a good rule of thumb is to err towards larger windows rather than smaller.

In order to reduce stress and building-process issues, property owners need to spend the time to find the right builder. Never go with the cheapest builder you can find. A quality finished product is never achieved by being the least expensive. Your cottage must be built properly, meeting all structural, system, landscaping and aesthetic requirements. These are never accomplished unless you spend the money required to achieve them.

Owners need to research builders thoroughly. This takes time and effort, but is imperative to limit problems during the build. Take the time to find a builder with a very good reputation. Ask for contact information of previous customers and speak with them openly to determine their experience with the contractor. Ask builders how long their employees have been with them. These tradesmen are paramount for a quality build as they are the people who do the actual work and their qualifications and experience must be extensive.

From the pages of Parry Sound Life magazine. View our PDF edition online. Subscribe to have it delivered to your door.

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Anatomy of a perfect cottage tips and trends from Parry Sound experts - parrysound.com

Anatomy

Anatomy of violence: Two critical points that left police on back foot – Outlook India

Anatomy of violence: Two critical points that left police on back foot

New Delhi, Feb 29 (IANS) A move by a far-Left women''s rights group, Pinjra Tod, to mobilise locals in northeast Delhi and the near-lynching of Deputy Commissioner of Police Amit Sharma by rioters were two critical points that left security forces on the back foot, police sources said on Saturday.

They said it all started from February 22 evening when Pinjra Tod members started mobilising locals protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and directed them to gather at Jafrabad metro station.

"The anti-CAA protesters came and squatted at Jafrabad metro station on February 22 at 10 p.m. We thought protesters would gather at the old site at Seelampur service lane, which is around a kilometre away," a police source said.

The new set of protesters gathered at Jafrabad metro station included around 500 women, small children and 400 men. They came out from congested bylanes and gathered at the metro station. However, the core group consisted of outsiders.

The police could not take action to remove them as they were outnumbered.

"We had limited women personnel, so we could not act. Besides, there are High Court and Supreme Court orders about the right to protest. However, we did not allow them to set up tents, microphones or a platform at the site," said a source.

By February 23 morning, the crowd swelled to around 3,000 people. "We had limited staff even as Pinjra Tod members were mobilising the crowd with locals'' support," said the source.

Explaining the situation, sources said Delhi''s northeast district could be the most congested part in the country. The area around Jafrabad and Maujpur is so congested that around 80,000 people live per sq km.

Seeing the rising number of people at Jafrabad metro station, a kilometre away at Maujpur metro station, another community also gathered and started a dharna. They said they would jam the entire stretch of Maujpur. It was here that BJP leader Kapil Mishra came and addressed the crowd and then left.

"We tried to reason with them, but they wouldn''t listen," said a police source.

The template for both the situations -- at Jafrabad and Maujpur -- was the same. At Jafrabad, most of the people in the crowd said that if protesters were allowed at Shaheen Bagh, then they too could protest. "At Maujpur, the crowd asked: why don''t you remove Jafrabad protesters?''," said the source.

In the evening, stone pelting started on protesters at Maujpur, but the police were able to control it.

"At the same time, there was some tension at Chand Bagh. A Deputy Commissioner of Police went there and controlled it.

"We made adequate arrangements for Monday February 24: US President Donald Trump was on a visit and was about to arrive that evening. The eastern range officers were exempt from being deployed for security. They had their own problems to deal with," a source said.

Though it took time to mobilise the force, adequate number of police personnel and officers were deployed.

"Our major concern was to protect Maujpur, as the area is surrounded by a particular community," said a police officer. "It was easy to mobilise people from Jafrabad and Kardampuri in a few minutes."

On February 24 around 9 am , a call was received that Chand Bagh rioters were targeting a petrol pump.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Amit Sharma reached Chand Bagh with three companies on February 24 at 9 a.m. after he received a call that a petrol station was targeted. He rushed there, and between 9:30 a.m. and 10 am, he was attacked and Assistant Commissioner of Police Gokulpuri were almost lynched and a Head constable, Ratan Lal, was shot dead -- the bullet passed from his left shoulder, piercing his heart, and got stuck in the right arm.

The three-company force which was with the DCP Sharma disappeared after he was attacked. Thereafter, large-scale rioting began.

The challenge now was to send all the reserve force to Chand Bagh. The Joint Commissioner of Police heading Eastern Range Alok Kumar was tasked with the job.

He made his move on the 66 Feet main Jafrabad Road. He was stuck at Kardampuri where his force came under a fierce attack. Similarly, Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Jasmeet Singh was stuck near Maujpur.

Then Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Joy Tirkey and Joint Commissioner of Police Manish Agarwal were called in.

Using a different route -- Usmanpur to Pushta Road -- they reached Chand Bagh and controlled the situation.

By 4 p.m, the police managed ro reclaim Wazirabad and 66 Feet Road at Jafrabad.

"At many places, both sides were firing at each other using countrymade revolvers. They were also against the police. At some places, policemen came right into the middle," said a police source, adding that the police personnel could not resort to firing because they were attacked from both sides.

"We (police), however, carried out limited firing," said another police source, asserting that none of the officers retreated.

"We didn''t allow any lynching... though covering each point is impossible."

At Shiv Vihar, an Additional DCP was with 15 personnel; they could not manage to enter inside the area, but they remained unfazed. They stayed on and contained the riots.

"Rioting started at around 20 locations simultaneously and our men stood there to control the rioters. They didn''t move back," said a police source.

Maximum calls -- 7,500 -- were received from Noor-e-Ilyahi, Brahampuri and Yamuna Vihar.

On February 25, the situation remained the same.

"We were able to control the situation by late evening. Then we entered the lanes and bylanes and fully took control of the situation," said a police officer.

Soon, policemen were seen inside Khajuri Khas, Dayalpur, Karawal Nagar and Jafrabad.

Police sources said it was a conscious decision not to resort to firing at rioters even when police teams were trapped. "Our only priority was to contain the riots and bring the situation under control," said a police officer.

--IANS

sk/prs

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Anatomy of violence: Two critical points that left police on back foot - Outlook India

Anatomy

‘Grey’s Anatomy’: The Heartbreaking Reason Bailey Failed As Chief of Surgery – Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Greys Anatomy is one of the longest-running shows on television and for good reason. The show has a great reputation and a huge fan base, and each week, millions of people tune in to see what will happen next with their favorite characters.

According to Bustle, the show wasnt even meant to last as long as it has so far, but it took off so well that no one ever looked back. We are so glad that this is the case, given the fact that Greys Anatomy has brought us so many hours of enjoyment.

Fans never get tired of watching and re-watching their favorite show, and it is really no secret that there is always something exciting going on. Whether it be one of the steamy hookups or even the tragic death of a character, the show keeps viewers on the edge of their seats and shows no signs of going anywhere anytime soon.

With so many twists and turns, there is always some sort of speculation as to why certain things happened the way that they did. Here is the heartbreaking reason why Bailey failed as chief of surgery.

For those who may not be familiar with the character of Miranda Bailey, we will delve into the role just a little. According to ABC, Bailey, who is portrayed by actress Chandra Wilson, is a key figure at the hospital, a mother who is devoted to her son, and a character with sharp comebacks and a strong presence.

Previously married to Tucker Jones, Bailey is divorced, and she has had several significant relationships on the show, including Nurse Eli and Doctor Ben Warren, whom she eventually married. It is pretty safe to say that Bailey is a fan favorite, with so many people supporting what she does and taking a great interest in the things that happen in her life.

It was in season 12 of the hit show that Bailey became the chief of surgery, and she gave it all she had from the very beginning. As the first female at the hospital to hold the position, she actually made history of sorts, and we can only imagine how proud she was. As fans know, Bailey was quite shy and reserved during her internship at the hospital, finally coming out of her shell as her career progressed. She landed the position only after Owen Hunt resigned, and was considered for his job.

At first, it looked like the other candidate for the position, Tracy McConnell, would end up being appointed, but the board members voted and decided that Bailey would be the best choice for chief of surgery at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.

In a perfect world, Bailey would have been able to hold the position for as long as she wished, however, this was sadly not the case. So, what is the heartbreaking reason as to why she failed?

According to Reddit, she just wasnt ready for all of the responsibility, and although fans feel that she is an absolutely wonderful person, they felt that her emotions got in the way and didnt allow her to accomplish all that she should.

The good news is that many feel that Bailey has plenty of time to grow into the position as chief of surgery, and while she shouldnt have been offered the job at the time that she was, it doesnt mean that all hope is lost. Will Bailey ever return to the high-profile position? That remains to be seen.

Read more:
'Grey's Anatomy': The Heartbreaking Reason Bailey Failed As Chief of Surgery - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Anatomy

Beanie Feldstein Says Her Dreams Came True After Landing Greys Anatomy Role: Its All Ive Wanted – Us Weekly

James Pickens Jr. and Beanie Feldstein on Greys Anatomy. ABC/Ali Goldstein

When the dreams that you wish come true! Beanie Feldstein opened up about an exciting moment in her career getting to appear on her favorite show, Greys Anatomy.

It was announced on Thursday, February 27, that the Booksmart actress, 26, would be stopping by Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. In the shows latest episode, Feldstein played an intern named Tess Desmond.

MY DREAMS CAME TRUE LAST NIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! All Ive wanted since I was eleven years old was to be on Greys Anatomy, the Golden Globe nominee wrote via Instagram on Friday, February 28, captioning a post filled with photos of herself on set. Ive seen every single episode multiple times. Guest-starring on this show and getting to share scenes with the remarkable James Pickens (my chief always & forever) was heaven.

Feldstein continued, The crew and cast were so incredibly kind and let me tour all the sets and touch all the props and I fully wept!!!! Thanks for letting me take a one time dream trip to Seattle.

Feldsteins accomplishment was met with the highest of praises from major stars. Dakota Fanning simply wrote, Dr. Desmond!!!!! beneath the post, while Reese Witherspoon replied, Paging Dr. Feldstein! Aly Michalka added, Wholesome content I needed.

Not long before Feldsteins appearance on the popular medical drama, the Lady Bird actress guest-voiced a character on another iconic series: The Simpsons.

Getting to bring my nephews to watch me record The Simpsons was the greatest day. the coolest ever, she said via Instagram of the experience on Tuesday, February 25. Thanks to everyone at The Simpsons for making me seem like a cool aunt for one single day!!

Feldstein joined Greys Anatomy one month after Justin Chambers exit from the ABC series after 16 seasons. He confirmed his departure in a statement to Deadline on January 10.

Theres no good time to say goodbye to a show and character thats defined so much of my life for the past 15 years, the 49-year-old actor, who played Alex Karev, said. For some time now, however, I have hoped to diversify my acting roles and career choices. And, as I turn 50 and am blessed with my remarkable, supportive wife and five wonderful children, now is that time.

A sendoff for Chambers character, Alex, will air on Thursday, March 5, in an episode titled, Leave a Light On.

Greys Anatomy airs on ABC Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET.

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Beanie Feldstein Says Her Dreams Came True After Landing Greys Anatomy Role: Its All Ive Wanted - Us Weekly

Biochemistry

Doctor of biochemistry worked at Loma Linda University – Redlands News

Dr. Ronald Henry Hillock of Las Vegas, who worked at Loma Linda University for 40 years as a clinical chemist and a professor of biochemistry, died with his family by his side on Feb. 2, 2020. He was 85.

Born on July 5, 1934, in Paris, Ontario, Canada, he lived in Loma Linda 41 years prior to moving to Las Vegas.

He was a U.S. Air Force veteran.

During his service, he became a clinical laboratory technician, leading to a distinguished career in academia and clinical medicine.

He is survived by his wife Thelma of 65 years; daughter Janet Hillock Barone of Longboat Key, Florida; son Ronald W. Hillock, M.D. of Las Vegas; daughter Dawn L. Hillock of Las Vegas; four grandchildren, Chris Johnson of Whittier, California, Andrea Barone of Hopkinton, Massachusetts, Michael Barone of Rocky Hill, Connecticut, and Zoe Hillock of Las Vegas.

A Memorial service will be scheduled. The family suggests donations to the American Diabetes Association.

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Doctor of biochemistry worked at Loma Linda University - Redlands News

Biochemistry

IISc.s biochemistry department turns 100 – The Hindu

The Department of Biochemistry of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc.) stepped into its centenary year in 2020. Established in 1921, it is said to be one of the oldest departments not only in India, but in all of Asia. Around 850 students have graduated from the department so far.

P.N. Rangarajan, Chairperson, Department of Biochemistry, told The Hindu that the major achievement has been its students, many of who are now leaders in industry and academia. One of them J. Padmanabhan alumni and faculty became the director of IISc. M.R.S. Rao went on to become the president of the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, and Ram Rajasekharan became the Director of CFTRI-Mysuru, he said.

The department has planned a major conference and alumni reunion in December, as well as a centenary lecture series that will be held almost every month. On the IISc.s Open Day on Saturday, it is organising an exhibition highlighting its past and current activities.

Prof. Rangarajans own research has led to the development of the hepatitis B vaccine. At least four vaccines are currently in the market. The hepatitis B component in these vaccines came from the lab of the Department of Biochemistry, he added.

In a recent issue of the journal Current Science, Prof. Rangarajan lists out the progression of research in the department. This includes research of societal relevance in the early years which resulted in the development of methods for conversion of municipal waste into organic manure and fluoride removal from drinking water, to name a few.

The article makes note of key contributions in basic research such as the identification of yeast chromosomes and nuclear membrane.

Ongoing research

At present, a novel drug combination for extremely drug resistant and multi-drug resistant TB, as well as new blood-based biomarker signatures of host genes for diagnosis of tuberculosis and for detecting response to anti-tubercular therapy are being developed, he told The Hindu. A novel inhibitor of DNA repair enzyme called SCR7 has also been developed in our laboratory. It has the potential to develop as a cancer drug, said Prof. Rangarajan.

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IISc.s biochemistry department turns 100 - The Hindu

Biochemistry

Team deciphers how myotonic dystrophy generates lethal heart dysfunctions – University of Illinois News

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. Roughly 80% of people with myotonic dystrophy a common form of muscular dystrophy experience dangerous heart ailments, and heart rhythm defects are the second-leading cause of death in those with the condition. In a new study, researchers traced the molecular events that lead to heart abnormalities in myotonic dystrophy and recreated the disease in a mouse model.

They report their findings in the journal Developmental Cell.

In this study, we discovered that the genetic abnormalities associated with myotonic dystrophy lead to the overproduction of an alternative-splicing factor that regulates how cells process other proteins, said Auinash Kalsotra, a professor of biochemistry at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who led the work. He is a faculty member in the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology and in the Cancer Center at Illinois.

The alternative-splicing factor comes in two forms, called muscle and nonmuscle RBFOX2. Both alter RNA transcripts by splicing them before they are translated into proteins. The nonmuscle form of the protein is elevated in the heart muscles of people with myotonic dystrophy, the researchers found.

When we engineered mice to express this wrong version of the protein in the heart, they developed the same heart irregularities seen in humans with myotonic dystrophy, Kalsotra said. We decided to investigate further why expression of the nonmuscle RBFOX2 variant in the heart triggers arrhythmias.

By looking at cardiac gene-expression data and focusing on which gene transcripts are altered by the nonmuscle RBFOX2 in myotonic dystrophy patients, we discovered that it induces abnormal splicing of proteins that make up the major potassium and sodium channels in heart cells, said Chaitali Misra, a postdoctoral research scientist in the Kalsotra laboratory and the first author of the study. These channels are essential to the propagation of electrical signals across heart muscle, and their aberrant splicing causes major cardiac conduction defects.

This disrupts the normal rhythm and function of the heart in individuals with myotonic dystrophy, Kalsotra said.

Our results have answered a long-standing question of why myotonic dystrophy patients develop cardiac dysfunctions and offers new insights into previously unknown mechanisms causing arrhythmias in the heart, he said. We expect these findings will help explore new approaches for treating cardiac arrhythmias and bring us closer to finding a cure for this disease.

The research team included U. of I. graduate student Sushant Bangru; undergraduate students Feikai Lin and Darren J. Parker; Thomas A. Cooper, of Baylor College of Medicine; Sara N. Koenig, Ellen R. Lubbers and Peter J. Mohler, of Ohio State University; and U. of I. postdoctoral fellow Jamila Hedhli, graduate student Kin Lam, bioengineering professor Lawrence W. Dobrucki and biochemistry professor Emad Tajkhorshid, all of whom are affiliated with the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at Illinois.

The National Institutes of Health, Muscular Dystrophy Association and American Heart Association funded this research.

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Team deciphers how myotonic dystrophy generates lethal heart dysfunctions - University of Illinois News

Biochemistry

What coronavirus’ shape-shifting structure tells us about the disease, and how to fight it – KUOW News and Information

Scientists at the University of Washington have a better picture of the coronavirus literally. The images help them understand the mechanism of the infection and help in designing a vaccine.

Ask Lexi Walls, a UW postdoctoral fellow, what the coronavirus looks like up close and shell tell you, Broccoli, like a head of a broccoli.

Washington state health officials are preparing for possible coronavirus spread

Walls and Young-Jun Park are part of a UW research team thats studying the virus. Using cryo-electron microscopy, they learned about the virus architecture; it has spikes.

Dr. David Veesler, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry at the UW School of Medicine, says the spikes change in shape as it invades a cell.

It changes shape to be able to attach to the host cell surface, Veesler said.

Once it latches onto the cell, it becomes a gateway for infections to start.

Because we know what it looks like, the goal is to take this knowledge forward and to design better vaccines, Walls said.

There are still many more steps before a vaccine is available in the market, but this is the first step in developing one.

To date there are 19 confirmed cases of infection in the U.S.

Globally, more than 82,000 people have been infected.

The rest is here:
What coronavirus' shape-shifting structure tells us about the disease, and how to fight it - KUOW News and Information

Biochemistry

Why COVID-19 is more insidious than other coronaviruses – Salon

Scientists around the world are racing to understandCOVID-19, the novel coronavirus that has infected more than 82,000 people worldwide and killed 2,817 people as of Thursday. While there are many known viruses in the same class of coronavirus as COVID-19, some of its peculiarities including its infectivity are perplexing researchers. Now, a recent research paper viewableon the Chinese research siteChinaxiv.organd previously reported on by theSouth China Morning Postnotes that the new coronavirus has an "HIV-like mutation" that gives it novel properties.

"Because of this mutation, the packing mechanism of the 2019-nCoV may be changed to being more similar to those of MHV, HIV, Ebola virus (EBoV) and some avian influenza viruses," the English abstract of the paper states.

Though the paper is yet to be peer-reviewed, the scientists involved hail from Nankai Unviersity in Tianjin, one of the top universities in the world's most populousnation.

The paper adds to the crucial body of research around COVID-19, which still includes more unknowns than knowns. Currently,scientists still do notknow COVID-19's origin, though suspect it is zoonotic, meaning it likely started in an animal before spreading to humans. As the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)note on theirwebsite, COVID-19 is an "emerging disease," and much of what we do know is "based on what is known about similar coronaviruses." More recently,news surfaced today that there are new cases in Germany and California inwhich the patient had no known risk factors.

TheNankai University researchers suggestthat COVID-19's ability to bind tocells is as much as1,000 times greaterthan SARS' ability. Like COVID-19, SARSis also a coronavirus. As explained by the South China Morning Post, SARSand the novel coronavirus share about 80 percent of their genetic structure. However, COVID-19 attacksa proteincalled furin the same proteinthat is attacked byEbola andHIV, which are not coronaviruses. A 2014 research paper suggested that the key to finding a cure for Ebola lay in understanding the protein furin.

According tothe World Health Organization, SARS is more deadly than COVID-19, but the novel coronavirus is more infectious.

This echoes a separate finding from researchers at the University of Washington (UW) School of Medicine who analyzed the virus's spike architecture.

"The spike is the business part as far as viral entry is concerned," David Veesler, senior author of the report and assistant professor of biochemistry at the UW School of Medicine, said in a media statement."It is in charge not only of attachment at the host cell surface, but also of fusing the viral and host cell membranes to allow the infection to start. The spike is also the main target of neutralizing antibodies, so it's very important for vaccine and therapeutic design."

In their analysis, the researchers found "a furin cleavage site at a boundary between two subunits of the spike protein in the newly emerged coronavirus," according to the media release.

Considering what we do know about the novel coronavirus' genetic makeup, researchers are repurposing drugs used to treat other viral infections in various clinical trials to treat COVID-19.

"The general genomic layout and the general replication kinetics and the biology of the MERS, SARS and [SARS-CoV-2] viruses are very similar, so testing drugs which target relatively generic parts of these coronaviruses is a logical step," Vincent Munster, chief of theViral Ecology Unit at the U.S. National Institute of Health, told Nature.

Americans are bracing for a potential outbreak or even pandemic. In the United States, the CDC said it wasn't a matter of if there will be a disruptive outbreak, but when. Markets in the United States dropped precipitously this week over fears of global economic disruption stemming from COVID-19.

Despite the widespread fear over COVID-19,the seasonal fluremains a greater public health threatin the United States.

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Why COVID-19 is more insidious than other coronaviruses - Salon