Вирус silence is golden

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шалом) загрузил шаблом для первого в жизни магазина. нашел интересный и необычный. сейчас пытаюсь чуть правил и нашел в head в style ссылки на какие то сайты, см. html ниже. так-же не должно быть?! upd: возможно это не из шаблона, а из кого-то еще модификатора заняслось в код. вопрос что из этого можно убрать.

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Подскажите пожалуйста, каким образом можно выявить, где уязвимость? Как узнать откуда лезет весь этот мусор?
Так же - как можно защитить сайт от вирусных атак?

An LMU team has uncovered a new role for the protein Atrx, which is involved in various aspects of gene expression. The new work shows that the protein is also involved in silencing endogenous retroviral genomes integrated in cellular DNA.

In any given mammalian cell, much of the genome is inactive at any given time. Indeed, many genes are subject to long-term inactivation in virtually all cells, and to this class belong the so-called retrotransposons. Retrotransposons represent the now more or less degenerate genomes of retroviruses, which infiltrated the germline at some point in evolution, were integrated into the host’s genome and have since been passed down for many generations. Some of these alien sequences have become ‘domesticated’ in the meantime, and have taken on regulatory functions for nearby cellular genes. Others must be permanently inactivated, because their expression would otherwise have deleterious consequences for gene regulation and the stability of the genome as a whole, and so disrupt the normal development of the organism. How integrated retrotransposons are effectively silenced in cells is not entirely understood. Professor Gunnar Schotta and his research group at LMU’s Adolf Butenandt Institute have now identified a previously unknown role for the protein Atrx in this context. Their findings appear in the journal “EMBO reports”.

Gene sequences can be silenced by making them inaccessible to enzymes required for gene expression. Often this occurs by condensing the DNA into a tightly folded form of chromatin called heterochromatin, primarily by specific modification of proteins called histones around which the genomic DNA is wrapped. The significance of such “heterochromatinization” is revealed by the fact that defects in this mechanism of gene silencing can lead to serious illness. “More than 50% of mammalian genomes consists of silenced sequences,” Schotta explains. He and his colleagues have now shown that the protein Atrx plays a central role in inducing the formation of heterochromatin. “Atrx has already been implicated in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative conditions and various forms of cancer. We have now pinpointed a new function of the protein, which may help to explain its involvement in these diseases,” says Schotta.

Loss of Atrx compromises silencing

The new work was carried out in a mouse model system, and focused on a specific class of endogenous retroviruses called IAP retrotransposons. Using molecular genetic techniques, the LMU team first analyzed which segments of the viral genomes are essential for them to be recognized as foreign and mark them for silencing. “We discovered that the silencing process is always initiated from a defined region of the retroviral DNA, and propagates until it encompasses the whole viral genome,” says Schotta. The LMU researchers then went on to identify the cellular proteins that were involved in the silencing process itself: “We systematically tested various components that interact with chromatin for their ability to induce the formation of heterochromatin,” says Schotta.

In addition to the previously identified factors Setdb1 (a histone methyltransferase), which modifies histones in such a way that they induce silencing, and Trim28, which mediates the interaction between Setdb1 and chromatin, the molecular genetic screens revealed a previously unknown function for Atrx, which appears to have multiple roles in the modification of chromatin. “Atrx is clearly also required for the silencing of retroviral sequences, because we found that it has a crucial role in the assembly of densely packed heterochromatin. In cells that lack Atrx, the rate of inactivation of viral sequences is reduced, and the whole process takes longer,” Schotta explains, adding that efficient silencing of such sequences is essential for the well-being of cells.

Defects in Atrx function have previously been linked to neurodegenerative illnesses. Thus, individuals that produce a defective form of Atrx display an array of symptoms, including mental retardation, referred as the ATR-X syndrome. “But it is not yet clear how loss of functional ATRX results in the characteristic features of the condition,” says Schotta. “We believe that the new findings regarding the function of the mouse Atrx also hold for the corresponding protein in humans. It is therefore conceivable that defects in the silencing of endogenous viral genomes could contribute to the development of ATR-X syndrome.” At all events, the new results point to new approaches to the investigation of pathologies that are linked to mutations in Atrx.

The usual advice is for brands to avoid staying quiet during a crisis.

But one organisation has decided that doing nothing and saying little is the best approach during its recent time in the spotlight.

And it is probably the right decision.

Corona beer has found itself in the uncomfortable and unusual position of being linked to a global health crisis simply because it shares a similar name to the deadly coronavirus.

According to Google Trends, searches for ‘corona beer virus’ surged by 2,300 per cent between January 18 and 26. Searches for ‘beer virus’ increased by 744 per cent and there was a 3,233 per cent increase in searches of ‘beer coronavirus’.

There have additionally been countless memes and jokes on social media and promotions playing on the association - a pub in Scotland offered a free face mask with every bottle of Corona it sold over the weekend, while a bar in New Zealand has been criticised for advertising deals on the Mexican lager ‘while the pandemic lasts’.

And this, in turn, has moved the link from online channels to mainstream media.

Google searches for ‘Corona beer virus’ surge as people confuse the Mexican pale lager with the deadly outbreaks that’s killed 133 in China Daily Mail

Interestingly, despite the surge in searches and misinformation, the Corona social media accounts have stayed silent and Constellation Brands, which distributes the beer, in the U S has produced only the briefest of responses, telling PR Week that it isn’t responding to the conversation on social media and that consumers “by and large understand that the virus has nothing to do with our beer or our business.”

And although that goes against usual crisis media management approaches, it is probably the best tactic here.

Well, while there must be more concern within the company than its brief comment suggests, it seems unlikely that people genuinely believe there is a link between the beer and the spread of the virus, despite the rise in online traffic.

The surge in search numbers could be driven by people searching ‘corona beer virus’ for fun or out of curiosity, while Google’s search engine automatically suggests searches based on popular terms.

A key consideration will also have been that the company’s stock price has remained steady despite the unwanted association.

Equally, saying more could have presented a risk of its own, with the possibility that the brand was seen as trying to use the link to the virus opportunistically or could have given fresh impetus to a small part of a much bigger global news story.

While silence, or saying little, is rarely a good move in crisis media management, it seems that Corona has rightly judged there is little immediate risk to its long-term reputation here.

And that’s the key point. Brands don’t always need to respond to negative comments or sentiment on social media.

It is crucial they consider if something is really a crisis, particularly on social media, and whether responding will give impetus to an issue which is likely to otherwise disappear.

The other lesson here is that a brand doesn’t necessarily have to have done something wrong to face a social media storm or potential crisis media management incident.

Sometimes it can just be down to unfortunate circumstances, such as an uncomfortable association with your name.

And Corona is not the first brand to experience this. ISIS, a mobile wallet, changed its name to Softcard after the association with the violent militant group.

ISIS Pharmaceuticals originally resisted calls to change its name but is now known as Ionis Pharmaceuticals. Its spokesperson told The Guardian in 2015: “When you talk about the company you want people to immediately think about the incredible work you’re doing to deliver transformational drugs to patients . not as an unfortunate namesake.”

Corona is unlikely to need to take a similar approach, but it will undoubtedly be keeping a closer eye on the global health story than its response suggests.

Download our FREE eBook to find out more about planning for a crisis. It includes a checklist to helping you identify the right spokesperson, messaging templates and a risk register to help you identify your organisation’s vulnerabilities.

Media First are media and communications training specialists with over 30 years of experience. We have a team of trainers, each with decades of experience working as journalists, presenters, communications coaches and media trainers.

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Media First are media and communications training specialists with over 30 years of experience. We have a team of trainers, each with decades of experience working as journalists, presenters, communications coaches and media trainers.

As if the panic and stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent lockdown were not bad enough, Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan has recorded and posted an entire video centred around the claim that flies can spread the coronavirus if they come into contact with infected human faeces.

If only the celebrated actor had bothered to acquaint himself with the scientific literature before spreading misinformation!

Let’s start with the unvarnished facts. A scientific letter was published last week in The Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol Journal in which researchers reported results of the presence of the new coronavirus in respiratory and faecal samples. (The virus’s presence was confirmed by a real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), a time-consuming but reliable method.)

The researchers collected respiratory and faecal samples from 74 of 98 patients infected with COVID-19 (76% of the patient group). Faecal samples from 45% of these patients were negative for the virus but their respiratory swabs tested positive for 15.4 days from the onset of the first symptoms. Of the 55% of patients whose faecal samples tested positive, the respiratory swabs also tested positive for 16.7 days from the onset of the first symptoms. Their faecal samples continued to test positive for 27.9 days after the first symptoms showed.

Thus, patients infected with COVID-19 had the coronavirus in their stools for an average of 11 days more than in their respiratory swabs. However, 45% of patients did not have COVID-19 in their guts (thus the negative faecal samples).

(The virus enters the gastrointestinal tract using ACE2 receptors present in the stomach, the duodenum and the rectum.)

Researchers have made some crucial observations worth noting here: a) the presence of gastrointestinal symptoms was not associated with faecal viral positivity; b) the severity of disease was not associated with extended duration of the virus in faeces; and c) there was an association of faecal virus with anti-viral treatment.

The authors of the letter suggested that public health officials should routinely test stool samples with RT-PCR even after a patient’s respiratory samples have turned negative. However, they also conceded that they couldn’t find out whether the virus in the stool was still viable, at least based on RT-PCR tests, and that they knew zero cases in which the virus had been transmitted through faecal matter. So this, they concluded, “might suggest that infection via this route is unlikely in quarantine facilities, in hospitals, or while under self -isolation.”

Obviously we need more studies to determine the viability and infectivity of COVID-19 in faeces. But based on this scientific letter, we can draw a few conclusions. For example, the new coronavirus is present for longer in faeces than in the respiratory tract, but we don’t know much about how viable and infective the virus in the faeces is. Crucially, the letter does not mention transmission of COVID-19 by flies anywhere.

A news report in the Hindustan Times on March 26 quoting a famous Bollywood actor therefore comes as a surprise. “If the house fly sits on [infected] faeces and then on some food articles, [the flies] can spread the disease,” the newspaper quoted Amitabh Bachchan as saying in a self-recorded video. “So it is very important that we start a people’s movement against this, just like we did under the leadership of the Prime Minister to make the country open-defecation-free.”

While the newspaper’s report links to a study in The Lancet, Bachchan’s claim about flies and the virus being transmitted through faecal matter is not based on any peer-reviewed scientific paper.

The reference provided by Hindustan Times is a comment on recommendations for stool transplants from prospective donors, who it says should be screened for COVID-19 symptoms within the previous month, for travel to areas infected by COVID-19 and/or for close contact with an infected person

The comment in turn refers to a study (yet to be proofread) with 73 patients infected with COVID-19. Of them, about half were stool-positive for 1 to 12 days. About 23% of the patients continued to have positive stool samples even after the respiratory samples had turned negative. The authors of this study had noted they thus had evidence of gut infection and that the faecal-oral transmission route is “possible”. However, they keep off from making specific claims about the virus’s infectivity by this route.

The coronavirus global pandemic has brought the planet to a near-standstill. Economies across the world have been battered even as scientists are scrambling to provide answers. There have been mixed signals about different aspects of the new disease in almost every country. The people are understandably under duress – and it is precisely in such times that we have to hold our nerves. It is imperative that we keep our wits about us and gather information from peer-reviewed publications in legitimate scientific journals. Failing that, the homepage of the Union ministry of health lists daily bulletins on the various dos and don’ts regarding the new coronavirus.

Newspaper headlines, while sensational, can easily turn misleading or even add to the confusion; it is far better now to err on the side of caution. Never before have the people been needed to pay more attention only to qualified scientists anywhere on the planet but especially in India.

Celebrities for all their laudable efforts in disseminating information may inadvertently add to the chaos. We cannot afford an Idris Elba staring into the camera in all seriousness to announce that he has COVID-19 with his wife, who had first tested negative, standing next to him. It does not bode well for Elba to advertise a lack of awareness that his wife or anyone else should have been in a different room. Silence was never more golden.

Deepak Natarajan is a cardiologist based in New Delhi.

By Joan P. Schwartz, Ph.D., NINDS

What is a scientific collaboration? How can one set one up and keep it going successfully? And why do they occasionally go awry?

The NIH Guidelines for the Conduct of Research (just reprinted in a revised third edition and available from your scientific director) accentuate the positive-that "research collaborations frequently facilitate progress and generally should be encouraged." And to help eliminate the negative, the Guidelines suggest setting ground rules at the start and arranging to share reagents with collaborators outside NIH through MTAs (material transfer agreements).

But the disputes that can be generated during the course of an otherwise valuable scientific collaboration-disputes revolving around not only reagent sharing but also authorship and even mentorship-are common enough that they are among the central issues the new Ombudsman/Cooperative Resolution Center pilot project was designed to handle.

So what is a good collaboration? The NIH Committee on Scientific Conduct and Ethics recently discussed several cases of problem-plagued collaborations and came up with what we hope are useful guidelines. First, in these days of multidisciplinary science, since almost no one is trained in all the disciplines needed to complete a study, scientific collaborations clearly make a lot of sense, both intellectually and financially. The best collaborations form between scientists with complementary expertise-for example, a molecular biologist capable of generating knock-out mice with a neuroscientist who can measure changes in the behavioral activity of those mice; or an immunologist who wants to look at the effect on T lymphocytes of engineered mutants of a virus provided by a virologist.

To work well, though, certain parameters need to be discussed and defined up front: who is going to do what and when they will do it; who will supply reagents needed for certain aspects of the study; even who will write the paper and be first author. Defining order of authorship before doing the experiments can be tricky, however, since surprise results may completely change the focus of a study and thereby dictate a change in the order. Flexibility is thus a key ingredient in any collaboration.

The cases the Ethics Committee examined have convinced us that the single most important measure in successful collaboration is keeping the lines of communication open. Communicate with your collaborators, by phone, e-mail, or even letters, frequently. Tell them what you are finding and ask what their results are. Share data as well as problems. If a collaborator outside NIH is applying for an NIH grant, or is supported by an NIH grant, the granting agency should be informed of this collaboration. You will generally be asked to prepare a letter to be submitted with such a grant application; you should ask to see the relevant parts of the application before it is submitted so that you know whether the proposal accurately represents your part of the collaboration. Although you, as an NIH employee, cannot contribute to the writing of the application, make it clear that you want to be informed when the grant is funded and when it will start. Above all, do not assume that long periods of silence indicate that your collaborator is working away and all is well. If you have not communicated with your collaborators for a year, there may no longer be a collaboration!

Bear in mind that some forms of scientific exchange do not form an appropriate basis for collaboration. The Guidelines state clearly that "individuals . . . who have assisted the research [by providing] reagents . . . should not be authors." By the same criteria, providing someone with a plasmid, or an antibody, or even a transgenic mouse, does not establish a collaboration. In line with this thinking are Public Health Service regulations that state that any reagent developed with government funds (intramurally or extramurally) must be provided to those who request it once the results have been published. Intramural scientists use MTAs when giving such reagents to colleagues at universities or other extramural sites. Such input is often acknowledged in a published study, with thanks to the suppliers of materials used in the experiments-a way to give credit without conferring authorship.

Probably the most difficult issue scientists grapple with in discussing collaborations is that of intellectual property. Is there such a thing as ownership of an idea? If there were, would anyone discuss science with anyone else? Would everyone feel that they deserved authorship or collaborator status because they had lunch with a friend, heard about new results, and suggested an interesting experiment? Conversely, are all conversations between scientists, even one-on-one, to be considered a sharing of privileged information? The members of the Ethics Committee felt overwhelmingly that no conversation between scientists could be considered "privileged and confidential" unless one of the scientists started the conversation by stating that what he or she was about to share was unpublished material and was not to be shared with others.

Many scientists believe that the constraints imposed by industry consultation and collaboration on free and open discussion of research projects are already having a deleterious effect on science. For many of us, the pleasure of doing science lies in formal and informal discussion and exchange of results and ideas with colleagues. That pleasure would be compromised or vanish entirely if each idea were fenced in as the exclusive intellectual property of one person.