As the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in the USA in early 2020, it became clear that knowledge of the prevalence of antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) among asymptomatic individuals could inform public health policy decisions and provide insight into the impact of the infection on vulnerable populations. Two Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Hubs and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) set forth to conduct a national seroprevalence survey to assess the infection’s rate of spread. This partnership was able to quickly design and launch the project by leveraging established research capacities, prior experiences in large-scale, multisite studies and a highly skilled workforce of CTSA hubs and unique experimental capabilities at the NIH to conduct a diverse prospective, longitudinal observational cohort of 11,382 participants who provided biospecimens and participant-reported health and behavior data. The study was completed in 16 months and benefitted from transdisciplinary teamwork, information technology innovations, multimodal communication strategies, and scientific partnership for rigor in design and analytic methods. The lessons learned by the rapid implementation and dissemination of this national study is valuable in guiding future multisite projects as well as preparation for other public health emergencies and pandemics.

Over the last year, COVID-19 has emerged as a highly transmissible and lethal infection. As we address this global pandemic, its disproportionate impact on Black, Indigenous, and Latinx communities has served to further magnify the health inequities in access and treatment that persist in our communities. These sobering realities should serve as the impetus for reexamination of the root causes of inequities in our health system. An increased commitment to strategic partnerships between academic and nonacademic health systems, industry, local communities, and policy-makers may serve as the foundation. Here, we examine the impact of the recent COVID-19 pandemic on health care inequities and propose a strategic roadmap for integration of clinical and translational research into our understanding of health inequities.

Optical tracking systems typically trade off between astrometric precision and field of view. In this work, we showcase a networked approach to optical tracking using very wide field-of-view imagers that have relatively low astrometric precision on the scheduled OSIRIS-REx slingshot manoeuvre around Earth on 22 Sep 2017. As part of a trajectory designed to get OSIRIS-REx to NEO 101955 Bennu, this flyby event was viewed from 13 remote sensors spread across Australia and New Zealand to promote triangulatable observations. Each observatory in this portable network was constructed to be as lightweight and portable as possible, with hardware based off the successful design of the Desert Fireball Network. Over a 4-h collection window, we gathered 15 439 images of the night sky in the predicted direction of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft. Using a specially developed streak detection and orbit determination data pipeline, we detected 2 090 line-of-sight observations. Our fitted orbit was determined to be within about 10 km of orbital telemetry along the observed 109 262 km length of OSIRIS-REx trajectory, and thus demonstrating the impressive capability of a networked approach to Space Surveillance and Tracking.

Previous research in clinical, community, and school settings has demonstrated positive outcomes for the Secret Agent Society (SAS) social skills training program. This is designed to help children on the autism spectrum become more aware of emotions in themselves and others and to ‘problem-solve’ complex social scenarios. Parents play a key role in the implementation of the SAS program, attending information and support sessions with other parents and providing supervision, rewards, and feedback as their children complete weekly ‘home mission’ assignments. Drawing on data from a school-based evaluation of the SAS program, we examined whether parents’ engagement with these elements of the intervention was linked to the quality of their children’s participation and performance. Sixty-eight 8–14-year-olds (M age = 10.7) with a diagnosis of autism participated in the program. The findings indicated that ratings of parental engagement were positively correlated with children’s competence in completing home missions and with the quality of their contribution during group teaching sessions. However, there was a less consistent relationship between parental engagement and measures of children’s social and emotional skill gains over the course of the program.

A medical information commons (MIC) is a networked data environment utilized for research and clinical applications. At three deliberations across the U.S., we engaged 75 adults in two-day facilitated discussions on the ethical and social issues inherent to sharing data with an MIC. Deliberants made recommendations regarding opt-in consent, transparent data policies, public representation on MIC governing boards, and strict data security and privacy protection. Community engagement is critical to earning the public's trust.

Jointed goatgrass is a troublesome weed in winter wheat in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Wheat and jointed goatgrass (JGG) can cross and produce hybrids in the field that can serve as a potential bridge for gene migration between the two species. To determine the potential for gene movement it is important to be able to identify hybrids in the field. To study the effect of wheat genotype on hybrid phenotype, reciprocal crosses were made between JGG and two common wheat cultivars: ‘Brundage 96’, ‘Hubbard’, a common-type advanced breeding line: ‘87–52814A’, and a club wheat cultivar: ‘Rhode’. Hybrids and parents were measured for plant height, spike length, flag leaf length, flag leaf width, and number of spikelets. Reciprocal effects were nonsignificant for all characteristics measured, indicating that hybrid morphology was not affected by the direction of the cross. Hybrids were different from their wheat parents for spike length, plant height, and flag leaf width. Hybrids produced from each of the wheat parents were uniform in phenotypic characters. Spikes were intermediate in circumference (size) from crosses between JGG and common wheat lines; however, club wheat × JGG crosses resulted in spikes that were more similar to common wheat. Spike size and flag leaf width for all hybrids also were intermediate between their parents. Hybrids differed in spike size and awn characteristics because of unique characteristics of the wheat parent. Based on these results, it should be possible to identify hybrids in the field accurately, regardless of the wheat parent or direction of the cross unless the parent is a club wheat.

To assess the risk of gene movement between winter wheat and jointed goatgrass, information about the reproductive development of jointed goatgrass, winter wheat, and related hybrid plants is required. Seedlings from five jointed goatgrass populations, winter wheat, spring wheat, and jointed goatgrass by wheat reciprocal hybrid plants were exposed to 4, 7, or 10 C temperatures for 0, 2, 4, 5, 6, 6.5, 7, or 8 wk. Vernalized seedlings were transferred to a greenhouse set to 30/18 C day/night temperatures and 16-h photoperiod. Growth stages on all plants were recorded twice a week. All spring wheat and spring wheat related hybrid plants reproduced (as measured by the first reproductive node) in the absence of vernalization. Plants of jointed goatgrass population A-R, winter wheat, and winter wheat related hybrids were unlikely to reproduce in the absence of vernalization. Plants of jointed goatgrass populations B-W, G-S, E-S, and F-W reproduced in the absence of vernalization, and the likelihood that these plants would reproduce was different from all other plants. Plants that entered their reproductive phases together were not in synchronous development at anthesis. Plants in these studies differentially passed through the reproductive phases between the first reproductive node and anthesis. Our results demonstrate that variation in vernalization response exists among several jointed goatgrass populations, and reveal that the reproductive behavior of vernalized jointed goatgrass plants at anthesis is delayed compared to vernalized winter wheat and related hybrid plants. Hybrid plants produced between spring wheat and jointed goatgrass were vernalization insensitive. We hypothesize that hybridization between wheat and jointed goatgrass occurs as a result of cross-pollination between the younger reproductive tillers of jointed goatgrass and older reproductive tillers of wheat. The use of an early maturing wheat cultivar may exploit the difference in reproductive development and reduce the risk of hybrid production.

The spontaneous flow of genes from wheat to jointed goatgrass is of great concern to breeders intending to release herbicide-resistant wheat. The objectives of this research were to study how genes could flow from wheat to jointed goatgrass through crossing and backcrossing between these two species and, based on this knowledge, to propose possible ways to minimize the chance of gene flow between them. Results showed that the wheat × jointed goatgrass hybrid can only serve as a female parent to produce the BC1 generation. The BC1 generation was found to have 1.8% male fertility and 4.4% female fertility, indicating that it could serve as either the male or female parent to produce a BC2 generation. The fertility of the resultant BC2 generation further increased. The average male, female, and self-fertility was 8.9, 18.0, and 6.9%, respectively. After the BC2 generation, the backcross progeny has three possible ways to reproduce: to pollinate jointed goatgrass, to be pollinated by jointed goatgrass, or to pollinate itself. Restoration of the chromosome number of jointed goatgrass continues as the BC2 generation is selfed, but some plants can contain an alien chromosome over generations. The possible ways to reduce the chance of gene flow between these two species are (1) prevent the production of hybrids, (2) prevent the production of the BC1 generation, and (3) put a herbicide-resistant gene on the A- or B-genome of wheat.

Field experiments were conducted to determine if seeds would be produced on Triticum aestivum by Aegilops cylindrica hybrids in the field and, if it were, to determine the viability of the seeds produced. One, five, or 10 hybrids were planted into varying proportions of A. cylindrica and T. aestivum in a replacement series design. Percent seed set ranged from 0 to 5.5% in 1996 and from 0 to 9.2% in 1997. Seeds were set in all treatments. The average seed set was 2.3% in 1996 and 3.8% in 1997. No differences in seed set were found among treatments. The seeds produced were separated according to seed condition, either full or shriveled, and tested for germination. The germination of the seeds produced on the hybrids was not significantly different between years. The average germination for full seeds was 94% in both years and 79 and 84% for shriveled seeds in 1995 and 1996, respectively. Greenhouse studies were conducted to evaluate the rate of self-fertility of the BC1 generation and to identify morphological characteristics that could be used to identify the probable pollen donor parent and to predict the occurrence of seed set. In 1997 4.1% and in 1998 2.1% of BC1 plants set seeds. The average seed set was 0.3% in 1997 and 0.06% in 1998. It was not possible, using any morphological characteristic measured, to determine the identity of the parent serving as the pollen donor in the previous generation or to predict the occurrence of seed set in the BC1 generation. This is the first reported study to show that hybrids between T. aestivum and A. cylindrica have the ability, although limited, to backcross under field conditions and set seeds. Furthermore, the seeds produced are viable and will germinate and produce plants. With the millions of hectares of T. aestivum infested with A. cylindrica, even the limited ability to backcross is of concern for the movement of a herbicide-resistance gene.