scholarly journals Ross River Virus Infection: A Cross-Disciplinary Review with a Veterinary Perspective

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 357
Author(s):  
Ka Y. Yuen ◽  
Helle Bielefeldt-Ohmann
Keyword(s):  
Predictive Models ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Economic Cost ◽  
Ross River Virus ◽  
Major Research ◽  
Research Gaps ◽  
Arboviral Disease

Ross River virus (RRV) has recently been suggested to be a potential emerging infectious disease worldwide. RRV infection remains the most common human arboviral disease in Australia, with a yearly estimated economic cost of $4.3 billion. Infection in humans and horses can cause chronic, long-term debilitating arthritogenic illnesses. However, current knowledge of immunopathogenesis remains to be elucidated and is mainly inferred from a murine model that only partially resembles clinical signs and pathology in human and horses. The epidemiology of RRV transmission is complex and multifactorial and is further complicated by climate change, making predictive models difficult to design. Establishing an equine model for RRV may allow better characterization of RRV disease pathogenesis and immunology in humans and horses, and could potentially be used for other infectious diseases. While there are no approved therapeutics or registered vaccines to treat or prevent RRV infection, clinical trials of various potential drugs and vaccines are currently underway. In the future, the RRV disease dynamic is likely to shift into temperate areas of Australia with longer active months of infection. Here, we (1) review the current knowledge of RRV infection, epidemiology, diagnostics, and therapeutics in both humans and horses; (2) identify and discuss major research gaps that warrant further research.

Research gaps in understanding how climate change will affect arboviral diseases

2013 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Baylis
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Predictive Models ◽  
Vector Surveillance ◽  
Research Gaps ◽  
Vector Borne Diseases ◽  
Field Biology ◽  
Arboviral Diseases ◽  
Vector Borne ◽  
New Generation ◽  
Arboviral Disease

AbstractClimate change is widely expected to cause the emergence and spread of vector-borne diseases, and predictive models are needed so that we can be prepared. We developed a climate-sensitive, predictive, model that describes the risk of bluetongue, an arboviral disease of ruminants, which has emerged dramatically in Europe. Developing the predictive bluetongue model led to the identification of numerous gaps in both the understanding and the availability of data. These mostly pertain to the vectors and their interaction with hosts. Closing these gaps will allow better models, with more precise predictions, to be produced. These research gaps apply to many other arboviral diseases as well. As a consequence, there needs to be an increase in research on the vectors that transmit arboviral diseases. Priorities are the training of a new generation of taxonomists, studies on the field biology of potential vectors, and increased coordination of vector surveillance and recording between countries facing similar threats.

scholarly journals Institutional ownership, environmental, social, and governance performance and disclosure – a review on empirical quantitative research

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 282-305
Author(s):  
Patrick Velte
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Institutional Ownership ◽  
Archival Studies ◽  
Major Research ◽  
Research Gaps ◽  
Financial Consequences ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Mediator Variable

Since the financial crisis of 2008–2009, nonfinancial-related shareholder activism increased, as public interest entities (PIEs) should strengthen their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) activities. This study aims to determine whether institutional ownership (IO) impacts ESG performance and disclosure and vice versa. Moreover, IO’s moderating and mediating influence on the relationship between ESG and firms’ financial consequences is included. This is the first literature review focusing on IO and ESG, describing IO as independent, dependent, moderator, and mediator variable. A structured literature review with 81 empirical-quantitative (archival) studies on that topic is presented based on an agency theoretical framework. Regarding the main results, long-term IO leads to increased ESG performance. Moreover, ESG performance promotes the ratio of institutional investors. Other relationships are rather heterogeneous and too low in an amount yet, stressing major research gaps.

Riparian seed banks: structure, process and implications for riparian management

2001 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 301-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Goodson ◽  
A. M. Gurnell ◽  
P. G. Angold ◽  
I. P. Morrissey
Keyword(s):  
Flow Regime ◽  
Seed Bank ◽  
River Flow ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Seed Banks ◽  
Major Research ◽  
Research Gaps ◽  
Riparian Management ◽  
Riparian Systems ◽  
Published Research

After a brief description of the evolution of seed bank research, this review highlights the importance of the seed bank in understanding the character and dynamics of river margins. Through a discussion of published research on wetlands in general, the lack of research focused on riparian systems is highlighted. This is followed by an evaluation of current knowledge concerning the nature and dynamics of riparian seed banks and the factors that control the erosion, transport and deposition of riparian seeds. The paper concludes by (i) indicating the complexity of the interactions that control the riparian seed bank and that require understanding if the consequences of alterations in river flow regime and riparian management are to be fully understood and (ii) identifying some major research gaps relating to interactions between fluvial processes and riparian seed banks.

The glycomes of Caenorhabditis elegans and other model organisms

2002 ◽  
Vol 69 ◽  
pp. 117-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuart M. Haslam ◽  
David Gems ◽  
Howard R. Morris ◽  
Anne Dell
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Structural Data ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Entire Genome ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
The Face ◽  
Area Of Concern ◽  
Nematode Worm

There is no doubt that the immense amount of information that is being generated by the initial sequencing and secondary interrogation of various genomes will change the face of glycobiological research. However, a major area of concern is that detailed structural knowledge of the ultimate products of genes that are identified as being involved in glycoconjugate biosynthesis is still limited. This is illustrated clearly by the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans, which was the first multicellular organism to have its entire genome sequenced. To date, only limited structural data on the glycosylated molecules of this organism have been reported. Our laboratory is addressing this problem by performing detailed MS structural characterization of the N-linked glycans of C. elegans; high-mannose structures dominate, with only minor amounts of complex-type structures. Novel, highly fucosylated truncated structures are also present which are difucosylated on the proximal N-acetylglucosamine of the chitobiose core as well as containing unusual Fucα1–2Gal1–2Man as peripheral structures. The implications of these results in terms of the identification of ligands for genomically predicted lectins and potential glycosyltransferases are discussed in this chapter. Current knowledge on the glycomes of other model organisms such as Dictyostelium discoideum, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Drosophila melanogaster is also discussed briefly.

scholarly journals Characterization of Highly Irradiated ALPIDE Silicon Sensors

Universe ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 91
Author(s):  
Valentina Raskina ◽  
Filip Křížek
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Physics ◽  
Detection Efficiency ◽  
Tracking System ◽  
Physics Institute ◽  
Total Ionization ◽  
Silicon Sensors ◽  
Active Pixel ◽  
Academy Of Sciences

The ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment) experiment at CERN will upgrade its Inner Tracking System (ITS) detector. The new ITS will consist of seven coaxial cylindrical layers of ALPIDE silicon sensors which are based on Monolithic Active Pixel Sensor (MAPS) technology. We have studied the radiation hardness of ALPIDE sensors using a 30 MeV proton beam provided by the cyclotron U-120M of the Nuclear Physics Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Řež. In this paper, these long-term measurements will be described. After being irradiated up to the total ionization dose 2.7 Mrad and non-ionizing energy loss 2.7 × 10 13 1 MeV n eq · cm - 2 , ALPIDE sensors fulfill ITS upgrade project technical design requirements in terms of detection efficiency and fake-hit rate.

scholarly journals Climate drivers of plague epidemiology in British India, 1898–1949

2020 ◽  
Vol 287 (1928) ◽  
pp. 20200538
Author(s):  
Warren S. D. Tennant ◽  
Mike J. Tildesley ◽  
Simon E. F. Spencer ◽  
Matt J. Keeling
Keyword(s):  
Predictive Models ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Climate Data ◽  
British India ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Complex Interactions ◽  
The World ◽  
Spatio Temporal

Plague, caused by Yersinia pestis infection, continues to threaten low- and middle-income countries throughout the world. The complex interactions between rodents and fleas with their respective environments challenge our understanding of human plague epidemiology. Historical long-term datasets of reported plague cases offer a unique opportunity to elucidate the effects of climate on plague outbreaks in detail. Here, we analyse monthly plague deaths and climate data from 25 provinces in British India from 1898 to 1949 to generate insights into the influence of temperature, rainfall and humidity on the occurrence, severity and timing of plague outbreaks. We find that moderate relative humidity levels of between 60% and 80% were strongly associated with outbreaks. Using wavelet analysis, we determine that the nationwide spread of plague was driven by changes in humidity, where, on average, a one-month delay in the onset of rising humidity translated into a one-month delay in the timing of plague outbreaks. This work can inform modern spatio-temporal predictive models for the disease and aid in the development of early-warning strategies for the deployment of prophylactic treatments and other control measures.

scholarly journals L2HGDH Missense Variant in a Cat with L-2-Hydroxyglutaric Aciduria

Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 682
Author(s):  
Matthias Christen ◽  
Nils Janzen ◽  
Anne Fraser ◽  
Adrian C. Sewell ◽  
Vidhya Jagannathan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Genetic Defect ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Missense Variant ◽  
Microcytic Anemia ◽  
Abnormal Behavior ◽  
Functional Candidate Gene ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Hydroxyglutaric Acid

A 7-month-old, spayed female, domestic longhair cat with L-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria (L-2-HGA) was investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical signs, metabolic changes and underlying genetic defect. The owner of the cat reported a 4-month history of multiple paroxysmal seizure-like episodes, characterized by running around the house, often in circles, with abnormal behavior, bumping into obstacles, salivating and often urinating. The episodes were followed by a period of disorientation and inappetence. Neurological examination revealed an absent bilateral menace response. Routine blood work revealed mild microcytic anemia but biochemistry, ammonia, lactate and pre- and post-prandial bile acids were unremarkable. MRI of the brain identified multifocal, bilaterally symmetrical and T2-weighted hyperintensities within the prosencephalon, mesencephalon and metencephalon, primarily affecting the grey matter. Urinary organic acids identified highly increased levels of L-2-hydroxyglutaric acid. The cat was treated with the anticonvulsants levetiracetam and phenobarbitone and has been seizure-free for 16 months. We sequenced the genome of the affected cat and compared the data to 48 control genomes. L2HGDH, coding for L-2-hydroxyglutarate dehydrogenase, was investigated as the top functional candidate gene. This search revealed a single private protein-changing variant in the affected cat. The identified homozygous variant, XM_023255678.1:c.1301A>G, is predicted to result in an amino acid change in the L2HGDH protein, XP_023111446.1:p.His434Arg. The available clinical and biochemical data together with current knowledge about L2HGDH variants and their functional impact in humans and dogs allow us to classify the p.His434Arg variant as a causative variant for the observed neurological signs in this cat.

scholarly journals Impact of mobile stroke units

2021 ◽  
pp. jnnp-2020-324005
Author(s):  
Klaus Fassbender ◽  
Fatma Merzou ◽  
Martin Lesmeister ◽  
Silke Walter ◽  
Iris Quasar Grunwald ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cost Efficiency ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Vascular Imaging ◽  
Vessel Occlusion ◽  
Stroke Units ◽  
Stroke Treatment ◽  
Stroke Research ◽  
Mobile Stroke Unit ◽  
Novel Strategy

Since its first introduction in clinical practice in 2008, the concept of mobile stroke unit enabling prehospital stroke treatment has rapidly expanded worldwide. This review summarises current knowledge in this young field of stroke research, discussing topics such as benefits in reduction of delay before treatment, vascular imaging-based triage of patients with large-vessel occlusion in the field, differential blood pressure management or prehospital antagonisation of anticoagulants. However, before mobile stroke units can become routine, several questions remain to be answered. Current research, therefore, focuses on safety, long-term medical benefit, best setting and cost-efficiency as crucial determinants for the sustainability of this novel strategy of acute stroke management.

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