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Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a severe tick-borne illness with a wide geographical distribution and case fatality rates of 30% or higher. Caused by infection with the CCHF virus (CCHFV), cases are reported throughout Africa, the Middle East, Asia and southern and eastern Europe. The expanding range of the Hyalomma tick vector is placing new populations at risk for CCHF, and no licensed vaccines or specific antivirals exist to treat CCHF. Furthermore, despite cases of CCHF being reported annually, the host and viral determinants of CCHFV pathogenesis are poorly understood. CCHFV can productively infect a multitude of animal species, yet only humans develop a severe illness. Within human populations, subclinical infections are underappreciated and may represent a substantial proportion of clinical outcomes. Compared with other members of the Bunyavirales order, CCHFV has a more complex genomic organization, with many viral proteins having unclear functions in viral pathogenesis. In recent years, improved animal models have led to increased insights into CCHFV pathogenesis, and several antivirals and vaccines for CCHFV have shown robust efficacy in preclinical models. Translation of these insights and candidate therapeutics to the clinic will hopefully reduce the morbidity and mortality caused by CCHFV., (© 2023. This is a U.S. Government work and not under copyright protection in the US; foreign copyright protection may apply.)

Abstract: This study aimed to uncover the educational requirements of minority rural students who aspire to pursue a career in nursing. To achieve this goal, focus groups and interviews were organized for middle school students (seventh to ninth grade) and community members with a stake in education. The outcomes of these discussions revealed crucial themes: limited knowledge of educational pathways, constraints posed by limited community resources, and a strong yearning for a mentorship program that is both informative and interactive. The findings served as the cornerstone for the creation and development of a mentorship initiative tailored specifically for minority rural students., Competing Interests: The authors have declared no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 National League for Nursing.)

Microplastics (MPs) are small pieces of plastic that are widely distributed in the environment and accumulate within living organisms, so they are the most common types of pollutants at the present time. One of the most widespread types of MP in the environment is polyethylene (PE) MPs. There have been many published studies on the effect of PE MPs combined with other pollutants or chemicals such as benzoanthracene, emamectin benzoate, heavy metals and 4-nonylphenol, on some marine, amphibian, and mouse models. However, research has rarely been conducted on how single-use PE MPs affect the ileum of mammals. The current study is focused on the impact of PE MP exposure with different concentration (6, 60, 600 μg/mL PE/MPs) for 15 days, followed by 15 days of recovery on small intestine(ileum) of C57BL/6 murine model with precision and detail at the cell level by using different technique (histology, histochemistry, immunohistochemistry, and transmission electron microscope). Results demonstrated that the intestinal tissue exhibited nuclear pyknosis, villus deformation, shortness of villi, degeneration of lamina propria, hyperplasia of goblet cells, increase of goblet cells secretion, Alcian blue and Periodic acid-Schiff stain positivity of intact goblet cells, highly significance of P53 immunoreaction expression specially in high concentrations (600 μg/day of PE/MPs) and Ki-67 immunoreaction expression. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Different doses of microplastics (MPs) induced sever morphological alternations and clinical observations. MPs were deposits in cells and were observed in ultrastructure study. Recovery period able to ameliorate to the most extent the alternations caused by MPs administration., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Abstract: Diversity and inclusion are critical priorities in nursing education programs. Literature has focused on minority student experiences of barriers and supports-but not through a Christian worldview. This qualitative study using a phenomenological-hermenuetic approach gave voice to the experiences of 15 self-identified minority student graduates from a Christian baccalaureate nursing program. Data analysis revealed opportunities for growth in providing a supportive climate within the program and how Christian virtues of hospitality, humility, and reconciliation can be employed to achieve this goal., (Copyright © 2024 InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.)

We present a framework for identifying when conditions are favourable for transmission of vector-borne diseases between communities by incorporating predicted disease prevalence mapping with landscape analysis of sociological, environmental and host/parasite genetic data. We explored the relationship between environmental features and gene flow of a filarial parasite of humans, Onchocerca volvulus, and its vector, blackflies in the genus Simulium. We generated a baseline microfilarial prevalence map from point estimates from 47 locations in the ecological transition separating the savannah and forest in Ghana, where transmission of O. volvulus persists despite onchocerciasis control efforts. We generated movement suitability maps based on environmental correlates with mitochondrial population structure of 164 parasites from 15 communities and 93 vectors from only four sampling sites, and compared these to the baseline prevalence map. Parasite genetic distance between sampling locations was significantly associated with elevation (r = .793, p = .005) and soil moisture (r = .507, p = .002), while vector genetic distance was associated with soil moisture (r = .788, p = .0417) and precipitation (r = .835, p = .0417). The correlation between baseline prevalence and parasite resistance surface maps was stronger than that between prevalence and vector resistance surface maps. The centre of the study area had high prevalence and suitability for parasite and vector gene flow, potentially contributing to persistent transmission and suggesting the importance of re-evaluating transmission zone boundaries. With suitably dense sampling, this framework can help delineate transmission zones for onchocerciasis and would be translatable to other vector-borne diseases., (© 2024 The Authors. Molecular Ecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Abstract: Historically, racial discrimination, few role models, and a general lack of support both in academic and professional contexts has hindered the education and career advancement of minority nursing students. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), in its G uiding Principles for Academic-Practice Partnerships , describes the creation of an academic-professional nursing organization partnership to address barriers to the success of nursing students from underrepresented groups. In keeping with the AACN's guiding principles, the University of Maryland School of Nursing and the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (ANAC) developed a partnership to deliver a multifaceted program for prelicensure, second-degree, Master of Science in Nursing, Clinical Nurse Leader Scholars which prepares them to address the health care needs of people living with HIV/AIDS and bolsters student leadership knowledge and skills. The objective of this article is to describe the program components, outcomes, and lessons learned from this academic-professional nursing organization partnership. The approach described may be useful for future partnerships designed to enhance leadership experiences and skills for minority nursing students and will hopefully be used to advocate for their success., (Copyright © 2023 Association of Nurses in AIDS Care.)

Aims: In July 2022, the human monkeypox virus was declared by the World Health Organization, a public health emergency of global concern. This study investigated the Filipinos' knowledge of monkeypox and determined the demographic variables that predicted it., Design: Correlational and cross-sectional design adhering to STROBE guidelines., Methods: Participants were recruited conveniently through social media platforms (n = 575). This study used a 21-item monkeypox knowledge survey questionnaire to collect data from July to September 2022. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyse the data., Results: Most participants (53.74%) were above 30 years old, females (68.87%), residing in Luzon (54.96%), college graduates (61.04%), Catholics (78.61%) and employed (68%). Social media, particularly Facebook (57.91%), is the common source of monkeypox-related information (78.61%). Participants' age (>30 years old) is the only predictor of monkeypox infection knowledge (aOR: 3.13; 95%CI: 1.25-7.87, p = .015). They are three times more likely to be knowledgeable than those under 30., Conclusion: The findings highlight the importance of evidence-based strategies for increasing public knowledge and awareness. The government, healthcare workers and the public should adopt proactive preventive measures against human monkeypox to prevent future pandemics., Patient or Public Contribution: No patient or public contribution has been made in this study., Impact Statement: What problem did the study address? Assessing people's knowledge about monkeypox will help the government and healthcare workers (HCWs) create policies to prevent the spread of the virus. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first study that used a national online survey to assess Filipinos' human monkeypox knowledge. What were the main findings? Most participants had insufficient knowledge of the monkeypox infection. Participants' primary source of monkeypox infection information is social media, specifically Facebook. Participants older than 30 had higher knowledge of monkeypox infection. Where and on whom will the research have impact? Raising public awareness and knowledge about monkeypox disease prevents viral transmission in the community. HCWs (e.g., nurses, midwives, and doctors) should report monkeypox patients to appropriate health authorities. Standard and droplet precautions should be practiced and taught to the public to prevent the virus' spread. The government and HCWs should intensify monkeypox awareness programs to increase the public's knowledge and awareness of the disease. They can utilize social media platforms to disseminate correct and relevant information., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Abstract: Documented cases of monkeypox virus outside of Africa are rare, but as of August 22, 2022, the CDC was tracking 18,101 cases in the United States. Monkeypox rash can easily mimic other sexually transmitted infections, which may occur concurrently. This case report describes a 36-year old Caucasian man who has sex with men. The patient came in for a routine history and physical examination and disclosed a perianal rash. The patient had a medical history significant for undertreated HIV, ankylosing spondylitis, and homelessness. On examination, he had multiple perianal deep-seated ulcers that were swabbed for monkeypox and herpes simplex virus 1 and 2. Samples were also collected for syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea. The swabs were positive for monkeypox and pharyngeal gonorrhea. At subsequent blood draw, he was found to have elevated titers for syphilis and a positive QuantiFERON-TB gold test. In summary, this case is a clear example of an individual with concurrent monkeypox virus and other sexually and nonsexually transmitted infections, highlighting the importance of careful identification of risk factors and testing for monkeypox virus even when the clinical presentation may depict a common sexually transmitted infection, such as the herpes simplex virus., Competing Interests: Competing interests: The authors report no actual or potential conflicts of interest or outside sources of funding for this article., (Copyright © 2022 American Association of Nurse Practitioners.)

Background: Homecare organisations employ professionals (i.e. gerontologists, nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and social workers) to help their clients gain rights and supervise non-professional formal caregivers. Formal caregivers, and especially those who work closely with impaired older people, are at greater risk of infecting or being infected by SARS-Cov-2 (COVID-19). During the first waves of COVID-19, older people were encouraged to stay home; and the care-burden inflicted on their caregivers has increased., Objectives: This study examined formal caregiver's mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, that is, the association between anxiety and depression symptoms and how care-burden moderated this association., Methods: A cross-sectional online survey conducted in the home care services sector throughout Israel. A sample of 400 formal caregivers of older people (M age  = 47.7, SD = 13.8) completed a questionnaire regarding their levels of care-burden, general anxiety symptoms, and depressive symptoms., Results: A significant positive relationship was found between anxiety and depressive symptoms among formal caregivers. The level of care-burden moderated this relationship, showing that caregivers with higher care-burden demonstrated a stronger association between anxiety and depressive symptoms., Conclusions: Professionals may use ADL/IADL as a practical index to assess care-burden and the risk of mistreatment., Implications for Practice: Formal caregivers with higher care-burden should get enhanced professional's support to reduce adverse mental health outcomes., (© 2022 The Authors. International Journal of Older People Nursing published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The genus Orthonairovirus, which is part of the family Nairoviridae, includes the important tick-transmitted pathogens Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus and Nairobi sheep disease virus, as well as many other poorly characterized viruses found in ticks, birds and mammals 1,2 . In this study, we identified a new orthonairovirus, Songling virus (SGLV), from patients who reported being bitten by ticks in Heilongjiang Province in northeastern China. SGLV shared similar genomic and morphological features with orthonairoviruses and phylogenetically formed a unique clade in Tamdy orthonairovirus of the Nairoviridae family. The isolated SGLV induced cytopathic effects in human hepatoma cells in vitro. SGLV infection was confirmed in 42 hospitalized patients analyzed between 2017 and 2018, with the main clinical manifestations being headache, fever, depression, fatigue and dizziness. More than two-thirds (69%) of patients generated virus-specific antibody responses in the acute phase. Taken together, these results suggest that this newly discovered orthonairovirus is associated with human febrile illness in China.

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and related recombinant proteins continue to gain importance in the treatment of a great variety of diseases. Despite significant advances, their manufacturing can still present challenges owing to their molecular complexity and stringent regulations with respect to product purity, stability, safety, and so forth. In this context, protein aggregates are of particular concern due to their immunogenic potential. During manufacturing, mAbs routinely undergo acidic treatment to inactivate viral contamination, which can lead to their aggregation and thereby to product loss. To better understand the underlying mechanism so as to propose strategies to mitigate the issue, we systematically investigated the denaturation and aggregation of two mAbs at low pH as well as after neutralization. We observed that at low pH and low ionic strength, mAb surface hydrophobicity increased whereas molecular size remained constant. After neutralization of acidic mAb solutions, the fraction of monomeric mAb started to decrease accompanied by an increase on average mAb size. This indicates that electrostatic repulsion prevents denatured mAb molecules from aggregation under acidic pH and low ionic strength, whereas neutralization reduces this repulsion and coagulation initiates. Limiting denaturation at low pH by d-sorbitol addition or temperature reduction effectively improved monomer recovery after neutralization. Our findings might be used to develop innovative viral inactivation procedures during mAb manufacturing that result in higher product yields., (© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

In a previous study, it was shown that purified soluble bovine dopamine beta-hydroxylase exhibits pH-dependent reversible tetramer-dimer dissociation (Saxena, A., Hensley, P., Osborne, J. C., Jr., and Fleming, P. J. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 3386-3392). Here we report evidence for the dissociation of this enzyme by magnesium-adenosine diphosphate independent of pH in the pH range 5-7. Quantitative binding of ADP to dopamine beta-hydroxylase revealed that there are two binding sites/dimeric species of hydroxylase and that ADP is tightly bound with a KD less than 10(-8) M. Kinetic data obtained at pH 5.5, the pH inside the chromaffin granule, shows that the apparent Km values for both the substrates tyramine and ascorbate are lowered by the presence of ADP without affecting the Vmax of the enzyme. The ADP-dependent lowering of apparent Km values results from a dissociation of the enzyme to the dimeric species which has inherently lower apparent Km values for substrates.

The solution properties of human serum apolipoprotein A-II, both in the native and in the reduced forms, were investigated by the technique of sedimentation equilibrium in the analytical ultracentrifuge. For both proteins, the apparent weight average molecular weights determined in neutral buffer systems were found to be dependent on protein concentration and invariant with the rotor speeds used (16,000 to 44,000 rpm) indicating a reversible self-association. These results were also found to be independent of temperature between 5 and 30 degrees C. The pattern of self-association of native apolipoprotein A-II could best be described by a monomer-dimer-trimer equilibrium, in agreement with previously reported data (Vitello, L B., and Scanu, A. M. (1975), Biochemistry 15, 1161). The self-association pattern of apolipoprotein A-II reduced in the presence of 50 mM dithiothreitol conformed with a monomer-dimer-tetramer equilibrium similar to that reported for the native single chain apolipoprotein A-II of the rhesus monkey (Barbeau, D. L., et al. (1977), J. Biol. Chem. 252, 6745), but differing significantly from that reported for the reduced and carboxymethylated human product (Osborne, J. C. , et al. (1975), Biochemistry 14, 3741).

Dopamine beta-hydroxylase is present in the bovine adrenal medulla in two forms: soluble and membrane-bound. In a previous study, it was shown that the tetrameric, soluble form of the enzyme undergoes dissociation into two identical dimeric subunits and that this subunit dissociation is dependent on pH and ADP binding (Dhawan, S., Hensley, P., Osborne, J. C., Jr., and Fleming, P. J. (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 261, 7680-7684). Here we report the effect of pH and ADP on the dissociation of the membranous form of dopamine beta-hydroxylase into two nonidentical subunits. Negative stain electron microscopy of purified membranous hydroxylase showed largely tetrameric species together with occasional dimeric species. The tetrameric images of membranous hydroxylase were similar to, but clearly different from, previously published negative stain images of soluble hydroxylase (Duong, L. T., Fleming, P. J., and Ornberg, R. L. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 2393-2398). Quantitative binding of ADP to the membranous hydroxylase revealed the existence of two binding sites per dimeric subunit. ADP binding and low pH both promote dissociation of a hydrophilic, catalytically active subunit from the membranous enzyme reconstituted onto phospholipid vesicles. Kinetic analyses of reconstituted membranous hydroxylase activity were consistent with the existence of tetrameric and dimeric catalytic species in equilibrium. All of the hydrophilic subunits of the purified soluble hydroxylase bind to the hydrophobic subunits of the reconstituted membranous hydroxylase. We propose that, in the chromaffin granules, the soluble hydroxylase subunits are in equilibrium association with the membrane-bound hydroxylase subunits and that the hydrophilic subunits of both soluble and membranous hydroxylase are identical.