Search

Since the beginning of COVID-19, more than 13,036,550 people have been infected, and 571,574 died because of the disease by July 13, 2020. Developing new methodologies to predict the COVID-19 pandemic will help policymakers plan to contain the spread of the virus. In this research, we develop a Stochastic Fractal Search algorithm combined with a mathematical model to forecast the pandemic. To enhance the algorithm, we employed a design of the experiments approach for tuning.We applied our algorithm to public datasets to model the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada in the upcoming months. Our algorithm predicts the number of symptomatic, asymptomatic, life-threatening, recovered, and death cases. The outcomes reveal that asymptomatic cases play the main role in the transmission of the virus.Wealso show that increasing the testing capacity would enhance the detection of asymptomatic cases and limit community transmission. Moreover, we performed sensitivity analyses to discover the effects of changes in transmission rates on pandemic growth. The sensitivity analyses provide a realistic overview of the future number of cases if the transmission rates change due to the emergence of new variants or change in social measures. Considering the outcomes, we provide several managerial insights to minimize community transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the relationship between working from home (WFH) and mental well-being at different stages during the first two critical years of the COVID-19 pandemic, when governments repeatedly imposed lockdowns and enacted WFH mandates to contain the spread of the virus. Using data from a representative survey conducted at four different time periods in 2020 (first lockdown, subsequent gradual reopening), 2021 (further lockdown) and 2022 (restrictions widely lifted) in the 27 EU member states, it examines the changing role of several mediators over time: work-family conflict, family-work conflict, stability, resilience, isolation, the importance of different support networks, workload, physical risk of contracting COVID-19 at work and housing conditions. For the first lockdown, it also differentiates by previous WFH experience, in terms of WFH novices and experienced WFH workers. It likewise differentiates by gender, in order to take the potential gendered nature of COVID-19 measures into account. The results point to several important mediators: for those who work from home, less family-work conflict and isolation, but greater stability, resilience, network support from family and friends, and superior housing conditions were associated with better mental well-being. The relevance of mediators was specific to certain stages of the pandemic. Stability was the most important mediator during the first lockdown. Work-family conflict and family-work conflict were only relevant during the first lockdown, while resilience and isolation mattered especially towards the end of the pandemic. Unlike established WFH workers, WFH novices had an advantage during the first lockdown, benefiting from lower family-work conflict and more helpful networks of family and friends. Our results differ by gender: for females who undertook WFH, important mediators were work-family conflict and family-work conflict. Both were related to adjustments they had to make in work and non-work hours in response to the enforced closure of schools and childcare facilities. For males who undertook WFH, support from networks of family and friends was an important mediator during the first lockdown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chad with 7,698 confirmed cases of infection and 194 deaths since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, is one of the African countries with the lowest reported case numbers. However, this figure likely underestimates the true spread of the virus due to the low rate of diagnosis. The high rate of asymptomatic infections reflects the reality of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in Chad. In this study, we estimated the seroprevalence and identified factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between September 2022 and February 2023. A total of 1,290 plasma samples were collected from outpatient attendees at Health Facilities located in 11 provinces of Chad and tested by ELISA method, for the presence of IgG antibodies to SARS-CoV2 nucleocapsid (N) protein. KoboToolbox was used to gather data from the participants and data were analyzed using STATA 16. Results: The overall seroprevalence was 83.0% [95% CI = 81.6%—85.5%], with variations between provinces, ranging from 99.2% [95% CI = 94.0%—100%] in Moundou (Southern Chad) to 46.8% [95% CI = 36.0% -57.1%] in Biltine (Eastern Chad). Factors associated with the seroprevalence included military occupation (OR = 0.37 CI [0.80–1.77] p = 0.025) and age group between 55–64 years (OR = 0.33 CI [0.15–0.72] p = 0.005). While, other factors, such as gender and age were not significantly associated with seroprevalence. Conclusion: Our results indicated that, the seroprevalence of COVID-19 in Chad is among the highest in Sub-Saharan Africa. These estimates could guide the response and public health policy decisions, enhancing the management of future outbreaks involving respiratory pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surin, situated in the northeastern region of Thailand, has earned the reputation of being an "elephant village" due to its high captive elephant population and unique tradition of elephant rearing. However, the continuous occurrence of elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV) infection poses a significant threat to elephants, particularly the young ones. This study investigated various aspects of EEHV-related elephant care among ninety-two mahouts at the Surin Elephant Kingdom Project. This study used semi-structured interviews and observations to assess the mahouts' knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP scores) toward EEHV transmission, prevention, and management. The result revealed knowledge and practice scores below expectations, indicating an insufficient understanding the nature of disease and preventive measures. However, the mahouts exhibited awareness of the severity of the disease and factors contributing to transmission risk. Regarding the relationship among KAP scores, a positive correlation was observed at a low level (p < 0.05) between the knowledge and practice scores. Interestingly, approximately 55% of the survey respondents were confident that their elephants would not receive EEHV, leading to inadequate prevention measures. From the result, it is crucial to provide comprehensive knowledge about the nature of the disease and preventive measures to all mahouts. This education should emphasize the importance of early monitoring signs, appropriate weaning age, and preventing viral transmission practices. The KAP survey offers valuable insights that can identify areas requiring improvement and guide the development of effective and targeted disease prevention programs within the specific population. Therefore, it is recommended that the KAP survey should be employed in other parts of the country where the elephant management system differs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vaccinia virus (VACV)–induced cell migration is thought to be closely related to the rapid transmission of viral infection in the body. The limited studies are mainly based on scratch assay using traditional cell culture techniques, which inevitably ignores the influences of extracellular microenvironment. Physical confinement, inherently presenting in vivo, has proven to be a critical extern cue in modulating migration behaviors of multiple cells, while its impacts on VACV-induced cell motility remain unclear. Herein, we developed a migration assay microchip featuring confined microchannel array to investigate the effect of physical confinement on infected cell morphology and motility during VACV infection. Results showed that different from the random cell migration observed in traditional scratch assay on planar substrate, VACV-infected cells exhibited accelerated directionally persistent migration under confinement microenvironment. Moreover, single-directed elongated dominant lamella appeared to contrast distinctly with multiple protrusions stretched in random directions under unconfined condition. Additionally, the Golgi complex tended to relocate behind the nucleus confined within the microchannel axis compared to the classical reorientation pattern. These differences in characteristic subcellular architecture and organelle reorientation of migrating cells revealed cell biological mechanisms underlying altered migration behavior. Collectively, our study demonstrates that physical confinement acting as a guidance cue has profound impacts on VACV-induced migration behaviors, which provides new insight into cell migration behavior and viral rapid spread during VACV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is one of the most economically significant global livestock diseases. In the U.S., economic optimization models run in 2011 demonstrate the highest mean epidemic impact of a potential FMD outbreak in California would occur in livestock-dense regions, resulting in national agriculture losses of $2.3 to $69.0 billion. In the case that an FMD outbreak occurred in the U.S., mass depopulation, carcass disposal, and disinfection protocols for infected premises have been designed to prevent further viral spread. Because the FMD virus (FMDV) is spread mechanically via the environment, characteristics of viral environmental stability are important. Temperature and adsorption to soil particles are reported to be the most important factors affecting general virus survival; however, how much these factors alter FMDV survival has not been tested. Methods: Soil samples were examined from typical U.S. regions containing the highest cattle population densities: Tennessee, Georgia, Nebraska, California, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Iowa. Soils were spiked with known quantities of FMDV and FMDV stability was evaluated over seven distinct time points between 0 hours and 12 days at incubation temperatures of 25°C and 37°C to represent a range of typical ambient temperatures during the summer. FMDV stability was quantified via virus titration. Results: Virus decayed faster at higher ambient temperatures for all soils, but decay at 25°C was faster in some soils. Consequently, areas with high ambient temperatures may have lower between-farm transmission rates, slower outbreak spread, and simpler farm decontamination. Discussion: This study provides a helpful exploration into understanding soil survival of the virus. Additional investigations into FMDV survival across different soil types will aid in developing better disinfection protocols and further refining regional viral transmission rate estimates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus is a destructive respiratory disease that has affected the lives of billions of people around the world. Researchers argue that a group‐based approach drawing on our membership of specific social groups, rather than appealing to our individual self‐interest, is necessary to combat the disease. Social groups who are perceived to be not adhering to national mitigation measures aimed at reducing the spread of the virus, are often portrayed negatively by the media. The current study examines the impact of negative media constructions of young peoples’ behavior during the COVID‐19 pandemic, specifically focusing on when these constructions have been contested by young people involved. A total of 789 young people were randomly assigned to read either a positive or negative description of young people's behavior during COVID‐19 restrictions. Results indicate that the type of article had no impact on behavioral outcomes or perceived stress. However, an interaction effect was noted where reading a negative article and disagreeing with the content increased individuals’ levels of perceived stress. Findings indicate that negative group‐based media constructions of behavior do not increase behavioral conformity but does undermine the mental health of those involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is an infectious disease that causes diarrhoea in pigs of different ages; however, piglets are more susceptible. PDCoV was first reported in 2012 in China and Hong Kong. Later, it was first reported in the USA in 2014 and in Mexico in 2019. Several studies have shown that M protein is highly conserved and, therefore, suitable for diagnostic systems. In this study, for the first time, an indirect enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA) based on a recombinant M protein (rM‐PDCoV) was developed to evaluate the seroprevalence of PDCoV in four states in Mexico. High sensitivity (83%) and specificity (100%) were observed for the iELISA. The kappa index calculated a nearly perfect agreement (0.8831) compared to the Western blot (gold standard test), suggesting acceptable statistical value support. In this study, 50.38% of the serum samples from backyard pigs were PDCoV‐positive. The serological comparison showed that PDCoV/PEDV coinfections occurred in 31.98% of the analysed sera. These results can enrich our understanding of how this virus spreads and enable the evaluation of PDCoV infections. Moreover, it highlights the importance of continually investigating the seroprevalence of PDCoV in Mexico because there is also no information about the current prevalence of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In March 2020, the 'contact line' between the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics and the rest of Ukraine was sealed off. Crossing this de facto border was a precondition and an obstacle for residents of the non-government-controlled territories to access their citizenship entitlements. This article explores how movement across the 'contact line' was restricted and reconfigured during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic and how this affected state–citizen relations in the region. The study reveals how the policy to contain and mitigate the spread of the virus became a tool in establishing and maintaining authority along the state margins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 is an enveloped virus with a single-stranded R N A genome. The surface of the virus contains spike proteins, which enable the virus to attach to host cells and enter the interior of the cells. After entering the cell, the virus exploits the host cell's mechanisms for replication and dissemination. Since the end of 2019, COVID-19 has spread rapidly around the world, leading to a large-scale epidemic. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the global scientific community quickly launched vaccine research and development. Vaccination is regarded as a crucial strategy for controlling viral transmission and mitigating severe cases. In this paper, we propose a novel mathematical model for COVID-19 infection incorporating vaccine-induced immunization failure. As a cornerstone of infectious disease prevention measures, vaccination stands as the most effective and efficient strategy for curtailing disease transmission. Nevertheless, even with vaccination, the occurrence of vaccine immunization failure is not uncommon. This necessitates a comprehensive understanding and consideration of vaccine effectiveness in epidemiological models and public health strategies. In this paper, the basic regeneration number is calculated by the next generation matrix method, and the local and global asymptotic stability of disease-free equilibrium point and endemic equilibrium point are proven by methods such as the Routh–Hurwitz criterion and Lyapunov functions. Additionally, we conduct fractional-order numerical simulations to verify that order 0.86 provides the best fit with COVID-19 data. This study sheds light on the roles of immunization failure and fractional-order control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The COVID‐19 pandemic impacted young people's drinking. Yet, despite social gatherings posing a known risk for increased contraction, some college students still congregated to drink. Furthermore, some students posted about these drinking events to their public and/or private social media feeds. It is crucial to understand the relationships between posting alcohol‐related content (ARC), drinking and adherence to COVID‐19 recommendations because they may have contributed to the spread of the virus. Methods: The current interval contingent, 14‐day diary study assessed students' (N = 129) public and private ARC; their drinking; percentage of time wearing a mask and social distancing; and number of people they socialised with during drinking events (total crowd size) each day. Results: Multilevel structural equation modelling was employed to examine relationships between ARC posting, drinking and behavioural outcomes. On days in which students posted both public and private ARC, they tended to drink more and in turn, reported attending gatherings with larger crowds. Curiously, on days in which students drank more, they indicated more mask wearing and social distancing, and on days in which students posted more private ARC, they also reported larger crowds. Finally, an indirect effect of drinking on the links between public and private ARC and mask wearing, social distancing and total crowd sizes emerged. Discussion and Conclusions: Findings revealed students continued to post and drink socially despite the risks, which may have encouraged others within their networks to engage in similar risky behaviours. Future public health crises should balance young people's need for social connection with risk mitigation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) selectively targets ciliated cells in human bronchial epithelium and can cause bronchiolitis and pneumonia, mostly in infants. To identify molecular targets of intervention during RSV infection in infants, we investigated how age regulates RSV interaction with the bronchial epithelium barrier. Employing precision-cut lung slices and air-liquid interface cultures generated from infant and adult human donors, we found robust RSV virus spread and extensive apoptotic cell death only in infant bronchial epithelium. In contrast, adult bronchial epithelium showed no barrier damage and limited RSV infection. Single nuclear RNA-Seq revealed age-related insufficiency of an antiapoptotic STAT3 activation response to RSV infection in infant ciliated cells, which was exploited to facilitate virus spread via the extruded apoptotic ciliated cells carrying RSV. Activation of STAT3 and blockade of apoptosis rendered protection against severe RSV infection in infant bronchial epithelium. Lastly, apoptotic inhibitor treatment of a neonatal mouse model of RSV infection mitigated infection and inflammation in the lung. Taken together, our findings identify a STAT3-mediated antiapoptosis pathway as a target to battle severe RSV disease in infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Covid-19 pandemic saw restrictions being implemented to curb the spread of the virus. This seeded anti-lockdown demonstrations across the globe. Leveraging network, quantitative and qualitative textual analysis tools, we scrutinize the expression of opposition to these restrictions on 96 public Facebook groups and pages, and its connection to physical places across the globe. To grapple with this relation, we propose the concept of geo-indexing as the practice of adding meaning to physical places on social media and identify a transnational network of geo-indexed posts. Importantly, this geo-indexed opposition was framed as unified against an unjust and undemocratic imposition of restrictive measures. The language used in some of this communication was conspiratorial, albeit to a lesser degree than expected. Moreover, geo-indexed posts were used to evidence the scale of public mobilization, the cohesion of the protests, to articulate the virtue of transgressing health measures and to extoll those who said or did so, across multiple sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The success of Aotearoa New Zealand in preventing the spread of the Covid-19 virus was lauded internationally. Domestically, the reception was more complex, as the restrictions and guidelines introduced had considerable social and economic impacts. This profile focuses on the February 2022 occupation of the Parliament grounds in Wellington as the most visible manifestation of discontent. It examines the actors involved and how they attempted to draw on local cultural histories to justify their actions and make them recognisable to observers. The profile concludes by considering the potential legacy of the occupation and the forces it represented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Mathematical modeling can provide quantitative understanding of the viral dynamics and viral reduction effects of drugs and enable simulations of the dynamics in various scenarios. In this study, a drug effect model of ensitrelvir was developed to describe the viral reduction effect. Using the model, we also estimated the impact of treatment with ensitrelvir on the reduction in the number of infected patients at the population level in Japan. Methods: The drug effect model of ensitrelvir was developed based on a viral dynamic model for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and a population pharmacokinetic model of ensitrelvir using 10,477 samples of viral load from 1447 patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a phase 2/3 study. It was assumed that the drug effect on SARS-CoV-2 promoted the viral clearance depending on the free plasma concentrations. We estimated the impact of ensitrelvir treatment on the reduction in the number of infected patients at the population level in Japan using the susceptible–infectious–recovered–susceptible (SIRS) model including transmission mitigation. Results: The viral reduction effect of ensitrelvir was characterized as a promotion of viral clearance depending on the plasma ensitrelvir concentrations using the Emax model. The maximum reduction effect was considered to depend on the time from symptom onset to treatment. The maximum transmission mitigation effect was observed when treatment was initiated within 12–24 h of symptom onset, and secondary infections could be reduced by administering ensitrelvir as soon as possible after symptom onset. Conclusion: The viral reduction by ensitrelvir could be characterized based on the viral dynamics, and the dynamics could be estimated using the drug effect model. Furthermore, the drug effect on population level transmission based on the dynamics could be estimated. Thus, the simulation could be conducted for various conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current medical research suggests that latently infected cells are the primary source of the virus's resistance to elimination. Moreover, these cells can participate in cell–cell transmission. Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) can transmit to CD4 + T cells by three transmission modes, cell-free, latent cell–cell and active cell–cell. Incorporating the effect of latent infection, weakened humoral and CTL responses as well as three transmission modes, we investigate two generalized HIV-1 dynamics models. Three general incidence functions are used to represent the three viral transmission modes. Our proposed models extend and generalize many viral infection models presented in the virology literature. We begin by demonstrating the solutions' boundedness and nonnegativity which guarantee the model's wellposedness. We calculate the model's basic reproduction ratio (ℜ 0). We establish that the model admits two steady-states, namely, virus-free steady-state and virus-persistence steady-state. Through application of Lyapunov's approach and LaSalle's invariance principle, we demonstrate the global stability of each state-state. For two special forms of the general incidence functions, Holling type-II incidence and Crowley–Martin incidence, we provide numerical simulations to validate our theoretical findings. We illustrate how time delay and weakened adaptive immunity affect HIV-1 dynamics. More specifically, numerical data support our theoretical conclusions on the stability of steady-states. To demonstrate the impact of the parameter values on ℜ 0 , we examine the sensitivity analysis. We have demonstrated that each of the three viral transmission modes adds to ℜ 0 , and that ℜ 0 would be underestimated if any one of them were ignored. This might lead to inadequate medication effectiveness that aims to remove the viruses from the body. The effects of weakened adaptive immunity and time delay on HIV-1 progression are examined. As per our findings, reduced adaptive immunity plays a crucial role in the proliferation of the infection. Weaken adaptive immunity can lead to the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and give a chance for opportunistic infections. We showed that ℜ 0 fall as a function of both medication efficacy and delay parameter. If a model with time delays is used, fewer treatment efficacies will be required to maintain the system at the virus-free steady-state and eradicate HIV-1 from the body. Our study's findings can help us better understand HIV-1 dynamics in the host and can also guide the development of new pharmacological therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the axiom “giant of Africa” is a phrase that has not reflected in Nigeria's development. The study explains the multiple variants of challenges ranging from deficit in infrastructural development to widespread corruption among public servants in aftermath of Covid-19 experience in Nigeria. Amidst of these challenges comes the global pandemic outbreak called the corona virus (Covid-19). The African continent especially Nigeria has been on lockdown since March 2020 to this very day. This lockdown is one of the measures put in place by the federal government to halt the spread of this deadly virus in Nigeria. The lockdown has resulted in social dislocation, a great loss in capital formation, increased poverty rate, stunted economic growth, increased external debt, and loss of human life. This study analyzes the impact of COVID-19 amidst the development challenges of Nigeria. The study adopted the theory of social production of material wealth which implicated the state of Nigeria's production process and development strategy. The study employs a documentary method of data collection and data are analyzed based on a content analysis procedure. The paper concludes that the COVID-19 experience in Nigeria has coincided with the character of production process and development in Nigeria. State production has become industrialized in face of this deadly virus attack in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SARS-CoV-2 initiates infection in the conducting airways, where mucociliary clearance inhibits pathogen penetration. However, it is unclear how mucociliary clearance impacts SARS-CoV-2 spread after infection is established. To investigate viral spread at this site, we perform live imaging of SARS-CoV-2 infected differentiated primary human bronchial epithelium cultures for up to 12 days. Using a fluorescent reporter virus and markers for cilia and mucus, we longitudinally monitor mucus motion, ciliary motion, and infection. Infected cell numbers peak at 4 days post infection, forming characteristic foci that tracked mucus movement. Inhibition of MCC using physical and genetic perturbations limits foci. Later in infection, mucociliary clearance deteriorates. Increased mucus secretion accompanies ciliary motion defects, but mucociliary clearance and vectorial infection spread resume after mucus removal, suggesting that mucus secretion may mediate MCC deterioration. Our work shows that while MCC can facilitate SARS-CoV-2 spread after initial infection, subsequent MCC decreases inhibit spread, revealing a complex interplay between SARS-CoV-2 and MCC. Becker et al. use live imaging of SARS-CoV-2 infected airway epithelium cultures to demonstrate a dual role for mucociliary clearance in viral spread. Initially, virus goes with the mucus flow, facilitating local spread; later, increased mucus secretion and ciliary motion defects limit spread. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classifying information diffusion patterns is critical to many information analysis areas, e.g., misleading information detection. However, diffusion pattern classification remains challenging when multiple users are involved. To address this challenge, this study aims to classify how information diffuses, distinguishing between broadcast and viral spreading, solely through the analysis of observational data from retweet networks on X (formerly known as Twitter). In broadcasting, most users directly receive information. However, viral spreading allows users the opportunity to receive information from a variety of sources. Therefore, viral spreading increases the likelihood of identifying misleading information. Existing methods classify diffusion types mainly through structural virality, which relies on the average distance between the users. However, when dealing with diffusion networks involving two or more information sources, these approaches can potentially lead to confusion regarding causality. To tackle this problem, we develop a deterministic causal inference method for categorizing information diffusion types. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study investigating information diffusion types based on causality. This approach can be used to assess source credibility and assist in detecting misleading information. It can also be extended to other social media platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sudden spread of the monkeypox virus has been accompanied by an increase in the scientific interest in the virus. More than 1,400 PubMed-indexed documents have been authored by about 5,800 unique authors, averaging around 120 publications per month. This sheer rise in the number led us to explore the content published in the literature. We discovered more than 30% of the documents are Quantitative Productivity (QP) i.e., papers that illustrate the emerging trends of parachute concerns, modified salami tactics, cyclic recycling, and excellence in redundancy. In addition, we found few common hyper-prolific authors previously identified in the COVID-19 literature. Further, we share our experience in publishing monkeypox literature and highlight the growing readership and citation interest in editorials, commentaries, and correspondences that were thought to be uncitable in the medical literature. As long as the scientific community and public demand, the supply of such papers will continue, with no responsibility on the authors, journals, or the reader. Since overhauling the current system is an arduous task, we propose the optimization of existing retrieval services that would selectively filter documents based on article type (requires standardization of definitions) to dilute the crowding out effects of quantitative productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has experienced dramatic economic growth and poverty reduction over the last two decades, leading the country to declare victory in eradicating extreme poverty in 2021. While the country's track record in poverty reduction is certainly respectable, income poverty is only one dimension of broader wellbeing. Increasingly, the notions of vulnerability and subjective well-being (SWB) have been noted by researchers and practitioners worldwide. However, the widespread outbreak of COVID-19 pressed hard on people's livelihoods, potentially impacting SWB or tipping vulnerable households into a state of poverty. These states may impact households' support for China's strict measures to control the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. To date, however, few studies have rigorously assessed household welfare and its relationship with SWB and subjective acceptance of aggressive COVID-related policies during the pandemic. Our results suggest that vulnerable households, on average, were less happy, experienced depression more frequently, and were subject to negative emotions impeding their ability to complete their work during the early period of the pandemic. Analysis also suggests that the vulnerable are less willing to accept the closure of work places, and became less confident in the government and the health system. The relationships between vulnerability, SWB, and acceptance of COVID-related policies are heterogenous and are conditional on the source of vulnerability. To enhance pre-pandemic progress in poverty elimination in China, the findings of this study suggest that interventions that can stabilize income variability also needs to be prioritized alongside raising income levels in the policy agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global pandemics caused by pathogenic viruses have highlighted the need to develop effective and sustainable materials to defend against these viruses. However, most commercial viral disinfection materials rely on precious metals, which are toxic. In this study, an engineered living material based on Bacillus subtilis biofilms is presented that can effectively remove Influenza A virus and SARS‐CoV‐2 from water. First, B. subtilis biofilm is used to display the H1N1 and H5N1 specific binding peptide C40 and SARS‐CoV‐2 specific binding peptide SBP1; thus, the biofilm materials has outstanding efficacy against H1N1, H5N1, and SARS‐CoV‐2 pseudovirus from water. In addition to capturing the virus, these biofilm materials can also inactivate the virus by secreting alkaline protease AprE, which effectively degrades the viral proteins at temperatures of 4, 16, 25, and 37 °C. Furthermore, to constrain bacterial growth and prevent the leakage of genetically modified organisms, a suicide genetic circuit using the quorum‐sensing system ComQXPA to control Lytc expression is constructed, leading to bacterial lysis. Overall, this study demonstrates a novel, effective, and sustainably engineered living material for preventing viral transmission. This material provides a safeguard for public health and promotes environmentally friendly governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Male sex has been identified as a risk factor for worse COVID-19 outcomes. This sex difference has been mostly attributed to the complex role of sex hormones. Cell surface entry of SARS-CoV-2 is mediated by the transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) which is under transcriptional regulation by androgens. P450 aromatase enzyme converts androgens to estrogens. This study measured concentrations of aromatase enzyme, testosterone, estradiol, and TMPRSS-2 in plasma of hospitalized COVID-19 patients to elucidate the dynamics of sex-linked disparity in COVID-19 and correlate them with disease severity and mortality. Methods: In this prospective cohort study, a total of 265 patients (41% women), age 18 years and older, who had a positive COVID-19 PCR test and were hospitalized for COVID-19 at Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, (between May 2020 and May 2021) were enrolled in the study if met inclusion criteria. Plasma concentrations of Testosterone, aromatase, TMPRSS-2, and estradiol were measured by ELISA. COVID-19 patients were dichotomized based on disease severity into moderate-severe (n = 146) or critical (n = 119). Mann Whitney U and logistic regression were used to correlate the analytes with disease severity and mortality. Results: TMPRSS2 (2.5 ± 0.31 vs. 1.73 ± 0.21 ng/mL, p < 0.01) and testosterone (1.2 ± 0.1 vs. 0.44 ± 0.12 ng/mL, p < 0.01) were significantly higher in men as compared to women with COVID-19 after adjusting for age in a multivariate model. There was no sex difference seen in the level of estradiol and aromatase in COVID-19 patients. TMPRSS2 and aromatase were higher, while testosterone was lower in patients with increased COVID-19 severity. They were independently associated with COVID-19 severity, after adjusting for several baseline risk factors in a multivariate logistic regression model. In terms of mortality, TMPRRS2 and aromatase levels were significantly higher in non-survivors. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that testosterone, aromatase, and TMPRSS2 are markers of COVID-19 severity. Estradiol levels do not change with disease severity in COVID-19. In terms of mortality prediction, higher aromatase and TMPRSS-2 levels can be used to predict mortality from COVID-19 in hospitalized patients. Plain English Summary: COVID-19 has caused over a million deaths in the U.S., with men often getting sicker than women. Testosterone, a male hormone, helps control a protein called TMPRSS-2, which allows the COVID-19 virus to spread more easily in the body. A protein called aromatase converts the male hormone testosterone into the female hormone estrogen. It is thought that female hormone estrogen helps protect women from getting seriously ill from COVID-19. To understand the role of these hormones in COVID-19 and sex differences, we measured levels of testosterone, estrogen, aromatase (which turns testosterone into estrogen), and TMPRSS-2 in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. We also checked how this level might reflect the severity of the disease. We found that critically ill COVID-19 patients (the ones in ICU) had higher levels of TMPRSS-2 and aromatase, and lower testosterone levels. When we used these hormone levels to predict death in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, higher levels of TMPRSS-2 and aromatase were linked to a lower chance of survival. Highlights: COVID-19 Disease Severity: In hospitalized patients with COVID-19, higher TMPRSS-2, aromatase and lower total testosterone are markers of disease severity. COVID-19 Mortality: In hospitalized patients with COVID-19, TMPRSS2 and aromatase levels are significantly increased in COVID-19 non survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chikungunya cases was reported to be on the rise in Malaysia from 2019 to 2021. Although potential endemicity was described previously, genotype shift during 2008 outbreak originating from the 2004 Indian Ocean Islands outbreak presents the probability of current CHIKV spread from neighboring countries. This is due to the prevalence of the new IOL sub-lineage which consists of E1-226A wildtype or reverted strains that are circulating in the Indian subcontinent before spreading to neighboring Thailand during 2018–2019 outbreak. Method: In this study, samples received mostly from the Tangkak, Johor were analyzed. A total 56 CHIKV positive serum samples received in 2021 by Institute of Medical Research Malaysia (IMR), were collected based on sample selection criteria. Selected samples were subjected to total RNA extraction, whole-genome sequencing as well as bioinformatic analysis such as phylogenetic, variant and mutation analysis. Results: Based on the genomic and phylogenetic analysis, the CHIKV samples from 2021 outbreak were of ECSA-IOL genotype. Genome similarity analysis also revealed that these CHIKVs were highly similar to 2018–2019 outbreak strain from Thailand. In comparison to the 2008 outbreak CHIKV isolate, the current CHIKVs lacked the E1-A226V mutation and harbored the new E1-K211E/E2-V264A sub-linage mutation. Since the E1-K211E/E2-V264A mutation facilitates adaptation to Ae. aegypti as opposed to the E1-A226V mutation which improves adaptation to Ae. albopictus, the emergence 2021 CHIKV outbreak in Malaysia can be postulated due to vector shift. Interestingly, a novel nsP3-T441A/V mutation detected in this study, may also play a role in virus transmission, pathogenicity, fitness and vector adaptation. Conclusion: In summary, the current CHIKV outbreak are strains originated from the Indian subcontinent through Thailand which may have capitalized on vector shifting by adapting to Ae. aegypti. The presence of novel nsP3-T441A/V mutation may also contribute to the spread of this virus across peninsular Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

G protein‐coupled receptors (GPCRs) are pivotal in cellular signalling and drug targeting. Herpesviruses encode GPCRs (vGPCRs) to manipulate cellular signalling, thereby regulating various aspects of the virus life cycle, such as viral spreading and immune evasion. vGPCRs mimic host chemokine receptors, often with broader signalling and high constitutive activity. This review focuses on the recent advancements in structural knowledge about vGPCRs, with an emphasis on molecular mechanisms of action and ligand binding. The structures of US27 and US28 from human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) are compared to their closest human homologue, CX3CR1. Contrasting US27 and US28, the homotrimeric UL78 structure (HCMV) reveals more distance to chemokine receptors. Open reading frame 74 (ORF74; Kaposi's sarcoma‐associated herpesvirus) is compared to CXCRs, whereas BILF1 (Epstein–Barr virus) is discussed as a putative lipid receptor. Furthermore, the roles of vGPCRs in latency and lytic replication, reactivation, dissemination and immune evasion are reviewed, together with their potential as drug targets for virus infections and virus‐related diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to analyze the epidemic characteristics and influencing factors of school influenza outbreaks in Jiangsu Province, China from 2020 to 2023,following the COVID-19 pandemic, to inform prevention and control strategies. Methods: Data on influenza-like illness(ILI) outbreaks from the Chinese Influenza Surveillance Information System and national-level influenza surveillance sentinel hospitals were analyzed. The temporal distribution, school type, virus strains, and outbreak scales were examined using descriptive statistics. Results: From 2020 to 2023, 1142 influenza outbreaks occurred in schools, with primary schools(ages 6 to 12) accounting for 71.80%. Most large outbreaks were caused by A(H1N1) and A(H3N2), responsible for 8.99% of total outbreaks. Outbreaks were predominantly reported in the pre-peak periods of B(Victoria) and A(H1N1) circulation, accounting for 86.31% and 92.32% of their respective total outbreaks. No concurrent influenza and COVID-19 outbreaks were observed during the study period. Conclusion: Primary and secondary schools are high-risk settings for influenza outbreaks. A(H3N2) shows higher adaptability and is more likely to co-circulate with other subtypes/lineages, especially A(H1N1), leading to larger outbreaks. B(Victoria)-caused outbreaks are more frequent but smaller in scale. School influenza outbreaks are more likely to occur during the early stages of seasonal peaks, particularly for B(Victoria) and A(H1N1). This suggests that influenza outbreaks in schools may play a crucial role in seeding and accelerating the spread of the virus within the broader community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Routes of virus transmission between hosts are key to understanding viral epidemiology. Different routes have large effects on viral ecology, and likelihood and rate of transmission; for example, respiratory and vector-borne viruses together encompass the majority of rapid outbreaks and high-consequence animal and plant epidemics. However, determining the specific transmission route(s) can take months to years, delaying mitigation efforts. Here, we identify the vial features and evolutionary signatures which are predictive of viral transmission routes and use them to predict potential routes for fully-sequenced viruses in silico and rapidly, for both viruses with no observed routes, as well as viruses with missing routes. This was achieved by compiling a dataset of 24,953 virus-host associations with 81 defined transmission routes, constructing a hierarchy of virus transmission encompassing those routes and 42 higher-order modes, and engineering 446 predictive features from three complementary perspectives. We integrated those data and features to train 98 independent ensembles of LightGBM classifiers. We found that all features contributed to the prediction for at least one of the routes and/or modes of transmission, demonstrating the utility of our broad multi-perspective approach. Our framework achieved ROC-AUC = 0.991, and F1-score = 0.855 across all included transmission routes and modes, and was able to achieve high levels of predictive performance for high-consequence respiratory (ROC-AUC = 0.990, and F1-score = 0.864) and vector-borne transmission (ROC-AUC = 0.997, and F1-score = 0.921). Our framework ranks the viral features in order of their contribution to prediction, per transmission route, and hence identifies the genomic evolutionary signatures associated with each route. Together with the more matured field of viral host-range prediction, our predictive framework could: provide early insights into the potential for, and pattern of viral spread; facilitate rapid response with appropriate measures; and significantly triage the time-consuming investigations to confirm the likely routes of transmission. Author summary: Routes of virus transmission–the mechanism(s) by which a virus physically gets from an infected to an uninfected host, are crucial to understanding how viral diseases spread among animals and plants. Here, we uncover the evolutionary signatures which can predict the transmission routes a virus uses to move from one host to another, enabling us to identify any unobserved routes for known viruses and even predict potential routes of newly emerged viruses. We first compile a comprehensive dataset of virus-host associations. Using this dataset, we employ a multi-perspective machine learning approach to achieve high predictive performance. Our framework ranks viral features by their significance in prediction, revealing genomic evolutionary signatures linked to each route. Our approach could provide early insights into viral spread patterns, facilitating prompt response efforts to new outbreaks and epidemics, and streamline laboratory investigations. Overall, our study represents a step forward in our ability to anticipate and mitigate the impact of emerging infectious diseases on human, animal, and plant health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Viral encephalitis is characterized by a series of immunological reactions that can control virus infection in the brain, but dysregulated responses may cause excessive inflammation and brain damage. Microglia are brain-resident myeloid cells that are specialized in surveilling the local CNS environment and in case of viral brain infection they contribute to the control of the infection and to restriction of viral dissemination. Here, we report that after exposure to neurotropic vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), murine in vitro microglia cultures showed rapid upregulation of a broad range of pro-inflammatory and antiviral genes, which were stably expressed over the entire 8 h infection period. Additionally, a set of immunomodulatory genes was upregulated between 6 and 8 h post infection. In microglia cultures, the induction of several immune response pathways including cytokine responses was dependent on mitochondrial antiviral-signaling protein (MAVS). Consequently, in Mavs-deficient microglia the control of virus propagation failed as indicated by augmented virus titers and the accumulation of viral transcripts. Thus, in the analyzed in vitro system, MAVS signaling is critically required to achieve full microglia activation and to mediate profound antiviral effects. In Mavs-deficient mice, intranasal VSV instillation caused higher disease severity than in WT mice and virus dissemination was noticed beyond the olfactory bulb. Virus spread to inner regions of the olfactory bulb, i.e., the granular cell layer, correlated with the recruitment of highly inflammatory non-microglia myeloid cells into the olfactory bulb in Mavs−/− mice. Furthermore, increased cytokine levels were detected in the nasal cavity, the olfactory bulb and in other brain regions. Thus, microglial MAVS signaling is critically needed for virus sensing, full microglia activation, and for orchestration of protective immunity in the virus-infected CNS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is important to examine and comprehend how HIV interacts with the immune system in order to manage the infection, enhance patient outcomes, advance medical research, and support global health and socioeconomic stability. In this study, we formulate the dynamics of HIV infection to investigate the intricate interactions between HIV and T-cells. The Atangana-Baleanu and Caputo-Fabrizio derivative frameworks are applied to comprehensively examine the phenomenon of HIV viral transmission. The basic concepts and results of fractional calculus are presented for the analysis of the model. In our work, we focus on the dynamical behavior of HIV and immune system. We introduce numerical schemes to elucidate the solution pathways of the recommended system of HIV. We have shown the influence of various input factors on the solution pathways of the recommended fractional system and highlighted the oscillatory behavior and chaotic nature of the dynamics. Our findings demonstrate the complexity of the system under study by revealing the existence of the chaotic and oscillatory nature in the dynamics of HIV. In order to quantitatively characterize HIV dynamics, a number of simulations are carried out, providing a visual representation of the effects of different input variables. It has been observed that the chaos and the oscillatory behaviour is strongly related to the nonlinearity of the system. The present study provides a basis for further initiatives that try to enhance interventions and policies to lessen the worldwide burden of infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronavirus is an infectious disease that has left tens of millions of deaths around the world, and which has had social, economic, emotional, and psychological consequences. To mitigate the spread of the virus, several countries have adopted restrictive measures that impacted the way people experienced the end-of-life and the death of their loved one. This study aimed to identify the variables associated with prolonged grief symptoms in the context of both pandemic-related losses and the unique challenges related to end-of-life care. An anonymous online survey was disseminated widely through various channels including local press, social media, professional networks and hospitals. Socio-demographic information was collected, as well as information related to loss (cause of death, place of end-of-life care and death) and bereavement, and on the impact of the restrictions imposed by the pandemic. The participants were 163 bereaved who lost a loved one who received end-of-life care during the pandemic in Portugal. Most participants were female, married, professionally active and had lost their grandparents. A hierarchical multiple regression was performed to determine the factors associated with prolonged grief symptoms. The results showed that more prolonged grief symptoms were associated with less social support, worsening of the financial situation, greater psychological impact of restrictions on communicating with the deceased, and the deceas having received end-of-life care in a hospital. The early identification based on these factors of individuals at higher risk for more prolonged grief symptoms could allow for targeted interventions and support services.This study unveils crucial factors contributing to heightened grief amid pandemic-related losses and challenges in end-of-life care, which provide practical insights for healthcare practitioners. Highlight the importance of personalized interventions to fortify social connections, address financial challenges, and offer compassionate alternatives to hospital-centric care. Policymakers can leverage this information to optmise grief management during public health crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers globally, with limited success from existing therapies, including chemotherapies and immunotherapies like checkpoint inhibitors for patients with advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). A promising new approach is the use of oncolytic viruses (OV), a form of immunotherapy that has been demonstrated clinical effectiveness in various cancers. Here we investigated the potential of the oncolytic coxsackievirus B3 strain (CVB3) PD-H as a new treatment for pancreatic cancer. In vitro, PD-H exhibited robust replication, as measured by plaque assays, and potent lytic activity, as assessed by XTT assays, in most pancreatic tumor cell lines, outperforming two other coxsackievirus strains tested, H3N-375/1TS and CVA21. Thus, H3N-375/1TS showed efficient replication and lytic efficiency in distinctly fewer tumor cell lines, while most tumor cells were resistant to CVA21. The oncolytic efficiency of the three OV largely correlated with mRNA expression levels of viral receptors and their ability to induce apoptosis, as measured by cleaved caspase 3/7 activity in the tumor cells. In a syngeneic mouse model with subcutaneous pancreatic tumors, intratumoral administration of PD-H significantly inhibited tumor growth but did not completely stop tumor progression. Importantly, no virus-related side effects were observed. Although pancreatic tumors respond to PD-H treatment, its therapeutic efficacy is limited. Combining PD-H with other treatments, such as those aiming at reducing the desmoplastic stroma which impedes viral infection and spread within the tumor, may enhance its efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Comparative data are limited on the transmission of respiratory infections positive and negative for SARS-CoV-2 in households with children. Methods In June to August 2020, we recruited 700 participants (175 households, 376 children, 324 adults) to be prospectively followed for all respiratory tract infections. Follow-up lasted from recruitment until April 2022. Daily symptoms were monitored by weekly electronic questionnaires. SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction testing from nasopharyngeal specimens was performed for symptomatic participants and twice (1-week interval) for the household members of positive participants. Clinical features and secondary attack rates (SARs) based on the onset of symptoms were compared between respiratory infections that were SARS-CoV-2 positive and negative. Results Most SARS-CoV-2 infections (90%) occurred from January to April 2022 when Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 were the dominant variants. SARS-CoV-2–positive infections were transmitted more often than SARS-CoV-2–negative infections (SAR, 41% vs 24%; P <.001). SARS-CoV-2 transmission was similar for child and adult index cases (SAR, 40% vs 43%; P =.47), but the transmission of SARS-CoV-2–negative infections was higher for child index cases (SAR, 27% vs 18%; P <.001). Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2 Omicron viruses spread more effectively within households as compared with other respiratory infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] The microdomains of plasmodesmata, specialized cell-wall channels responsible for communications between neighboring cells, are composed of various plasmodesmata-located proteins (PDLPs) and lipids. Here, we found that, among all PDLP or homologous proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana genome, PDLP5 and PDLP7 possessed a C-terminal sphingolipid-binding motif, with the latter being the only member that was significantly upregulated upon turnip mosaic virus and cucumber mosaic virus infections. pdlp7 mutant plants exhibited significantly reduced callose deposition, larger plasmodesmata diameters, and faster viral transmission. These plants exhibited increased glucosidase activity but no change in callose synthase activity. PDLP7 interacted specifically with glucan endo -1,3-β-glucosidase 10 (BG10). Consistently, higher levels of callose deposition and slower virus transmission in bg10 mutants were observed. The interaction between PDLP7 and BG10 was found to depend on the presence of the Gnk2-homologous 1 (GnK2-1) domain at the N terminus of PDLP7 with Asp-35, Cys-42, Gln-44, and Leu-116 being essential. In vitro supplementation of callose was able to change the conformation of the GnK2-1 domain. Our data suggest that the GnK2-1 domain of PDLP7, in conjunction with callose and BG10, plays a key role in plasmodesmata opening and closure, which is necessary for intercellular movement of various molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary aim of the article is to analyze the response of the human immune system when it encounters the hepatitis B virus. This is done using a mathematical system of differential equations. The differential equation system has six components, likely representing various aspects of the immune response or virus dynamics. A Bayesian regularization neural network has been presented in the process of training. These networks are employed to find solutions for different categories or scenarios related to hepatitis B infection. The Adams method is used to generate reference data sets. The back-propagated artificial neural network, based on Bayesian regularization, is trained and validated using the generated data. The data is divided into three sets: 90% for training and 5% each for testing and validation. The correctness and effectiveness of the proposed neural network model have been assessed using various evaluation metrics. The metrics have been used in this study are Mean Square Error (MSE), histogram errors, and regression plots. These measures provide support to the neural network to approximate the immune response to the hepatitis B virus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent advances in studies exploring the roles of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in viral transmission and replication have illuminated hepatotropic viruses, such as hepatitis A (HAV), hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV), hepatitis D (HDV), and hepatitis E (HEV). While previous investigations have uncovered these viruses' ability to exploit cellular EV pathways for replication and transmission, most have focused on the impacts of exosomal pathways. With an improved understanding of EVs, four main subtypes, including exosomes, microvesicles, large oncosomes, and apoptotic bodies, have been categorized based on size and biogenic pathways. However, there remains a noticeable gap in comprehensive reviews summarizing recent findings and outlining future perspectives for EV studies related to hepatotropic viruses. This review aims to consolidate insights into EV pathways utilized by hepatotropic viruses, offering guidance for the future research direction in this field. By comprehending the diverse range of hepatotropic virus-associated EVs and their role in cellular communication during productive viral infections, this review may offer valuable insights for targeting therapeutics and devising strategies to combat virulent hepatotropic virus infections and the associated incidence of liver cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Influenza virus infection may lead to fatal complications including multi‐organ failure and sepsis. The influenza virus was detected in various extra‐pulmonary organs in autopsy studies during the 2009 pandemic. However, limited research has been conducted on the presence of viral particle or viral components in the peripheral blood. Methods and Results: We established a mouse model for severe H1N1 influenza. The bile and blood samples were collected over time and inoculated into embryonated chicken eggs. We detected live influenza virus in bile and blood samples in early infection. Immunofluorescence showed influenza viral components in the liver tissue. No live virus was isolated in the bile in mice intragastrically administered with influenza virus, indicating that the virus was spread from the blood stream. Targeted metabolomics analysis of bile acid and liver tissues showed that a secondary bile acid (3‐dehydrocholic acid) was decreased after influenza H1N1 infection. Genes related with fatty acid metabolism and bile secretion pathways were down‐regulated in liver after influenza virus infection. Conclusion: Our study indicated that influenza virus viremia is present in severe influenza, and that the liver is a target organ for influenza viral sepsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has had profound impact, necessitating a deeper understanding of factors influencing virus transmission. The negative impacts have weakened the economy and changed billions of lives around the world. COVID-19 is a new virus, and a lot of studies have tried to investigate its effect on, for example, the economy or environment. This research reveals new approaches to recognizing and stopping the spread of this virus with its connection to weather conditions and relevant parameters. By analyzing how temperature and humidity affect COVID-19 spread, alongside evaluating the effectiveness of initial public policies, this study addresses the critical gap in research by investigating the interplay between climate conditions and government regulations during the early stages of the pandemic in South Korea. This dual approach provides a comprehensive framework for understanding how environmental and policy factors jointly influence pandemic dynamics, offering valuable lessons for future global health crises. Although it focuses only on the first phase of South Korea COVID-19 regulations, outcomes show that these regulations were notably effective against the COVID-19 pandemic. The outcomes prove that higher temperature and higher relative humidity lead to lower transmission. Hence, based on the results during winter, the number of infections would be expected to speed up again. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beet curly top virus (BCTV, curtovirus, geminiviridae) causes one of the most economically significant viral diseases in crops in the Western United States and is transmitted only by the beet leafhopper (Circulifer tenellus) in a non-propagative circulative manner. A better understanding of how this virus overcomes insect vector cellular barriers is essential to understanding virus–vector interactions. The distribution of BCTV in its beet leafhopper vector was investigated using immunofluorescence confocal laser scanning microscope analysis (iCLSM) on the whole-mount-dissected organs of leafhoppers. BCTV was localized in several lobes of the principal salivary glands, filter chamber, anterior midgut, and mid midgut, suggesting the occurrence of midgut and salivary gland barriers to BCTV transmission in its vector C. tenellus. This study also investigated the distribution of the chaperon GroEL homolog protein produced by primary endosymbiotic bacteria within the beet leafhopper, which is believed to indirectly affect viral transmission by enhancing insect immunity and resistance to viruses. GroEL was identified in leafhopper salivary glands lobes, the stylet, salivary canal, the filter chamber, and the Malpighian tubule. This is the first work to visualize the localization of a curtovirus within its beet leafhopper vector. Together, these results can help understand ssDNA virus–vector relationships, including cellular transmission barriers and other vector protein components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) is an orthonairovirus from the Bunyavirales order that is widely distributed geographically and causes severe or fatal infections in humans. The viral genome consists of three segmented negative-sense RNA molecules. The CCHFV nucleocapsid protein (CCHFV NP) is encoded by the smallest segment of the virus. CCHFV NP, the primary function of which is the encapsidation of viral RNA molecules, plays a critical role in various mechanisms important for viral replication and pathogenesis. This review is an attempt to revisit the literature available on the highly immunogenic and highly conserved CCHFV NP, summarizing the multifunctional roles of this protein in the immunology of CCHFV. Specifically, the review addresses the impact of CCHFV NP on innate, humoral, and cellular immune responses, epitopes recognized by B and T cells that limit viral spread, and its role as a target for diagnostic tests and for vaccine design. Based on the extensive information generated by many research groups, it could be stated that NP constitutes a significant and critical player in the immunology of CCHFV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has prompted a transformation in medical practice, including the adoption of telemedicine in Brazil and globally. Otorhinolaryngology, a field at high risk of viral transmission, has witnessed an increasing use of telemedicine tools. However, the extent and challenges of telemedicine in this field in Brazil are not well understood. In the present study, we applied a questionnaire to Brazilian otorhinolaryngologists during the pandemic to assess telemedicine's advantages and challenges, shedding light on its integration and persistent issues in the field. Objective To assess the usage profile of telemedicine in the clinical practice of otolaryngology in Brazil. Methods The present was a cross-sectional observational study with convenience sampling. It was conducted as a web-based questionnaire distributed and advertised to Brazilian otorhinolaryngologists through social media posts on WhatsApp (Meta Platforms, Inc., Menlo Park, CA, USA), Instagram (Meta Platforms, Inc.), Facebook (Meta Platforms, Inc.), as well as direct messaging and email. Results The sample size was 186 participants. A total of 69% of them had already provided or were currently providing telemedicine services, and 34% considered it a frequent or very frequent form of work at the time of data collection. In total, 90% of the respondents considered the lack of physical examination a problem in otolaryngological teleconsultations, while 64% reported frequently or very frequently resolving patient problems through teleconsultations. Conclusion Telemedicine emerged in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic as a promising tool for remote patient care. More studies are needed to elucidate its role in the context of limited physical examination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this study is to characterize the virus associated with faba bean (Vicia faba L.) crops in the Department of Nariño (Colombia). Faba bean is an important food source, but it faces challenges from viral diseases such as "pod mottle." This disease manifests with symptoms such as leaf chlorosis, dwarfism, and pod lesions. Viral characterization is conducted through seed transmission tests, mechanical transmission, RT-PCR, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results show that the virus morphology consists of spherical and enveloped particles that range between 80-100nm in diameter. RT-PCR and sequencing of the nucleocápside gen (558bp) reveals the virus is Orthotospovirus tomatomaculae (Tomato spotted wilt virus) with a 97% homology. Seed transmission is 2% while mechanical transmission is 40%. This is the first report of an Orthotospovirus affecting faba bean in Nariño, posing a risk to food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paramyxoviridae is one of the most well known and largest virus families, including some animal and human pathogens, such as the Hendra, Nipah, and Rinderpest viruses, with a high potential for the emergence of human diseases. Based on recent phylogenetic analyses, two new genera (Narmovirus and Jeilongvirus) have been described. The newly recognized genus Jeilongvirus has rapidly increased in number and has grown to 15 species from 7 a few years ago. However, little is known about the diversity, host range, or evolution of Jeilongvirus. As a well-known host reservoir for many pathogens, rodents have always been the focus for characterizing their pathogenic potential. In this study, we isolated a Tailam virus strain (RN-JH-YN-2022-1) belonging to the genus Jeilongvirus from Rattus norvegicus in Yunnan Province, China. The virus presented a near-complete genome (19,046 nucleotides). Similar to other members of the genus Jeilongvirus, the genome of RN-JH-YN-2022-1 contains eight basic genes (3′-N-P/V/C-M-F-SH-TM-G-L-5′) with 88.88% sequence identity to Tailam virus (TL8K). Additionally, we discuss the pattern of genus Jeilongvirus diversity and the possible route of spread of the Tailam virus, which could provide new clues into the host range, virus diversity, and geographical distribution of the genus Jeilongvirus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canine distemper virus (CDV) poses a significant threat to dogs and wildlife worldwide, and this study sought to provide an updated genetic characterization of CDV field strains in Chile during 2022–2023. We collected samples from 52 suspected CDV cases in domestic dogs and detected viral RNA through real‐time RT‐PCR in 28 dogs (54%). Factors like age and vaccination status were determinants of CDV positivity, with young adult and unvaccinated dogs facing a higher infection risk. We isolated CDV from positive samples in VeroDogSLAM cells. From these isolates and direct samples, we obtained sequences and estimated the phylogeny based on gene H. CDV isolates from nasal and conjunctival swabs exhibited cytopathic effects, and sequence analysis unveiled a substantial genetic diversity among the strains. Chilean CDV strains demonstrated a genetic distance to vaccine strains of approximately 10%, antigenic‐change‐related amino acid substitutions, and novel putative glycosylation sites. In the phylogeny, Chilean CDV field strains clustered into two lineages, Europe/South America‐1 and North/South America‐4, indicating the emergence of the North/South America‐4 lineage in Chile and underscoring the genetic complexity of CDV in the country. Interestingly, certain Chilean viruses shared a close common ancestor with Brazilian and Peruvian viruses, suggesting viral spreading patterns. Further investigations are warranted to comprehend the potential antigenic implications of these genetically diverse CDV strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Eurasian pathogenic orthohantaviruses cause hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) characterized by acute kidney injury (AKI). The virulence of orthohantaviruses varies enormously and direct infection of different renal cell types contribute to pathogenesis. Glomerular mesangial cells play an essential role in the interplay between kidney cells and proper kidney function. Therefore, we analyzed the replication competence of different orthohantavirus species in primary mesangial cells and a mesangial cell line. Methods: We tested the suitability of the mesangial cell line CIHGM-1 (conditionally immortalized human glomerular mesangial cells) as cell culture model for orthohantavirus kidney infection by comparison with primary human renal mesangial cells (HRMCs). We analyzed infection with high pathogenic Hantaan virus (HTNV), moderate pathogenic Puumala virus (PUUV) and non-/low-pathogenic Tula virus (TULV). Results: Effective viral spread was observed for PUUV only, whereas infection with HTNV and TULV was abortive. However, in contrast to TULV, HTNV exhibits an initially high infection rate and declines afterwards. This replication pattern was observed in HRMCs and CIHGM-1 cells. Viability or adhesion was neither impaired for PUUV-infected CIHGM-1 nor HRMCs. A loss of migration capacity was observed in PUUV-infected CIHGM-1 cells, but not in HRMCs. Conclusions: The identification of differences in the replication competence of pathogenic orthohantavirus strains in renal mesangial cells is of special interest and may provide useful insights in the virus-specific mechanisms of orthohantavirus induced AKI. The use of CIHGM-1 cells will facilitate the research in a relevant cell culture system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION: Telemedicine consultations became widespread during the COVID-19 pandemic to deliver healthcare while minimising viral transmission. Research around establishing the role of remote appointments in general surgery outpatient clinics after the pandemic has not been undertaken. The aim of this study was to investigate views on remote consultations to determine this. METHODS: Patients attending the adult general surgical outpatient clinic at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary between August 2021 and January 2022 as well as general surgeons from three neighbouring hospitals were invited to complete an anonymous questionnaire on the acceptability of remote and face-to-face (F2F) appointments in pre and postoperative scenarios. Differences in patients' preferences between demographic groups, and between patients' and surgeons' views were analysed. RESULTS: A total of 51 patients and 26 surgeons responded. Patients' views differed depending on demographic parameters and the scenario. Patients and surgeons had similar views on preoperative consultations. Given the choice of telephone, video or F2F appointments, the F2F option was overall most popular. Patients and surgeons differed in their views on remote consultations following surgery and acute admissions. In some scenarios, young patients, those who lived in remote regions and those in employment/education preferred remote appointments. CONCLUSIONS: While telemedicine is feasible and acceptable in general surgery clinics, there are differences in preferences between surgeons and patients. Patients' preferences varied depending on their background, home circumstances and clinical context. Service provision should ensure that when remote consultations are available, patient preference is prioritised rather than surgeon ease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced healthcare providers to create policies and regulations to reduce the spread of the virus and protect the public. But what do we do when individuals disagree with these policies, especially in the case of life-threatening pathology? This essay explores how to balance the key ethical principles and our moral obligations both to patients on an individual level and to the public on a broader scale. The discussion stems from a case of testicular cancer in a patient who denied there was a pandemic. Although each situation is different, in all scenarios, healthcare providers must remain flexible and creative to not deviate from the gold standard treatment, particularly in cases of life-threatening cancer diagnosis and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, nightclubs were identified as high-risk locations for COVID-19 outbreaks, but an outbreak investigation in this setting is challenging because of the anonymous and opportunistic nature of interactions. The joint rapid response team collected epidemiological data, conducted descriptive epidemiology to determine the characteristics of cases associated with the nightclub, and implemented countermeasures. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests were performed by the Local Institute of Public Health, Kagoshima University, and several commercial laboratories. Between June 15 and July 20, 2020, 121 individuals tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 (59 confirmed and 62 asymptomatic) of whom 8 were nightclub staff who had no travel history of outside Kagoshima, 66 were guests, and 47 were subsequent contacts. The median age was 32 years (interquartile range: 24–43 years). One individual showed severe symptoms but there were no fatal. The epidemic curve showed one peak on June 30 and July 1 with a limited number of cases subsequently. Of the 121 cases, 116 and 5 were in individuals living in and outside Kagoshima Prefecture, respectively. Haplotype network analysis showed 5 genome-wide single-nucleotide variants between the isolates before and during this outbreak. There is a possibility that unidentified guests from outside Kagoshima Prefecture could infect staff who could subsequently spread the virus to guests and other staff, who were mainly a younger population. The rapid outbreak response enabled onward transmission in the community to be minimized. This outbreak investigation could provide insights for effective responses to challenging situations in future pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the COVID-19 widespread, the disruption of the normal routine of the people global wide was predominant. The restrictions abiding the control of the spread of the pandemic were effective in controlling the spread of the virus, but it has remained instrumental in the upheavals of negative emotions amidst the people even after the pandemic period. Most significantly, these protocols have impacted the college students socially and emotionally. To sustain the sense of happiness as well as fulfilment in life, hope, forgiveness, and gratitude are the significant contributors. This study investigated the impact of hope, forgiveness, and gratitude on the college students in the post pandemic era using the Hope Scale, the Gratitude Questionnaire, and the Heartland Forgiveness Scale to collect data. Quantitative analysis was carried out using SPSS; t-tests and ANOVA tests enabled the analysis resulting in the findings that the parents and teachers should encourage pupils to develop good habits and attend specialized trainings on cultivating hope, forgiveness, and gratitude to raise their degree of optimism and wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ebola disease (EBOD) in humans is a severe disease caused by at least four related viruses in the genus Orthoebolavirus, most often by the eponymous Ebola virus. Due to human‐to‐human transmission and incomplete success in treating cases despite promising therapeutic development, EBOD is a high priority in public health research. Yet despite almost 50 years since EBOD was first described, the sources of these viruses remain undefined and much remains to be understood about the disease epidemiology and virus emergence and spread. One important approach to improve our understanding is detection of antibodies that can reveal past human infections. However, serosurveys routinely describe seroprevalences that imply infection rates much higher than those clinically observed. Proposed hypotheses to explain this difference include existence of common but less pathogenic strains or relatives of these viruses, misidentification of EBOD as something else, and a higher proportion of subclinical infections than currently appreciated. The work presented here maps B‐cell epitopes in the spike protein of Ebola virus and describes a single epitope that is cross‐reactive with an antigen seemingly unrelated to orthoebolaviruses. Antibodies against this epitope appear to explain most of the unexpected reactivity towards the spike, arguing against common but unidentified infections in the population. Importantly, antibodies of cross‐reactive donors from within and outside the known EBOD geographic range bound the same epitope. In light of this finding, it is plausible that epitope mapping enables broadly applicable specificity improvements in the field of serology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To nuance the discussion on the suggested absence of the risk-compensation phenomenon in times of COVID-19. Subject and methods: In many countries, behavioral restrictions for COVID-19 prevention started with asking people to stay 1.5 m away from each other. To further prevent the spread of the virus, governments made it mandatory for people to wear facemasks in situations where keeping the 1.5-m distance was not possible. This triggered a discussion among behavioral scientists regarding whether making face-masks mandatory might lead to the undesirable side effect that people would be less compliant with the 1.5-m distance rule: risk compensation. Mantzari et al. (2020) published a paper claiming that risk compensation was a non-existing phenomenon. Czyprionka et al. (2020) repeated the same claim, referring to the same original publications. We performed a rapid review of the existing literature and identified 19 papers that presented original data on studies that identified the consequences of wearing a facemask. Results: The evidence for risk compensation is inconclusive. Risk compensation may occur with the encouraged use of face coverings. However, it may not always be present, especially when there are other social processes in play, such as respecting other people's choices. Conclusion: Inconclusive evidence doesn't mean that risk compensation should be ignored or that potential public health interventions shouldn't be implemented. The introduction of mandatory face masks should, therefore, always be accompanied by a theory- and evidence-based health promotion campaign to prevent the possible negative effects of distancing. Carefully applying social psychological insights to guide people in their decision to wear masks when needed and to do so correctly, may overcome potential risk compensation and thereby optimize COVID-19 preventive efforts. Highlights: The evidence for risk compensation – in this case, keeping less distance while wearing a mask for COVID-19 prevention – is inconclusive. Risk compensation should not be a reason to refrain from implementing an evidence-based health promotion intervention. The implementation of health promotion interventions should always be combined with additional interventions to reduce the chance that risk compensation will lessen the intended effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]