title: International tracking of the COVID-19 invasion: an amazing example of a globalized scientific coordination effort

text: It is extraordinary to witness the spread of COVID-19 almost in real-time. This tight monitoring of the invasion of a new virus is a situation that most other invasion scientists could only dream of. Especially spatiotemporal spread data of the early phases of an invasion would be extremely useful in order to understand and predict the human-mediated spread of species around the globe. So far, invasive species that directly affect human health, such as the Sars-Cov-2 virus causing COVID-19, have been treated differently from invasive species affecting environmental health. Despite progresses in constructing large checklists of invasive species, these records often enter the databases only decades after the establishment of the organism in a country. This is inadequate to understand ongoing spread dynamics and estimate current invasion risks. Yet, national services often possess extremely useful information about early detections and interceptions of species at air and maritime ports, which could greatly improve predictions and help set management priorities. Considering the massive impacts of invasive species, it is time to move on to such a collaborative way of handling invasion data. Invasive insects, birds, mammals, fungi, and other species are the result of globalization and call for a globalized response, exactly like the COVID-19 pandemic.


title: ACE2 in Brain Physiology and Pathophysiology: Evidence from Transgenic Animal Models

text: Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is a protein consisting of two domains, the N-terminus is a carboxypeptidase homologous to ACE and the C-terminus is homologous to collectrin and responsible for the trafficking of the neutral amino acid transporter B(0)AT1 to the plasma membrane of gut epithelial cells. The carboxypeptidase domain not only metabolizes angiotensin II to angiotensin-(1–7), but also other peptide substrates, such as apelin, kinins and morphins. In addition, the collectrin domain regulates the levels of some amino acids in the blood, in particular of tryptophan. Therefore it is of no surprise that animals with genetic alterations in the expression of ACE2 develop a diverse pattern of phenotypes ranging from hypertension, metabolic and behavioural dysfunctions, to impairments in serotonin synthesis and neurogenesis. This review summarizes the phenotypes of such animals with a particular focus on the central nervous system.


title: A novel approach to the diagnosis and treatment of hemoptysis in infants: A case series

text: INTRODUCTION: Hemoptysis in children is an uncommon presenting symptom but can be life‐threatening if massive. Cardiac catheterization and coil embolization of aorto‐pulmonary collateral vessels (APCs) is uncommon in pediatric hemoptysis patients without congenital heart disease. METHODS: We present a series of seven infants (≤12 months of age) with hemoptysis, all of whom underwent cardiac catheterization to look for and intervene upon APCs, if found. Only those patients who underwent both bronchoscopy as well as cardiac catheterization from January 1995 to January 2015 were included in this retrospective review. RESULTS: Seven patients met inclusion criteria, and three had a history of recurrent hemoptysis. The mean age was 3 months. Four had evidence of bleeding on bronchoscopy. All seven had respiratory distress which necessitated ICU admission; five required mechanical ventilation. Cardiac catheterization showed significant APCs (>2 mm) in six of the seven studied patients, all of which were coil embolized. One patient had no significant APCs and therefore, no embolization. All patients had complete resolution with no recurrences during the 10‐20‐year outpatient follow‐up period. Chest CT scans were not helpful in delineating the site or etiology of bleeding in any patient. CONCLUSIONS: APCs should be considered as a differential diagnosis for pulmonary hemorrhage in infants after more common causes have been ruled out.


title: Recombinant vaccines against the mononegaviruses—What we have learned from animal disease controls

text: Abstract The mononegaviruses include a number of highly contagious and severe disease-causing viruses of both animals and humans. For the control of these viral diseases, development of vaccines, either with classical methods or with recombinant DNA virus vectors, has been attempted over the years. Recently reverse genetics of mononegaviruses has been developed and used to generate infectious viruses possessing genomes derived from cloned cDNA in order to study the consequent effects of viral gene manipulations on phenotype. This technology allows us to develop novel candidate vaccines. In particular, a variety of different attenuation strategies to produce a range of attenuated mononegavirus vaccines have been studied. In addition, because of their ideal nature as live vaccines, recombinant mononegaviruses expressing foreign proteins have also been produced with the aim of developing multivalent vaccines against more than one pathogen. These recombinant mononegaviruses are currently under evaluation as new viral vectors for vaccination. Reverse genetics could have great potential for the preparation of vaccines against many mononegaviruses.


title: A numerical method to determine the steady state distribution of passive contaminant in generic ventilation systems

text: Abstract Ventilation system with air recirculation is designed to conserve energy, yet at the same time may result in transporting hazardous substance among different rooms in the same building, which is a concern in indoor air quality control. There is a lack of effective methods to predict indoor contaminant distribution primarily because of uncertainty of the contaminant concentration in supply air which in turn due to the mixing ratio of fresh and recirculation air. In this paper, a versatile numerical method to determine the pollutant distribution of ventilation system with recirculation at steady state is proposed based on typical ventilation systems with accessibility of supply air (ASA) and accessibility of contaminant source (ACS). The relationship is established between contaminant concentrations of supply air and return air in a ventilated room or zone. The concentrations of supply air and contaminant distribution in each room can be determined using such parameters as ASA and ACS. The proposed method is validated by both experimental data and numerical simulation result. The computing speed of the proposed method is compared with the iteration method. The comparisons between the proposed method and the lumped parameter model are also conducted. The advantages of the proposed method in terms of accuracy, speed and versatility make it advantageous to be applied in air quality control of complex ventilation systems with recirculation.


title: Lymphoid chemokines in chronic neuroinflammation

text: Abstract Lymphoid chemokines play an essential role in the establishment and maintenance of lymphoid tissue microarchitecture and have been implicated in the formation of tertiary (or ectopic) lymphoid tissue in chronic inflammatory conditions. Here, we review recent advances in lymphoid chemokine research in central nervous system inflammation, focusing on multiple sclerosis and the animal model experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. We also highlight how the study of lymphoid chemokines, particularly CXCL13, has led to the identification of intrameningeal B-cell follicles in the multiple sclerosis brain paving the way to the discovery that these abnormal structures are highly enriched in Epstein–Barr virus-infected B cells and plasma cells.


title: Risk factors associated with exposure to bovine respiratory disease pathogens during the peri-weaning period in dairy bull calves

text: BACKGROUND: Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) remains among the leading causes of death of cattle internationally. The objective of this study was to identify risk factors associated with exposure to BRD pathogens during the peri-weaning period (day (d)-14 to d 14 relative to weaning at 0) in dairy bull calves using serological responses to these pathogens as surrogate markers of exposure. Clinically normal Holstein-Friesian and Jersey breed bull calves (n = 72) were group housed in 4 pens using a factorial design with calves of different breeds and planes of nutrition in each pen. Intrinsic, management and clinical data were collected during the pre-weaning (d − 56 to d − 14) period. Calves were gradually weaned over 14 days (d − 14 to d 0). Serological analysis for antibodies against key BRD pathogens (BRSV, BPI3V, BHV-1, BHV-4, BCoV, BVDV and H. somni) was undertaken at d − 14 and d 14. Linear regression models (for BVDV, BPI3V, BHV-1, BHV-4, BCoV and H. somni) and a single mixed effect random variable model (for BRSV) were used to identify risk factors for changes in antibody levels to these pathogens. RESULTS: BRSV was the only pathogen which demonstrated clustering by pen. Jersey calves experienced significantly lower changes in BVDV S/P than Holstein-Friesian calves. Animals with a high maximum respiratory score (≥8) recorded significant increases in H. somni S/P during the peri-weaning period when compared to those with respiratory scores of ≤3. Haptoglobin levels of between 1.32 and 1.60 mg/ml at d − 14 were significantly associated with decreases in BHV-1 S/N during the peri-weaning period. Higher BVDV S/P ratios at d − 14 were significantly correlated with increased changes in serological responses to BHV-4 over the peri-weaning period. CONCLUSIONS: Haptoglobin may have potential as a predictor of exposure to BHV-1. BRSV would appear to play a more significant role at the ‘group’ rather than ‘individual animal’ level. The significant associations between the pre-weaning levels of antibodies to certain BRD pathogens and changes in the levels of antibodies to the various pathogens during the peri-weaning period may reflect a cohort of possibly genetically linked ‘better responders’ among the study population.


title: An Insect Nidovirus Emerging from a Primary Tropical Rainforest

text: Tropical rainforests show the highest level of terrestrial biodiversity and may be an important contributor to microbial diversity. Exploitation of these ecosystems may foster the emergence of novel pathogens. We report the discovery of the first insect-associated nidovirus, tentatively named Cavally virus (CAVV). CAVV was found with a prevalence of 9.3% during a survey of mosquito-associated viruses along an anthropogenic disturbance gradient in Côte d’Ivoire. Analysis of habitat-specific virus diversity and ancestral state reconstruction demonstrated an origin of CAVV in a pristine rainforest with subsequent spread into agriculture and human settlements. Virus extension from the forest was associated with a decrease in virus diversity (P < 0.01) and an increase in virus prevalence (P < 0.00001). CAVV is an enveloped virus with large surface projections. The RNA genome comprises 20,108 nucleotides with seven major open reading frames (ORFs). ORF1a and -1b encode two large proteins that share essential features with phylogenetically higher representatives of the order Nidovirales, including the families Coronavirinae and Torovirinae, but also with families in a basal phylogenetic relationship, including the families Roniviridae and Arteriviridae. Genetic markers uniquely conserved in nidoviruses, such as an endoribonuclease- and helicase-associated zinc-binding domain, are conserved in CAVV. ORF2a and -2b are predicted to code for structural proteins S and N, respectively, while ORF3a and -3b encode proteins with membrane-spanning regions. CAVV produces three subgenomic mRNAs with 5′ leader sequences (of different lengths) derived from the 5′ end of the genome. This novel cluster of mosquito-associated nidoviruses is likely to represent a novel family within the order Nidovirales.


title: Identification of NCAM that interacts with the PHE-CoV spike protein

text: BACKGROUND: The spike proteins of coronaviruses associate with cellular molecules to mediate infection of their target cells. The characterization of cellular proteins required for virus infection is essential for understanding viral life cycles and may provide cellular targets for antiviral therapies. RESULTS: We identified Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule (NCAM) as a novel interacting partner of the PHE-CoV S protein. A T7 phage display cDNA library from N2a cells was constructed, and the library was screened with the soluble PHE-CoV S glycoproteins. We used a coimmunoprecipitation assay to show that only the NCAM was a binding partner of spike protein. We found that a soluble form of anti-NCAM antibody blocked association of the PHE-CoV with N2a cells. Furthermore, double-stranded siRNA targeted against NCAM inhibited PHE-CoV infection. CONCLUSIONS: A novel interaction was identified between NCAM and spike protein and this association is critical during PHE-CoV infection.


Astroviruses in bats, Madagascar


title: Design of Angiotensin‐converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2) Inhibitors by Virtual Lead Optimization and Screening

text: A group of presumed drug‐like molecules that possess high in silico affinity for angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 were computationally designed. This enzyme is a promising new target in both cardiorenal disease and some coronavirus infections. A set of substrate analogous molecules were optimized by means of the LeapFrog module of the SYBYL package. Later, Molinspiration and Molsoft were used for screening out the compounds with low oral bioavailability. Similarly, OSIRIS was used for screening out the compounds having serious side effects. At the end of several stages of screening, seven candidates to anti‐viral drugs fulfiling all the evaluated criteria were obtained. They are amenable for future studies in vitro and in vivo. These designed ligands were finally evaluated by Quantitative Structure Activity Relationship studies. 21 molecules were used to carry out the qsar models. Fom these four molecules were taken as external sets yielding models with q (2) = 0.652 and r (2) = 0.962 values.


title: Chapter 15 Understanding the Chinese-Speaking Economies

text: The term ‘Greater China’ is defined in this chapter as one which includes Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, and mainland China. There have been different names for the greater China area, such as ‘the Chinese circle’, ‘the Chinese community’, ‘the greater China community’, ‘China economic circle’, ‘Chinese economic area’, ‘China economic zone’, and so on. Probably first used by George Cressey at least as far back as the 1930s, the term ‘Greater China’ was to refer to the entire Chinese empire, as opposed to China proper (Harding, 1993, p. 660). The term ‘Greater China’ is now generally used for referring to the cultural and economic ties between the relevant territories, and is not intended to imply sovereignty. Sometimes, to avoid any political connotation, the term Chinese-speaking world is often used instead of the Greater China. Despite the common historical, cultural, and linguistic homogeneity, the greater China economic area has followed different routes of economic developments. Hong Kong and Macau have been under the colonial administrations of the UK and of Portugal, respectively. Taiwan was a Japanese colony between 1895 and 1945 and, following a short period of reunification with mainland China, has been operating independently from the rest of the world. As a result, significant social and economic differences have been present in the four parts of the area, especially since 1949. The Taiwan Strait became a forbidden boundary in 1949 when the Nationalist-led government fled to Taiwan and, at the same time, the Communist-led government was founded on the mainland. Since then, Taiwan and mainland China have been two divergent regimes. Against the common cultural and linguistic homogeneity, mainland China chose essentially to pursue a socialist line, while Taiwan followed the route of market-oriented capitalism. Furthermore, the two sides have also treated each other antagonistically, particularly during the high tide of military confrontation, when the mainland claimed that it would liberate the Taiwan compatriots from the black society sooner or later, while in turn Taiwan maintained that they would use the ‘three democratisms’ to reoccupy the mainland eventually. The Chinese people have a long history of migrating overseas. One of the migrations dates back to the Ming dynasty when Zheng He (1371–1435) became the envoy of the Ming emperor. He sent people – many of them Cantonese and Hokkien – to explore and trade in the South China Sea and in the Indian Ocean. Different waves of immigration led to subgroups among overseas Chinese such as the new and old immigrants in Southeast Asia, North America, Oceania, the Caribbean, Latin America, South Africa, and Russia. From the mid-nineteenth century onward, emigration has been directed primarily to Western countries (such as Australia, Brazil, Canada, New Zealand, the United States, and Western Europe). Many of these emigrants were themselves overseas Chinese or were from Taiwan or Hong Kong, particularly from the 1950s to the 1970s, a period during which the PRC placed severe restrictions on the movement of its citizens. In 1984, Britain agreed to transfer the sovereignty of Hong Kong to the PRC; this triggered another wave of migration to the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, USA, Latin America, and the other parts of the world. The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 further accelerated the migration. The wave calmed after Hong Kong’s transfer of sovereignty in 1997. In addition, many citizens of Hong Kong hold citizenships or have current visas in other countries so if the need arises, they can leave Hong Kong at short notice. Keywords Greater China, Chinese-speaking world, economic area, emigration, the Taiwan Strait, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, multiregional economic comparison, cross-Strait economic relations, overseas Chinese


title: Emerging Diseases: A Global and Biological Perspective

text: The ‘Livestock Revolution’ and globalization with enormous increases in free trade of animals and food products are not a choice but a reality (Thiermann, J. Vet. Med. Educ., 28, 2001, 56). Conditions of modern life, some of them related to or being the result of globalization, ensure that factors responsible for disease emergence are more prevalent than ever. Categorization of the factors is somewhat arbitrary but are representative of the underlying processes that cause emergence. Major responsible factors include ecological changes, such as changes due to agriculture or economic development or to anomalies in climates, human demographical changes and behaviour, travel and commerce, technology and industry, microbial adaptation and change, and the breakdown of public health measures (Morse, Emerg. Infect. Dis., 1, 1995, 7). Furtheron, concerning pathogens, their most striking feature emerging and re‐emerging is their diversity, ranging from viruses and prions, over bacteria and rickettsia, fungi, protozoa to helminths. As presently the epidemiological perspective does not permit reliable prediction and prevention of most damaging new pathogens, and as the evolutionary perspective only provides rough theoretical estimates for selective processes in pathogen populations, surveillance and monitoring remain the most important methods to recognize early that ‘something has happened’. In light of the complexity and diversity of likely new emerging diseases, such surveillance may be more broadly targeted and aimed more realistically at early recognition of disease syndromes rather than at identifying microbial diseases. The complex and rapid‐paced development of international trade, coupled with increasing societal demands for not only abundant and inexpensive food as well as for protection from diseases originating from animals, demands immediate attention from the veterinary community. The inter‐relationship at the minimum between animal production, animal diseases and human diseases demands that we consider our concepts, methods and structures. There exists a huge growth area for the veterinary profession; substantial need exists for trained individuals who understand the science of foreign diseases, who can facilitate emergency management operations against diseases (Brown, J. Vet. Med. Educ., 30, 2003, 112) and who can contribute to adjust and strategically develop animal production systems further.


title: Bats as a continuing source of emerging infections in humans

text: Amongst the 60 viral species reported to be associated with bats, 59 are RNA viruses, which are potentially important in the generation of emerging and re‐emerging infections in humans. The prime examples of these are the lyssaviruses and Henipavirus. The transmission of Nipah, Hendra and perhaps SARS coronavirus and Ebola virus to humans may involve intermediate amplification hosts such as pigs, horses, civets and primates, respectively. Understanding of the natural reservoir or introductory host, the amplifying host, the epidemic centre and at‐risk human populations are crucial in the control of emerging zoonosis. The association between the bat coronaviruses and certain lyssaviruses with particular bat species implies co‐evolution between specific viruses and bat hosts. Cross‐infection between the huge number of bat species may generate new viruses which are able to jump the trans‐mammalian species barrier more efficiently. The currently known viruses that have been found in bats are reviewed and the risks of transmission to humans are highlighted. Certain families of bats including the Pteropodidae, Molossidae, Phyllostomidae, and Vespertilionidae are most frequently associated with known human pathogens. A systematic survey of bats is warranted to better understand the ecology of these viruses. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


title: Postmortem diagnosis of cytomegalovirus and accompanying other infection agents by real-time PCR in cases of sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI)

text: Abstract As an opportunistic pathogen with high mortality rates, Cytomegalovirus (CMV) may lead to fatal disseminated CMV infection of the premature and newborn; thus necessitating the demonstration of CMV-DNA with clinical history and/or histopathological findings of CMV infection and defining other bacterial and viral infection agents with real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in udden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI) cases as we aimed in this study. 314 (144 female, 170 male) SUDI cases were prospectively investigated from January 2013 to January 2015 in Istanbul Forensic Medicine Institution. The study includes 87 tissue samples of 39 cases for post-mortem histopathological examination of interstitial pneumonia, myocarditis, meningitis, encephalitis, hepatitis, colitis or tubulointerstitial nephritis and/or accompanying chronic sialadenitis. CMV-DNA was found positive in 35 (40.2%) salivary gland, 19 (21.8%) lung, 1 (1.1%) tonsil, and 1 (1.1%) brain tissues. CMV sialadenitis and/or CMV pneumonia associated with other viral and/or bacterial agents were detected in 23 (60%) of 39 infant cases. The demonstration of CMV-DNA would significantly clarify the cause of death and collection of epidemiological data in SUDI cases with clinical history and histopathological findings of CMV infection accompanying chronic CMV sialadenitis. Furthermore, CMV suppresses the immune system, and may predispose to other bacterial and/or viral infections in these cases. Post-mortem molecular investigations are useful in explaining cause of death in SUDI with a suspicion of infection in forensic autopsies.


title: Modeling of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Proteins by Machine Learning and Physics-Based Refinement

text: Protein structures are crucial for understanding their biological activities. Since the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), there is an urgent need to understand the biological behavior of the virus and provide a basis for developing effective therapies. Since the proteome of the virus was determined, some of the protein structures could be determined experimentally, and others were predicted via template-based modeling approaches. However, tertiary structures for several proteins are still not available from experiment nor they could be accurately predicted by template-based modeling because of lack of close homolog structures. Previous efforts to predict structures for these proteins include efforts by DeepMind and the Zhang group via machine learning-based structure prediction methods, i.e. AlphaFold and C-I-TASSER. However, the predicted models vary greatly and have not yet been subjected to refinement. Here, we are reporting new predictions from our in-house structure prediction pipeline. The pipeline takes advantage of inter-residue contact predictions from trRosetta, a machine learning-based method. The predicted models were further improved by applying molecular dynamics simulation-based refinement. We also took the AlphaFold models and refined them by applying the same refinement method. Models based on our structure prediction pipeline and the refined AlphaFold models were analyzed and compared with the C-I-TASSER models. All of our models are available at https://github.com/feiglab/sars-cov-2-proteins.


title: COVID-19 und die Geschichte der sozialwissenschaftlichen Katastrophenforschung

text: This paper is part of Forum COVID-19: Perspectives in the Humanities and Social Sciences. The article connects and juxtaposes current day (social scientific) discussions on the social effects of the COVID-crisis with the history of social science disaster research during the Cold War. It elaborates on statements regarding the role of social inequalities in disaster, the idea of the “revealing” nature of disaster and crisis, and the relationship between disaster science, public and politics.


title: Ambulatory care visits and quality of care: does the volume-control policy matter?

text: Abstract Using claims data from the Bureau of National Health Insurance (BNHI) in Taiwan and primary data collected from 940 patients who visited their physicians at out-patient clinics to complete questionnaire, we investigated the effects of the hospital volume control policy on the frequency of visits, medical expenses and patient satisfaction. We found that the volume control policy on ambulatory care decreased physician fees and increased both the number of visits and co-payments. However, it did not result in any change in the total medical expenses. A shift in ambulatory care expenditure from BNHI to patients did not improve patient satisfaction. While the patients were comfortable with the waiting line, they were not satisfied with the providers’ strategy of limiting quota of visits during a period of time.


title: Detection and characterisation of canine astrovirus, canine parvovirus and canine papillomavirus in puppies using next generation sequencing

text: Gastroenteritis in young animals is a clinical presentation with many infectious and non- infectious aetiologies. We used next generation sequencing (NGS) to investigate the possible infectious causes of gastroenteritis in puppies from a dog kennel in Victoria, Australia. The near complete genome of a canine astrovirus was obtained from pooled faecal samples, and was found to be 94.7% identical with a canine astrovirus detected in the United Kingdom in 2012. The phylogenetic analysis of the capsid gene found similarities to those of canine astroviruses identified in Italy in 2005 and in UK and Hungary in 2012, but distant from that of a canine astrovirus previously identified in Australia in 2012. Thus, different serotypes of canine astrovirus are likely circulating in Australia. The close relationship to European astroviruses also suggested that there had been recent movements of ancestor canine astroviruses between Australia and Europe. NGS also detected other infections in the puppies including several canine papillomaviruses and a canine parvovirus (vaccine strain) as well as a very low level of campylobacter. Canine astrovirus was the probable cause of diarrhoea in these puppies, with the possible involvement of campylobacter bacteria. NGS was effective as a non-targeted method to determine the likely infectious cause of gastroenteritis.


title: Host response to bovine viral diarrhea virus and interactions with infectious agents in the feedlot and breeding herd

text: Abstract Bovine viral diarrhea viruses (BVDV) have significant impact on beef and dairy production worldwide. The infections are widespread in the cattle populations, and in many production systems, vaccinations are utilized. BVDV strains have the hallmark of adversely affecting the immune system's many components, both the innate and acquired systems. While BVDV do cause primary infections and disease, their role in the pathogenesis of other agents underscores the complexity of viral–bacterial synergy. A greater understanding of the role of the persistently infected (PI) animal resulting from susceptible females infected at a critical stage of pregnancy has permitted acknowledgment of a major source of infection to susceptible animals. Not only do we understand the role of the PI in transmitting infections and complicating other infections, but we now focus attempts to better diagnose and remove the PI animal. Vaccinations now address the need to have an immune population, especially the breeding females in the herd. Biosecurity, detection and removal of the PI, and effective vaccinations are tools for potential successful BVDV control.


title: Causes of hypogeusia/hyposmia in SARS‐CoV2 infected patients

text: It is well appreciated that SARS‐CoV2 does not exclusively affect the lungs.(1,2) Virus‐RNA can be detected in most of the body compartments, including the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).(3) Neurological manifestations have been recently investigated in a retrospective study of 214 SARS‐CoV2‐infected patients.(1) This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.


title: Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on adherence to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) by obstructive sleep apnoea patients

text: The psychological effects of the COVID-19 lockdown and fear of aerosolization made us think that adherence to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment might be reduced and consequently the morbidity and mortality of vulnerable obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) patients increased.


title: Roles of sunlight and natural ventilation for controlling infection: historical and current perspectives

text: Summary Background Infections caught in buildings are a major global cause of sickness and mortality. Understanding how infections spread is pivotal to public health yet current knowledge of indoor transmission remains poor. Aim To review the roles of natural ventilation and sunlight for controlling infection within healthcare environments. Methods Comprehensive literature search was performed, using electronic and library databases to retrieve English language papers combining infection; risk; pathogen; and mention of ventilation; fresh air; and sunlight. Foreign language articles with English translation were included, with no limit imposed on publication date. Findings In the past, hospitals were designed with south-facing glazing, cross-ventilation and high ceilings because fresh air and sunlight were thought to reduce infection risk. Historical and recent studies suggest that natural ventilation offers protection from transmission of airborne pathogens. Particle size, dispersal characteristics and transmission risk require more work to justify infection control practices concerning airborne pathogens. Sunlight boosts resistance to infection, with older studies suggesting potential roles for surface decontamination. Conclusions Current knowledge of indoor transmission of pathogens is inadequate, partly due to lack of agreed definitions for particle types and mechanisms of spread. There is recent evidence to support historical data on the effects of natural ventilation but virtually none for sunlight. Modern practice of designing healthcare buildings for comfort favours pathogen persistence. As the number of effective antimicrobial agents declines, further work is required to clarify absolute risks from airborne pathogens along with any potential benefits from additional fresh air and sunlight.


title: Keep mental health in mind

text: A surge in mental-health problems related to the COVID-19 pandemic is on the horizon. The time to prepare and prevent another health-crisis wave is now.


title: Foodborne viruses: Detection, risk assessment, and control options in food processing

text: Abstract In a recent report by risk assessment experts on the identification of food safety priorities using the Delphi technique, foodborne viruses were recognized among the top rated food safety priorities and have become a greater concern to the food industry over the past few years. Food safety experts agreed that control measures for viruses throughout the food chain are required. However, much still needs to be understood with regard to the effectiveness of these controls and how to properly validate their performance, whether it is personal hygiene of food handlers or the effects of processing of at risk foods or the interpretation and action required on positive virus test result. This manuscript provides a description of foodborne viruses and their characteristics, their responses to stress and technologies developed for viral detection and control. In addition, the gaps in knowledge and understanding, and future perspectives on the application of viral detection and control strategies for the food industry, along with suggestions on how the food industry could implement effective control strategies for viruses in foods. The current state of the science on epidemiology, public health burden, risk assessment and management options for viruses in food processing environments will be highlighted in this review.


title: A Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome extranet: supporting local communication and information dissemination

text: BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to explore the use and perceptions of a local Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) Extranet and its potential to support future information and communication applications. The SARS Extranet was a single, managed electronic and limited access system to manage local, provincial and other SARS control information. METHODS: During July, 2003, a web-based and paper-based survey was conducted with 53 SARS Steering Committee members in Hamilton. It assessed the use and perceptions of the Extranet that had been built to support the committee during the SARS outbreak. Before distribution, the survey was user-tested based on a think-aloud protocol, and revisions were made. Quantitative and qualitative questions were asked related to frequency of use of the Extranet, perceived overall usefulness of the resource, rationale for use, potential barriers, strengths and limitations, and potential future uses of the Extranet. RESULTS: The response rate was 69.4% (n = 34). Of all respondents, 30 (88.2%) reported that they had visited the site, and rated it highly overall (mean = 4.0; 1 = low to 5 = high). However, the site was rated 3.4 compared with other communications strategies used during the outbreak. Almost half of all respondents (44.1%) visited the site at least once every few days. The two most common reasons the 30 respondents visited the Extranet were to access SARS Steering Committee minutes (63.3%) and to access Hamilton medical advisories (53.3%). The most commonly cited potential future uses for the Extranet were the sending of private emails to public health experts (63.3%), and surveillance (63.3%). No one encountered personal barriers in his or her use of the site, but several mentioned that time and duplication of email information were challenges. CONCLUSION: Despite higher rankings of various communication strategies during the SARS outbreak, such as email, meetings, teleconferences, and other web sites, users generally perceived a local Extranet as a useful support for the dissemination of local information during public health emergencies.


title: How Do Customers Alter Their Basket Composition When They Perceive the Retail Store to Be Crowded? An Empirical Study

text: Abstract Using data from a large-scale field study, we show that (perceptions of) crowding change(s) the composition of a consumer's shopping basket. Specifically, as shoppers experience more crowding, their shopping basket contains (a) relatively more affect-rich (“hedonic”) products, and (b) relatively more national brands. We offer a plausible dual-process explanation for this phenomenon: Crowding induced distraction limits cognitive capacity, increasing the relative impact of affective responses in purchase decisions. As we are the first to show that level of crowding relates to what shoppers buy (at both product and brand level), the implications of these effects for retailers are discussed.


La experiencia de pasar de médicos a enfermos afectados por COVID19


title: Epidemiological and clinical features of asymptomatic patients with SARS‐CoV‐2 infection

text: Few studies reported the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) infected patients with completely asymptomatic throughout the disease course. We investigated the epidemiological and clinical features of patients infected by SARS‐CoV‐2 without any symptoms. Patients with confirmed SARS‐CoV‐2 infection were retrospectively recruited. The demographic characteristics, clinical data, treatment, and outcomes of SARS‐CoV‐2 infected patients without any symptoms were analyzed. Fifteen (4.4%) of 342 SARS‐CoV‐2 infected patients did not develop any symptom during the course of the disease. The median time from exposure to diagnosis was 7.0 days (interquartile range [IQR]: 1.0‐15.0 days). Of the 15 patients, 14 patients were diagnosed by tested positive for SARS‐CoV‐2 in throat swabs, while one patient was only tested positive for SARS‐CoV‐2 in anal swabs. During hospitalization, only 1 (6.7%) patient developed lymphopenia. Abnormalities of chest computed tomography examinations were detected in 8 (53.4%) patients on admission. As of 8 March 2020, all patients have been discharged. The median time of SARS‐CoV‐2 tested negative from admission was 7.0 days (IQR: 4.0‐9.0 days). Patients without any symptoms but with SARS‐CoV‐2 exposure should be closely monitored and tested for SARS‐CoV‐2 both in anal and throat swabs to excluded the infection. Asymptomatic patients infected by SARS‐CoV‐2 have favorable outcomes.


title: Ferret badger rabies origin and its revisited importance as potential source of rabies transmission in Southeast China

text: BACKGROUND: The frequent occurrence of ferret badger-associated human rabies cases in southeast China highlights the lack of laboratory-based surveillance and urges revisiting the potential importance of this animal in rabies transmission. To determine if the ferret badgers actually contribute to human and dog rabies cases, and the possible origin of the ferret badger-associated rabies in the region, an active rabies survey was conducted to determine the frequency of rabies infection and seroprevalence in dogs and ferret badgers. METHODS: A retrospective survey on rabies epidemics was performed in Zhejiang, Jiangxi and Anhui provinces in southeast China. The brain tissues from ferret badgers and dogs were assayed by fluorescent antibody test. Rabies virus was isolated and sequenced for phylogenetic analysis. The sera from ferret badgers and dogs were titrated using rabies virus neutralizing antibodies (VNA) test. RESULTS: The ferret badgers presented a higher percentage of rabies seroconversion than dogs did in the endemic region, reaching a maximum of 95% in the collected samples. Nine ferret badger-associated rabies viruses were isolated, sequenced, and were phylogenetically clustered as a separate group. Nucleotide sequence revealed 99.4-99.8% homology within the ferret badger isolates, and 83-89% homology to the dog isolates in the nucleoprotein and glycoprotein genes in the same rabies endemic regions. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest ferret badger-associated rabies has likely formed as an independent enzootic originating from dogs during the long-term rabies infestation in southeast China. The eventual role of FB rabies in public health remains unclear. However, management of ferret badger bites, rabies awareness and control in the related regions should be an immediate need.


title: Cardiovascular manifestations in severe and critical patients with COVID‐19

text: BACKGROUND: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) could cause virulent infection leading to Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID‐19)‐related pneumonia as well as multiple organ injuries. HYPOTHESIS: COVID‐19 infection may result in cardiovascular manifestations leading to worse clinical outcome. METHODS: Fifty four severe and critical patients with confirmed COVID‐19 were enrolled. Risk factors predicting the severity of COVID‐19 were analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 54 patients (56.1 ± 13.5 years old, 66.7% male) with COVID‐19, 39 were diagnosed as severe and 15 as critical cases. The occurrence of diabetes, the level of D‐dimer, inflammatory and cardiac markers in critical cases were significantly higher. Troponin I (TnI) elevation occurred in 42.6% of all the severe and critical patients. Three patients experienced hypotension at admission and were all diagnosed as critical cases consequently. Hypotension was found in one severe case and seven critical cases during hospitalization. Sinus tachycardia is the most common type of arrythmia and was observed in 23 severe patients and all the critical patients. Atrioventricular block and ventricular tachycardia were observed in critical patients at end stage while bradycardia and atrial fibrillation were less common. Mild pericardial effusion was observed in one severe case and five critical cases. Three critical cases suffered new onset of heart failure. Hypotension during treatment, severe myocardial injury and pericardial effusion were independent risk factors predicting the critical status of COVID‐19 infection. CONCLUSION: This study has systemically observed the impact of COVID‐19 on cardiovascular system, including myocardial injury, blood pressure, arrythmia and cardiac function in severe and critical cases. Monitoring of vital signs and cardiac function of COVID‐19 patients and applying potential interventions especially for those with hypotension during treatment, severe myocardial injury or pericardial effusion, is of vital importance.


title: Current status and future direction of cryopreservation of camelid embryos

text: Over the past 3 decades, and similar to the horse industry, fresh embryo transfer has been widely practiced on large commercial scales in different camelid species, especially the dromedary camel and alpaca. However, the inability to cryopreserve embryos significantly reduces its broader application, and as such limits the capacity to utilize elite genetic resources internationally. In addition, cryopreservation of the semen of camelids is also difficult, suggesting an extreme sensitivity of the germplasm to cooling and freezing. As a result, genetic resources of camelids must continue to be maintained as living collections of animals. Due to concerns over disease outbreaks such as that of the highly pathogenic Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in the Middle East and Asia, there is an urgent need to establish an effective gene banking system for camelid species, especially the camel. The current review compares and summarizes recent progress in the field of camelid embryo cryopreservation, identifying four possible reasons for the slow development of an effective protocol and describing eight future directions to improve the current protocols. At the same time, the results of a recent dromedary camel embryo transfer study which produced a high morphologic integrity and survival rate of Open Pulled Straw-vitrified embryos are also discussed.


title: More and More Coronaviruses: Human Coronavirus HKU1

text: After human coronaviruses OC43, 229E and NL63, human coronavirus HKU1 (HCoV-HKU1) is the fourth human coronavirus discovered. HCoV-HKU1 is a group 2a coronavirus that is still not cultivable. The G + C contents of HCoV-HKU1 genomes are 32%, the lowest among all known coronaviruses with complete genome sequences available. Among all coronaviruses, HCoV-HKU1 shows the most extreme codon usage bias, attributed most importantly to severe cytosine deamination. All HCoV-HKU1 genomes contain unique tandem copies of a 30-base acidic tandem repeat of unknown function at the N-terminus of nsp3 inside the acidic domain upstream of papain-like protease 1. Three genotypes, A, B and C, of HCoV-HKU1 and homologous recombination among their genomes, are observed. The incidence of HCoV-HKU1 infections is the highest in winter. Similar to other human coronaviruses, HCoV-HKU1 infections have been reported globally, with a median (range) incidence of 0.9 (0 – 4.4) %. HCoV-HKU1 is associated with both upper and lower respiratory tract infections that are mostly self-limiting. The most common method for diagnosing HCoV-HKU1 infection is RT-PCR or real-time RT-PCR using RNA extracted from respiratory tract samples such as nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPA). Both the pol and nucleocapsid genes have been used as the targets for amplification. Monoclonal antibodies have been generated for direct antigen detection in NPA. For antibody detection, Escherichia coli BL21 and baculovirus-expressed recombinant nucleocapsid of HCoV-HKU1 have been used for IgG and IgM detection in sera of patients and normal individuals, using Western blot and enzyme-linked immunoassay.


title: TMV mutants with poly(A) tracts of different lengths demonstrate structural variations in 3′UTR affecting viral RNAs accumulation and symptom expression

text: The upstream pseudoknots domain (UPD) of Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) is located at the 3′-untranslated region (UTR). It plays an important role in virus replication and translation. To determine the importance of UPD and 3′-UTR, and the effects of introduced RNA elements in TMV 3′-UTR, a series of TMV mutants with internal poly(A) tract upstream of UPD was constructed for structural analysis by selective 2′-hydroxyl acylation analyzed by primer extension (SHAPE). TMV(24A+UPD) and TMV(42A+UPD) formed a similar structure as that of TMV 3′-UTR, but TMV(62A+UPD) structures altered by the introduced poly(A) tract. In addition, TMV(24A+UPD) had a higher viral RNAs accumulation than TMV in N. benthamiana protoplasts, and induced lethal symptoms in the infected plants. TMV(62A+UPD) showed a drastically reduced accumulation, its coat protein was undetectable in protoplasts, and the inoculated plants remained symptomless. This study analyzed the structures of 3′-UTR of TMV and found that the longer poly(A) tract introduced upstream of UPD reduced viral RNAs accumulation and induced milder symptoms in N. benthamiana. In conclusion, different lengths of the internal poly(A) tract introduced into the TMV 3′UTR lead to structural variations that affect virus accumulation and symptom expression.


title: Short peptides derived from the interaction domain of SARS coronavirus nonstructural protein nsp10 can suppress the 2′-O-methyltransferase activity of nsp10/nsp16 complex

text: Abstract Coronaviruses are the etiological agents of respiratory and enteric diseases in humans and livestock, exemplified by the life-threatening severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) caused by SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV). However, effective means for combating coronaviruses are still lacking. The interaction between nonstructural protein (nsp) 10 and nsp16 has been demonstrated and the crystal structure of SARS-CoV nsp16/10 complex has been revealed. As nsp10 acts as an essential trigger to activate the 2′-O-methyltransferase activity of nsp16, short peptides derived from nsp10 may have inhibitory effect on viral 2′-O-methyltransferase activity. In this study, we revealed that the domain of aa 65–107 of nsp10 was sufficient for its interaction with nsp16 and the region of aa 42–120 in nsp10, which is larger than the interaction domain, was needed for stimulating the nsp16 2′-O-methyltransferase activity. We further showed that two short peptides derived from the interaction domain of nsp10 could inhibit the 2′-O-methyltransferase activity of SARS-CoV nsp16/10 complex, thus providing a novel strategy and proof-of-principle study for developing peptide inhibitors against SARS-CoV.


title: Molecular epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in Faisalabad, Pakistan: A real-world clinical experience

text: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or COVID-2019 is a new global health challenge which causes severe respiratory complications. As of May 17th, 2020, SARS-CoV-2 has infected 4.6 million people and caused 310,000 deaths, worldwide. In order to study potential impact of infection, complete epidemiological information should be reported on regular basis however, data from Pakistan has not yet been published. This retrospective study is the first report of epidemiological trends of COVID-19 in Faisalabad, Pakistan. On April 4th, 2020, 128 nasopharyngeal swabs collected from city Faisalabad were transported to Postgraduate Research Institute, Lahore for further processing. RNA was extracted using QIAsymphony DSP Virus/Pathogen Midi Kit and real-time PCR was performed to quantify COVID-19. Our finding showed that overall prevalence of COVID-19 in Faisalabad on April 4th was 17.18% (22 of 128). Prevalence was higher in males (n = 17; 77.2%) as compared to females (n = 5; 22.8%) but this gender-wise difference was not statistically significant. Patients belonging to age group 37–47 years were found to be most (45.5%) infected with COVID-19.


title: Full-Genome Analysis of a Canine Pneumovirus Causing Acute Respiratory Disease in Dogs, Italy

text: An outbreak of canine infectious respiratory disease (CIRD) associated to canine pneumovirus (CnPnV) infection is reported. The outbreak occurred in a shelter of the Apulia region and involved 37 out of 350 dogs that displayed cough and/or nasal discharge with no evidence of fever. The full-genomic characterisation showed that the causative agent (strain Bari/100-12) was closely related to CnPnVs that have been recently isolated in the USA, as well as to murine pneumovirus, which is responsible for respiratory disease in mice. The present study represents a useful contribution to the knowledge of the pathogenic potential of CnPnV and its association with CIRD in dogs. Further studies will elucidate the pathogenicity and epidemiology of this novel pneumovirus, thus addressing the eventual need for specific vaccines.


title: Tracheostomy during SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemic: Recommendations from the New York Head and Neck Society

text: The rapid spread of SARS‐CoV‐2 in 2019 and 2020 has resulted in a worldwide pandemic characterized by severe pulmonary inflammation, effusions, and rapid respiratory compromise. The result of this pandemic is a large and increasing number of patients requiring endotracheal intubation and prolonged ventilator support. The rapid rise in endotracheal intubations coupled with prolonged ventilation requirements will certainly lead to an increase in tracheostomy procedures in the coming weeks and months. Performing tracheostomy in the setting of active SARS‐CoV‐2, when necessary, poses a unique situation, with unique risks and benefits for both the patient and the health care providers. The New York Head and Neck Society has collaborated on this document to provide guidance on the performance of tracheostomies during the SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemic.


title: SARS-CoV-2 Viral load Assessment in Respiratory Samples

text: Real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (rRTPCR) has been the main method for diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. De-identified results from upper and lower respiratory samples submitted to a reference laboratory demonstrated a positivity rate of 14.9% (4,428 of 29,713 samples tested). Distribution of results by birth year cohort and specimen type suggested general consistency in mean, median and peak values but higher positivity rates in individuals born from 1964 to 1974. Female patients had a significantly lower positivity rate (P < 0.0001), although similar load mean and median values, compared to males. Overall, 15.3% (676 of 4,428 positive results) of positive results had viral loads greater than 8 log10 copies/mL, with occasional samples exceeding 10 log10 copies/mL. These results support quantitative assessment of SARS-CoV-2 viral load in patient testing and efforts to control viral transmission


Rapid detection of COVID-19 coronavirus using a reverse transcriptional loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) diagnostic platform


title: Initial evidence on the relationship between the coronavirus pandemic and crime in the United States

text: The COVID-19 pandemic led to substantial changes in the daily activities of millions of Americans, with many businesses and schools closed, public events cancelled and states introducing stay-at-home orders. This article used police-recorded open crime data to understand how the frequency of common types of crime changed in 16 large cities across the United States in the early months of 2020. Seasonal auto-regressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) models of crime in previous years were used to forecast the expected frequency of crime in 2020 in the absence of the pandemic. The forecasts from these models were then compared to the actual frequency of crime during the early months of the pandemic. There were no significant changes in the frequency of serious assaults in public or (contrary to the concerns of policy makers) any change to the frequency of serious assaults in residences. In some cities, there were reductions in residential burglary but little change in non-residential burglary. Thefts of motor vehicles decreased in some cities while there were diverging patterns of thefts from motor vehicles. These results are used to make suggestions for future research into the relationships between the coronavirus pandemic and different crimes.


Reply to Comment on “Should anti-diabetic medications be reconsidered amid COVID-19 pandemic?”


title: Transcriptome Analysis of Houttuynia cordata Thunb. by Illumina Paired-End RNA Sequencing and SSR Marker Discovery

text: BACKGROUND: Houttuynia cordata Thunb. is an important traditional medical herb in China and other Asian countries, with high medicinal and economic value. However, a lack of available genomic information has become a limitation for research on this species. Thus, we carried out high-throughput transcriptomic sequencing of H. cordata to generate an enormous transcriptome sequence dataset for gene discovery and molecular marker development. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Illumina paired-end sequencing technology produced over 56 million sequencing reads from H. cordata mRNA. Subsequent de novo assembly yielded 63,954 unigenes, 39,982 (62.52%) and 26,122 (40.84%) of which had significant similarity to proteins in the NCBI nonredundant protein and Swiss-Prot databases (E-value <10(−5)), respectively. Of these annotated unigenes, 30,131 and 15,363 unigenes were assigned to gene ontology categories and clusters of orthologous groups, respectively. In addition, 24,434 (38.21%) unigenes were mapped onto 128 pathways using the KEGG pathway database and 17,964 (44.93%) unigenes showed homology to Vitis vinifera (Vitaceae) genes in BLASTx analysis. Furthermore, 4,800 cDNA SSRs were identified as potential molecular markers. Fifty primer pairs were randomly selected to detect polymorphism among 30 samples of H. cordata; 43 (86%) produced fragments of expected size, suggesting that the unigenes were suitable for specific primer design and of high quality, and the SSR marker could be widely used in marker-assisted selection and molecular breeding of H. cordata in the future. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first application of Illumina paired-end sequencing technology to investigate the whole transcriptome of H. cordata and to assemble RNA-seq reads without a reference genome. These data should help researchers investigating the evolution and biological processes of this species. The SSR markers developed can be used for construction of high-resolution genetic linkage maps and for gene-based association analyses in H. cordata. This work will enable future functional genomic research and research into the distinctive active constituents of this genus.


title: Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 136 cases of COVID-19 in main district of Chongqing

text: Background We did a comprehensive exploration of the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 136 patients with confirmed COVID-19 in main district of Chongqing which was adjacent to the west of Hubei province. Methods This study was conducted on 136 patients with COVID-19 in main district of Chongqing from Jan 25 to Feb 20, 2020. Data of patients included demographic, epidemiological, clinical features, chest radiographs of imported cases, local cases, second-generation cases and third-generation cases. Student's t-test was adopted for quantitative variables while Pearson Chi-squared test or Fisher's exact test for categorical variables. Results The median age was 47 years and common symptoms of illness were cough (50.7%), fever (47.1%) and fatigue (14.0%). The time from contact symptomatic case to illness was 7.7 days, and 88 patients (64.7%) were cluster cases, radiological evidence found bilateral lung involvement was common (57.4%).Compared with the imported cases, the local cases were significantly older, the proportion of men is lower. There was higher proportion of cluster cases in local cases. Unlike imported cases, which fever was the dominant symptom, the local cases have more cough patients, with a significant higher proportion of asymptomatic patients. The third-generation cases have a significant higher proportion of asymptomatic patients. Conclusions We concluded the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of the cases andsuggested to take more comprehensive measures for screening patients, especially for elderly person, avoid family gatherings, and implement more closely surveillance of suspect patients and their close contacts.


title: Coronavirus infects and causes demyelination in primate central nervous system

text: Abstract Two species of primates, Owl and African green monkeys, were inoculated intracerebrally with either the neurotropic mouse hepatitis virus JHM or the putative multiple sclerosis brain coronavirus isolate SD. These viruses caused an acute to subacute panencephalitis and/or demyelination in the infected animals. The course of pathogenesis and sites of detected viral RNA and antigen was dependent both on animal species and virus strain but the results clearly showed that these viruses replicated and disseminated in the central nervous system (CNS) of these primates. This study suggests that human CNS may be susceptible to coronavirus infection.


title: COVID‐19 and rationally layered social distancing

text: I would like to thank Dr. Thomson for the very pertinent and relevant points that he raised in his thoughtful letter Where are we now with COVID-19? [1]. As my response will illustrate, and in what probably will become a defining feature of conversations surrounding COVID-19 for quite some time, attempts to answer will only make room for more questions. As COVID-19 is unfolding, every day is marked by novel developments. Since the editorial went to press [2], the outbreak has expanded considerably. Over 128,000 individuals were infected worldwide as of March 13, 2020, leading to 4720 deaths [3]. In early March, while the outbreak in China appeared to start to subside [4], it started to amplify in Europe and the United States. The first fatality in the United States occurred on February 29, 2020 in a suburb of Seattle. On March 4m the first death was reported outside WA state, in CA, and was the 11th death in the United States. On March 6, the first two fatalities were reported in Florida. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a pandemic [5].


Hospital-at-Home as an alternative to release the overload of healthcare systems during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.


title: La enseñanza de las enfermedades infecciosas en el grado de Medicina en el marco del espacio europeo de educación superior

text: During their medical studies, students must acquire basic competencies in different areas of knowledge, one of which is infectious diseases. Training in infectious diseases is essential for general medical practice and for academic or professional expertise in many areas of medicine, both medical and surgical. The vast amount of knowledge that is continuously generated about infectious diseases requires a well-structured undergraduate medical education program and framed in a setting dominated by globalization. The incorporation of Spain to the European higher education area has forced medical schools to adapt their curriculum and to establish the content and learning objectives of all courses of study. In this paper, we discuss the implications of the integration of the Spanish university system in the European higher education area («Bologna Process») in the teaching of infectious diseases in the Degree of Medicine, and describe the learning program in infectious diseases of the University Miguel Hernández of Elche (Alicante, Spain) based on learning outcomes and competencies.


title: High Human Bocavirus Viral Load Is Associated with Disease Severity in Children under Five Years of Age

text: Human bocavirus (HBoV) is a parvovirus and detected worldwide in lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs), but its pathogenic role in respiratory illness is still debatable due to high incidence of co-infection with other respiratory viruses. To determine the prevalence of HBoV infection in patients with LRTI in Shanghai and its correlation with disease severity, we performed a 3-year prospective study of HBoV in healthy controls, outpatients and inpatients under five years of age with X-ray diagnosed LRTIs. Nasopharyngeal aspirates were tested by PCR for common respiratory viruses and by real time PCR for HBoV subtypes 1–4. Nasopharyngeal swabs from healthy controls and serum samples and stools from inpatients were also tested for HBoV1-4 by real time PCR. Viral loads were determined by quantitative real time PCR in all HBoV positive samples. HBoV1 was detected in 7.0% of inpatients, with annual rates of 5.1%, 8.0% and 4.8% in 2010, 2011 and 2012, respectively. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) subtype A was the most frequent co-infection detected; HBoV1 and RSVA appeared to co-circulate with similar seasonal variations. High HBoV viral loads (>10(6) copies/ml) were significantly more frequent in inpatients and outpatients than in healthy controls. There was a direct correlation of high viral load with increasing disease severity in patients co-infected with HBoV1 and at least one other respiratory virus. In summary, our data suggest that HBoV1 can cause LRTIs, but symptomatic HBoV infection is only observed in the context of high viral load.


title: Detecting respiratory viral RNA using expanded genetic alphabets and self-avoiding DNA

text: Nucleic acid (NA)-targeted tests detect and quantify viral DNA and RNA (collectively xNA) to support epidemiological surveillance and, in individual patients, to guide therapy. They commonly use polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and reverse transcription PCR. Although these all have rapid turnaround, they are expensive to run. Multiplexing would allow their cost to be spread over multiple targets, but often only with lower sensitivity and accuracy, noise, false positives, and false negatives; these arise by interactions between the multiple nucleic acid primers and probes in a multiplexed kit. Here we offer a multiplexed assay for a panel of respiratory viruses that mitigates these problems by combining several nucleic acid analogs from the emerging field of synthetic biology: (i) self-avoiding molecular recognition systems (SAMRSs), which facilitate multiplexing, and (ii) artificially expanded genetic information systems (AEGISs), which enable low-noise PCR. These are supplemented by “transliteration” technology, which converts standard nucleotides in a target to AEGIS nucleotides in a product, improving hybridization. The combination supports a multiplexed Luminex-based respiratory panel that potentially differentiates influenza viruses A and B, respiratory syncytial virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS), and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronavirus, detecting as few as 10 MERS virions in a 20-μl sample.


title: Synthesis, structure–activity relationship and antiviral activity of 3′-N,N-dimethylamino-2′,3′-dideoxythymidine and its prodrugs

text: Abstract A probable NRTI molecule, viz. 3′-N,N-dimethylamino-2′,3′-dideoxythymidine (4) and its 5′-O-carboxyl ester prodrugs – 5′-(N-α-BOC-l-phenylalanyl)-3′-N,N-dimethylamino-2′,3′-dideoxythymidine (5), 5′-l-phenylalanyl-3′-N,N-dimethylamino-2′,3′-dideoxythymidine (6) and 5′-decanoyl-3′-N,N-dimethylamino-2′,3′-dideoxythymidine (7) have been synthesized and screened against HIV, HSV-1 and 2, parainfluenza-3, vesicular stomatitis and several other viruses. The compound 6 showed good antiviral activity with EC50 value 0.03μM (SI=8) against VSV in Hela and HEL cell lines. However, the lead compound 4 and its derivatives 5, 6 and 7 showed no remarkable activity against HIV-1 and other viruses. Molecular docking studies with HIV-1 RT using DS 2.5 and pymol softwares have shown marked differences in the interaction patterns between the lead compound 4 and AZT.


title: The influence of firm age on the relationships of airline performance, economic situation and internal operation

text: Abstract The ways in which airline performance depends on the economic situation and internal operation are well established in the literature. One of the contextual factors that may change the nature of these relationships is firm age. As such, the aim of this study is to investigate the moderating influence of firm age on airline performance outcomes. Thirty airline companies from the Asia Pacific region were selected, and relevant data from 2006 to 2011 were collected. It can be deduced that company experience or firm age can help in taking control of the relationship between the constructs; thus, this measurement acts as a moderator in the research model.


title: Prediction models for diagnosis and prognosis of covid-19 infection: systematic review and critical appraisal

text: OBJECTIVE: To review and critically appraise published and preprint reports of prediction models for diagnosing coronavirus disease 2019 (covid-19) in patients with suspected infection, for prognosis of patients with covid-19, and for detecting people in the general population at risk of being admitted to hospital for covid-19 pneumonia. DESIGN: Rapid systematic review and critical appraisal. DATA SOURCES: PubMed and Embase through Ovid, Arxiv, medRxiv, and bioRxiv up to 24 March 2020. STUDY SELECTION: Studies that developed or validated a multivariable covid-19 related prediction model. DATA EXTRACTION: At least two authors independently extracted data using the CHARMS (critical appraisal and data extraction for systematic reviews of prediction modelling studies) checklist; risk of bias was assessed using PROBAST (prediction model risk of bias assessment tool). RESULTS: 2696 titles were screened, and 27 studies describing 31 prediction models were included. Three models were identified for predicting hospital admission from pneumonia and other events (as proxy outcomes for covid-19 pneumonia) in the general population; 18 diagnostic models for detecting covid-19 infection (13 were machine learning based on computed tomography scans); and 10 prognostic models for predicting mortality risk, progression to severe disease, or length of hospital stay. Only one study used patient data from outside of China. The most reported predictors of presence of covid-19 in patients with suspected disease included age, body temperature, and signs and symptoms. The most reported predictors of severe prognosis in patients with covid-19 included age, sex, features derived from computed tomography scans, C reactive protein, lactic dehydrogenase, and lymphocyte count. C index estimates ranged from 0.73 to 0.81 in prediction models for the general population (reported for all three models), from 0.81 to more than 0.99 in diagnostic models (reported for 13 of the 18 models), and from 0.85 to 0.98 in prognostic models (reported for six of the 10 models). All studies were rated at high risk of bias, mostly because of non-representative selection of control patients, exclusion of patients who had not experienced the event of interest by the end of the study, and high risk of model overfitting. Reporting quality varied substantially between studies. Most reports did not include a description of the study population or intended use of the models, and calibration of predictions was rarely assessed. CONCLUSION: Prediction models for covid-19 are quickly entering the academic literature to support medical decision making at a time when they are urgently needed. This review indicates that proposed models are poorly reported, at high risk of bias, and their reported performance is probably optimistic. Immediate sharing of well documented individual participant data from covid-19 studies is needed for collaborative efforts to develop more rigorous prediction models and validate existing ones. The predictors identified in included studies could be considered as candidate predictors for new models. Methodological guidance should be followed because unreliable predictions could cause more harm than benefit in guiding clinical decisions. Finally, studies should adhere to the TRIPOD (transparent reporting of a multivariable prediction model for individual prognosis or diagnosis) reporting guideline. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: Protocol https://osf.io/ehc47/, registration https://osf.io/wy245.


COVID-19 pandemic in India: Is the curve now flat?


title: Estimation of the serial interval and basic reproduction number of COVID‐19 in Qom, Iran, and three other countries: A data‐driven analysis in the early phase of the outbreak

text: The outbreak of COVID‐19 was first reported from China, and on 19 February 2020, the first case was confirmed in Qom, Iran. The basic reproduction number (R(0)) of infection is variable in different populations and periods. This study aimed to estimate the R(0) of COVID‐19 in Qom, Iran, and compare it with that in other countries. For estimation of the serial interval, we used data of the 51 confirmed cases of COVID‐19 and their 318 close contacts in Qom, Iran. The number of confirmed cases daily in the early phase of the outbreak and estimated serial interval were used for R(0) estimation. We used the time‐varying method as a method with the least bias to estimate R(0) in Qom, Iran, and in China, Italy and South Korea. The serial interval was estimated with a gamma distribution, a mean of 4.55 days and a standard deviation of 3.30 days for the COVID‐19 epidemic based on Qom data. The R(0) in this study was estimated to be between 2 and 3 in Qom. Of the four countries studied, the lowest R(0) was estimated in South Korea (1.5–2) and the highest in Iran (4–5). Sensitivity analyses demonstrated that R(0) is sensitive to the applied mean generation time. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is the first to estimate R(0) in Qom. To control the epidemic, the reproduction number should be reduced by decreasing the contact rate, decreasing the transmission probability and decreasing the duration of the infectious period.


title: Lack of sensitivity of an IVD/CE-labeled kit targeting the S gene for detection of SARS-CoV-2

text: OBJECTIVES: New molecular tests for SARS-CoV-2 are rapidly launched in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to evaluate the analytical and the clinical performance of the VIASURE SARS-CoV-2 S gene RT-PCR Kit on the BD Max™ system and to compare results with those obtained with the cobas® SARS-CoV-2 test on the cobas® 6800 system. METHODS: For testing the analytical performance, reference material was used. Clinical samples (n=101) obtained from patients with symptoms compatible to COVID-19 were studied. Oro- and nasopharyngeal swabs were collected by using either ESwab™ or UTM™ collection systems. RESULTS: When the analytical performance was evaluated, the sample containing the lowest SARS-CoV-2 concentration tested negative with the VIASURE test while results obtained with the cobas® test were found to be concordant with the results expected. Six out of the 101 clinical samples (5.9%) showed an inhibition with the VIASURE test. When analyzing the remaining 95 clinical samples, 27 were found to be negative with both assays. Of 68 samples positive with the cobas® test, the VIASURE test missed 21 (30.9 %) samples. All of those 21 samples had shown Ct values ≥ 31 with the cobas® 6800 system. None of the samples tested positive with the VIASURE test and negative with the cobas® test. CONCLUSIONS: The VIASURE test was impaired by a lack of sensitivity and a relatively high number of invalid results. When using the VIASURE test for routine testing, a significant number of COVID-19 positive samples would have been missed.


title: Antigenic relationships amongst coronaviruses

text: Several serological interrelationships between various members of the corona-virus group have been revealed in neutralization, complement fixation, and gel-diffusion tests, using human and hyperimmune animal sera. Several members of this group of human and animal pathogens are shown to cross-react in one or more type of test, but one member, avian infectious bronchitis virus, was shown to be unrelated. Mouse hepatitis virus (MHV(3)) was found to be antigenically related to a number of human types of coronavirus. Difficulties were encountered in the investigation of paired human sera in demonstrating the specificity of antibody rises, placing doubt on the values of some serological studies. The significance of these interrelationships is discussed in the light of other investigations.


title: Multiplex Respiratory Virus Testing for Antimicrobial Stewardship: A Prospective Assessment of Antimicrobial Use and Clinical Outcomes Among Hospitalized Adults

text: BACKGROUND: Respiratory tract infections are frequent causes of hospitalization and initiation of empirical antimicrobial therapy. Testing for a broad panel of respiratory viruses has been advocated as a useful tool for antibiotic stewardship. We conducted a prospective observational study to assess the impact of rapid viral test results on antimicrobial prescriptions and clinical outcomes among hospitalized adults. METHODS: Eight hundred patients admitted with respiratory symptoms were tested by a 12-virus respiratory panel (RVP) during 3 consecutive winters in Montreal, Canada. The primary outcome measure was change in antimicrobial prescriptions (ie, de-escalation of empirical antimicrobial therapy or commencement of new antimicrobial therapy) after RVP results were available. Clinical outcomes were also assessed. RESULTS: Influenza virus was identified in 53% of individuals in the study population, and other viruses were identified in 10%. Influenza virus positivity was associated with shorter duration of hospitalization and appropriate antiviral management. Antibiotic management was most significantly correlated with radiographic suspicion of pneumonia and less so with results of the RVP. Positivity for viruses other than influenza virus was not correlated with significantly different outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Physicians respond to results of testing for influenza virus when managing hospitalized adult patients but respond less to test results for other viruses. These data can inform the design of stewardship interventions and the selection of viral testing panels for hospitalized patients.


title: Prevalence and genetic characteristics of Saffold cardiovirus in China from 2009 to 2012

text: The epidemiology and clinical features of the Saffold cardiovirus (SAFV) remain ambiguous. The present study was designed to systematically and intensively investigate the epidemiological features of SAFV in pediatric patients in China. Three cohorts of pediatric patients were recruited from 2009 to 2012. Cohort 1 comprised patients with acute respiratory tract infections. Cohort 2 comprised patients with diarrhea. Cohort 3 comprised hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) patients. A total of 115 patients (1.6%) among 6052 (17/1647, 12/2013, and 86/2392 in cohorts 1, 2, and 3, respectively) were SAFV-positive. The samples from 82 SAFV-positive patients were successfully sequenced, and four genotypes were identified: 8 SAFV-1, 41 SAFV-2, 29 SAFV-3, and 4 SAFV-6. A significantly higher detection rate was found in the HFMD patients than in other two cohorts (both P <0.001). A higher frequency of severe clinical outcome and nervous system manifestation were also observed in the SAFV-positive HFMD patients. Additionally, 6 (3.5%) cerebrospinal fluid and 7 (2.2%) serum samples from the HFMD-associated encephalitis patients were SAFV-positive. Based on the VP1 sequences, all four genotypes displayed distinct geographical clustering. SAFV infection might be associated with a wide clinical spectrum and contribute to HFMD.


title: Enterovirus 71-induced autophagy increases viral replication and pathogenesis in a suckling mouse model

text: BACKGROUND: We previously reported that Enterovirus 71 (EV71) infection activates autophagy, which promotes viral replication both in vitro and in vivo. In the present study we further investigated whether EV71 infection of neuronal SK-N-SH cells induces an autophagic flux. Furthermore, the effects of autophagy on EV71-related pathogenesis and viral load were evaluated after intracranial inoculation of mouse-adapted EV71 (MP4 strain) into 6-day-old ICR suckling mice. RESULTS: We demonstrated that in EV71-infected SK-N-SH cells, EV71 structural protein VP1 and nonstructural protein 2C co-localized with LC3 and mannose-6-phosphate receptor (MPR, endosome marker) proteins by immunofluorescence staining, indicating amphisome formation. Together with amphisome formation, EV71 induced an autophagic flux, which could be blocked by NH(4)Cl (inhibitor of acidification) and vinblastine (inhibitor of fusion), as demonstrated by Western blotting. Suckling mice intracranially inoculated with EV71 showed EV71 VP1 protein expression (representing EV71 infection) in the cerebellum, medulla, and pons by immunohistochemical staining. Accompanied with these infected brain tissues, increased expression of LC3-II protein as well as formation of LC3 aggregates, autophagosomes and amphisomes were detected. Amphisome formation, which was confirmed by colocalization of EV71-VP1 protein or LC3 puncta and the endosome marker protein MPR. Thus, EV71-infected suckling mice (similar to EV71-infected SK-N-SH cells) also show an autophagic flux. The physiopathological parameters of EV71-MP4 infected mice, including body weight loss, disease symptoms, and mortality were increased compared to those of the uninfected mice. We further blocked EV71-induced autophagy with the inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA), which attenuated the disease symptoms and decreased the viral load in the brain tissues of the infected mice. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we reveal that EV71 infection of suckling mice induces an amphisome formation accompanied with the autophagic flux in the brain tissues. Autophagy induced by EV71 promotes viral replication and EV71-related pathogenesis.


title: Novel findings from a beta coronavirus outbreak on an American Miniature Horse breeding farm in upstate New York

text: This case report describes an outbreak and novel findings associated with a beta coronavirus (BCoV) infection that occurred on an American Miniature Horse (AMH) breeding farm in upstate New York, in January and February of 2013. Twenty‐nine AMH and one donkey were present on the farm when the outbreak occurred. One 10‐year‐old Quarter Horse mare, stabled at a separate location and owned by an employee of the farm, also tested positive. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for the detection of BCoV was performed at the Animal Health Diagnostic Center (AHDC) at Cornell on all faecal samples. The PCR assay used detects multiple beta coronaviruses, including, but not limited to, equine enteric coronavirus (ECoV). Novel findings regarding this BCoV infection in horses were recognised in this outbreak study. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the largest outbreak of BCoV described thus far in a closed herd on a single premise. The case fatality rate was 0% unlike that described in a previous outbreak of ECoV involving miniature horses and a miniature donkey (Fielding et al. 2015). The morbidity rate was lower in this outbreak than in previously described studies (Oue et al. 2013; Pusterla et al. 2013). This outbreak also demonstrated the potential for BCoV transmission via farm personnel. The duration of shedding of virus in the faeces among some asymptomatic horses in this outbreak was longer than previously described clinical cases of ECoV (Pusterla et al. 2013; Nemoto et al. 2014). This study suggests that asymptomatic animals may play a role in the maintenance of BCoV during an outbreak; therefore, the need for diagnostic testing of both clinically affected and apparently clinically normal horses on a premises followed by appropriate biosecurity and control measures.


Dr. Wu Lien Teh, plague fighter and father of the Chinese public health system


title: A Rapid Systematic Review of Clinical Trials Utilizing Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine as a Treatment for COVID‐19

text: OBJECTIVES: The emergence of SARS‐CoV‐2 has presented clinicians with a difficult therapeutic dilemma. With supportive care as the current mainstay of treatment, the fatality rate of COVID‐19 is 6.9%. There are currently several trials assessing the efficacy of different antivirals as treatment. Of these, chloroquine (CQ) and its derivative hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) have garnered the most attention. METHODS: In this study, the literature currently available on CQ and HCQ as treatment of COVID‐19 was surveyed using EMBASE, PubMed, Cochrane Library, MedRxiv, and one clinical trial registry. Upon gathering published and preprint trials, risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool 2.0. RESULTS: There are currently seven completed clinical trials and 29 registered clinical trials focusing on HCQ or CQ as a therapeutic avenue for COVID‐19. Of these, five of seven trials have shown favorable outcomes for patients using CQ or HCQ and two of seven have shown no change compared to control. However, all seven trials carried varying degrees of bias and poor study design. CONCLUSION: There are currently not enough data available to support the routine use of HCQ and CQ as therapies for COVID‐19. Pending further results from more extensive studies with more stringent study parameters, clinicians should defer from routine use of HCQ and CQ. There are several clinical trials currently under way with results expected soon.


title: Feasibility of a birth cohort study dedicated to assessing acute infections using symptom diaries and parental collection of biomaterials

text: BACKGROUND: A birth cohort dedicated to studying infections in early childhood may be assisted by parental recording of symptoms on a daily basis and a collection of biomaterials. We aimed at testing the feasibility of this approach for use in a long-term study focusing on infections in children in Germany. METHODS: Parents of 1- to 3-year-old children (n = 75) were recruited in nursery schools. They were asked to complete a symptom diary on a daily basis and to take monthly and symptom-triggered nasal swabs and stool samples from their child over the study period of three months. Feasibility was measured by means of the return proportions of symptom diaries and bio samples; acceptance was assessed by a questionnaire delivered to participants at the end of the study. RESULTS: The majority of the participants filled in the symptom diary during the three months study for 75 or more days (77.3 %), and provided the monthly nasal swabs (62.7 %) and stool samples (65.3 %). The time needed for the tasks was acceptable for most participants (symptom diary: 92.3 %, nasal swabs: 98.5 %, stool samples: 100.0 %). In 64.3 % of the symptom-triggered nasal swabs, respiratory viruses were found compared to 55.5 % in throat swabs taken by health-care professionals within the “ARE surveillance Lower Saxony”, a special project by the Governmental Institute of Public Health of Lower Saxony to investigate causal pathogens for acute respiratory infections in children. CONCLUSIONS: The parental assessment of symptoms and collection of biomaterials in a birth cohort dedicated to studying infections appears feasible in a middle class German population. The success of the study will depend on the ability to maintain these activities over a long time period. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12879-015-1189-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.


title: Pharmacist‐driven education for solid organ transplant recipients in the COVID‐19 era

text: In the COVID-19 era, it remains of utmost importance for solid organ transplant (SOT) patients and caregivers continue to receive excellent education following transplantation. As a leader in SOT, we recognized the need to enhance patient engagement by implementing a comprehensive pharmacist-driven medication knowledge program encompassing didactics, visual tools and virtual learning. These initiatives have proven to be particularly beneficial in ensuring optimal patient outcomes following orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) during the COVID-19 era.


title: Chapter Three Dances with Membranes: Breakthroughs from Super-resolution Imaging

text: Abstract Biological membrane organization mediates numerous cellular functions and has also been connected with an immense number of human diseases. However, until recently, experimental methodologies have been unable to directly visualize the nanoscale details of biological membranes, particularly in intact living cells. Numerous models explaining membrane organization have been proposed, but testing those models has required indirect methods; the desire to directly image proteins and lipids in living cell membranes is a strong motivation for the advancement of technology. The development of super-resolution microscopy has provided powerful tools for quantification of membrane organization at the level of individual proteins and lipids, and many of these tools are compatible with living cells. Previously inaccessible questions are now being addressed, and the field of membrane biology is developing rapidly. This chapter discusses how the development of super-resolution microscopy has led to fundamental advances in the field of biological membrane organization. We summarize the history and some models explaining how proteins are organized in cell membranes, and give an overview of various super-resolution techniques and methods of quantifying super-resolution data. We discuss the application of super-resolution techniques to membrane biology in general, and also with specific reference to the fields of actin and actin-binding proteins, virus infection, mitochondria, immune cell biology, and phosphoinositide signaling. Finally, we present our hopes and expectations for the future of super-resolution microscopy in the field of membrane biology.


COVID-19 and obesity—lack of clarity, guidance, and implications for care


title: Steroid-associated osteonecrosis: Epidemiology, pathophysiology, animal model, prevention, and potential treatments (an overview)

text: Steroid-associated osteonecrosis (SAON) is a common orthopaedic problem caused by administration of corticosteroids prescribed for many nonorthopaedic medical conditions. We summarised different pathophysiologies of SAON which have adverse effects on multiple systems such as bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) pool, bone matrix, cell apoptosis, lipid metabolism, and angiogenesis. Different animal models were introduced to mimic the pathophysiology of SAON and for testing the efficacy of both prevention and treatment effects of various chemical drugs, biological, and physical therapies. According to the classification of SAON, several prevention and treatment methods are applied at the different stages of SAON. For the current period, Chinese herbs may also have the potential to prevent the occurrence of SAON. In the future, genetic analysis might also be helpful to effectively predict the development of ON and provide information for personalised prevention and treatment of patients with SAON.


title: Novel Parvovirus Related to Primate Bufaviruses in Dogs

text: A novel protoparvovirus species, related genetically to human bufaviruses, was identified in dogs with respiratory signs. The canine bufavirus was distantly related to the well-known canine protoparvovirus, canine parvovirus type 2, sharing low amino acid identities in the nonstructural protein 1 (40.6%) and in the capsid protein 1 (33.4%). By screening collections of fecal, nasal, and oropharyngeal samples obtained from juvenile dogs (<1 year of age), canine bufavirus DNA appeared as a common component of canine virome. The virus was common in the stool samples of dogs with or without enteric disease and in the nasal and oropharyngeal swab samples of dogs with respiratory signs. However, the virus was not detected in nasal and oropharyngeal swab samples from animals without clinical signs.


title: Biogeography of diseases: a framework for analysis

text: A growing body of literature offers a framework for understanding geographic and ecological distributions of species; a few applications of this framework have treated disease transmission systems and their geography. The general framework focuses on interactions among abiotic requirements, biotic constraints, and dispersal abilities of species as determinants of distributional areas. Disease transmission systems have key differences from other sorts of biological phenomena: Interactions among species are particularly important, interactions may be stable or unstable, abiotic conditions may be relatively less important in shaping disease distributions, and dispersal abilities may be quite variable. The ways in which these differences may influence disease transmission geography are complex; I illustrate their effects by means of worked examples regarding West Nile Virus, plague, filoviruses, and yellow fever.


Human Metapneumovirus and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease


title: Baby pangolins on my plate: possible lessons to learn from the COVID-19 pandemic

text: The Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine (JEET), throughout its 15 years of existence, has tried to provide a respected outlet for scientific knowledge concerning the inextricable links between human societies and nature, food, and health. Ethnobiology and ethnomedicine-centred research has moved at the (partially artificial and fictitious) interface between nature and culture and has investigated human consumption of wild foods and wild animals, as well as the use of wild animals or their parts for medicinal and other purposes, along with the associated knowledge, skills, practices, and beliefs. Little attention has been paid, however, to the complex interplay of social and cultural reasons behind the increasing pressure on wildlife. The available literature suggest that there are two main drivers that enhance the necessary conditions for infectious diseases to cross the species barrier from wild animals to humans: (1) the encroachment of human activities (e.g., logging, mining, agricultural expansion) into wild areas and forests and consequent ecological disruptions; and, connected to the former, (2) the commodification of wild animals (and natural resources in general) and an expanding demand and market for wild meat and live wild animals, particularly in tropical and sub-tropical areas. In particular, a crucial role may have been played by the bushmeat-euphoria and attached elitist gastronomies and conspicuous consumption phenomena. The COVID-19 pandemic will likely require ethnobiologists to reschedule research agendas and to envision new epistemological trajectories aimed at more effectively mitigating the mismanagement of natural resources that ultimately threats our and other beings’ existence.


title: And the beat goes on. The continued trials and tribulations of passenger rail franchising in Great Britain

text: Abstract National rail passenger services in Great Britain have been largely delivered by a system of franchising since 1996. As reported at previous Thredbo Conferences, this system has had several iterations and a number of failures, with one franchise (for the East Coast) having failed three times. This paper will use national level and operator specific data provided by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) to review recent key trends in rail demand and supply. It will extend an existing modelling framework to determine the costs and benefits of rail franchising at the national level. It will also undertake case studies of two franchises, for the East Coast and South West. In advance of the on-going Williams Review, policy prescriptions will be suggested for both the commercial and the social railway with particular reference to contract specifications.


title: The 3D structure analysis of SARS-CoV S1 protein reveals a link to influenza virus neuraminidase and implications for drug and antibody discovery

text: Abstract The spike protein of SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) is an important target for anti-SARS drug discovery. Its S1 domain is responsible for receptor binding and SARS-CoV entry into cells. In this study, we constructed a rational 3D model for S1 domain of SARS-CoV spike protein by fold recognition and molecular modeling techniques. We found that there is a structure similarity between S1 protein and influenza virus neuraminidase. Our analyses suggest that the existing anti-influenza virus inhibitors and anti-neuraminidase antibody could be used as a starting point for designing anti-SARS drugs, vaccines and antibodies. Interestingly, our prediction for antibody is consistent with a recently experimental discovery of anti-SARS antibody.


title: Taipei's Use of a Multi-Channel Mass Risk Communication Program to Rapidly Reverse an Epidemic of Highly Communicable Disease

text: BACKGROUND: In September 2007, an outbreak of acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis (AHC) occurred in Keelung City and spread to Taipei City. In response to the epidemic, a new crisis management program was implemented and tested in Taipei. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Having noticed that transmission surged on weekends during the Keelung epidemic, Taipei City launched a multi-channel mass risk communications program that included short message service (SMS) messages sent directly to approximately 2.2 million Taipei residents on Friday, October 12th, 2007. The public was told to keep symptomatic students from schools and was provided guidelines for preventing the spread of the disease at home. Epidemiological characteristics of Taipei's outbreak were analyzed from 461 sampled AHC cases. Median time from exposure to onset of the disease was 1 day. This was significantly shorter for cases occurring in family clusters than in class clusters (mean±SD: 2.6±3.2 vs. 4.39±4.82 days, p = 0.03), as well as for cases occurring in larger family clusters as opposed to smaller ones (1.2±1.7 days vs. 3.9±4.0 days, p<0.01). Taipei's program had a significant impact on patient compliance. Home confinement of symptomatic children increased from 10% to 60% (p<0.05) and helped curb the spread of AHC. Taipei experienced a rapid decrease in AHC cases between the Friday of the SMS announcement and the following Monday, October 15, (0.70% vs. 0.36%). By October 26, AHC cases reduced to 0.01%. The success of this risk communication program in Taipei (as compared to Keelung) is further reflected through rapid improvements in three epidemic indicators: (1) significantly lower crude attack rates (1.95% vs. 14.92%, p<0.001), (2) a short epidemic period of AHC (13 vs. 34 days), and (3) a quick drop in risk level (1∼2 weeks) in Taipei districts that border Keelung (the original domestic epicenter). CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: The timely launch of this systematic, communication-based intervention proved effective at preventing a dangerous spike in AHC and was able to bring this high-risk disease under control. We recommend that public health officials incorporate similar methods into existing guidelines for preventing pandemic influenza and other emerging infectious diseases.


title: Emerging complexity and new roles for the RIG-I-like receptors in innate antiviral immunity

text: Innate immunity is critical for the control of virus infection and operates to restrict viral susceptibility and direct antiviral immunity for protection from acute or chronic viral-associated diseases including cancer. RIG-I like receptors (RLRs) are cytosolic RNA helicases that function as pathogen recognition receptors to detect RNA pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) of virus infection. The RLRs include RIG-I, MDA5, and LGP2. They function to recognize and bind to PAMP motifs within viral RNA in a process that directs the RLR to trigger downstream signaling cascades that induce innate immunity that controls viral replication and spread. Products of RLR signaling also serve to modulate the adaptive immune response to infection. Recent studies have additionally connected RLRs to signaling cascades that impart inflammatory and apoptotic responses to virus infection. Viral evasion of RLR signaling supports viral outgrowth and pathogenesis, including the onset of viral-associated cancer.