title: The post-lockdown period should be used to acquire effective therapies for future resurgence in SARS-Cov-2 infections.

text: COVID-19 will be with us through the remainder of 2020 and almost certainly beyond. New Zealand needs a viable strategy to protect its populace until a vaccine is developed and in wide use. Until that time, it makes sense to protect the population by putting in place treatments that will be safe and effective, such as the use of convalescent sera and the use of direct-acting anti-virals. These treatments should be sourced externally or made locally, but steps in this direction must now begin as the lockdown ends. New Zealand has the scientists, the facilities and the will to make this happen, but the support of the government and the population will be needed if this plan is to succeed.


title: Multiplex reverse transcription-PCR for rapid differential detection of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus, transmissible gastroenteritis virus, and porcine group A rotavirus.

text: A novel multiplex reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (multiplex RT-PCR) that can detect porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV), and porcine group A rotavirus (GAR) was developed. The 3 viruses (PEDV, TGEV, and porcine GAR) are major agents in viral enteric diseases of piglets. As the clinical signs of these diseases are similar, including watery diarrhea, differential detection is required for etiologic diagnosis. A mixture of 3 pairs of published primers was used for amplification of viral nucleic acids, yielding 3 different amplicons with sizes of 859 bp, 651 bp, and 309 bp for TGEV, PEDV, and porcine GAR, respectively. A total of 157 specimens (78 fecal and 79 intestinal samples) from piglets with acute gastroenteritis were collected in Korea between January 2004 and May 2005. They were tested for the presence of 3 viruses by multiplex RT-PCR. Coinfections with PEDV and porcine GAR were identified in 16 farms (43.2%). PEDV, porcine GAR, and TGEV infection were 26.3%, 13.2%, and 2.7% respectively. The relative sensitivity and specificity of multiplex RT-PCR were evaluated, with results suggesting that this assay is equal in quality to conventional single-agent RT-PCR assays (sensitivity:100%, 92.9%, 100% for TGEV, PEDV, GARs; specificity: 100% for all 3 viruses). This multiplex RT-PCR is a simple assay and may be a potentially useful for rapid, sensitive, and cost-effective etiological diagnostic tool for acute viral gastroenteritis in piglets.


docid: upqaahwu

title: Risk perception in women: a focus on menopause.

text: OBJECTIVE To investigate risk perceptions in relation to menopausal experiences, comparing premenopausal women's expectations to actual experiences of menopause, including perceptions of symptoms, fears, risks of future illnesses, and side effects of symptomatic treatments. DESIGN This was a cohort study using surveys in a random sample of Australians participating in an Australian Health Report series, supported by Pfizer. This article focuses on perceptions about menopause of 710 women. RESULTS Peri- and postmenopausal women experienced more fatigue, sleeplessness, fluid retention, and bloating than premenopausal women expected to experience. Perimenopausal and postmenopausal women rated menopause as the "first day of the rest of [my] life" significantly more than premenopausal women. All women perceived that menopause had an impact on aging and weight gain, but more premenopausal women feared loss of sexuality (55%), loss of femininity (39%), and the inability to have more children (37%). Perceptions of illnesses differed from actual incidence, with 27% of all women perceiving breast cancer and 11% perceiving heart disease as a health risk, compared with actual female mortality figures of 3% and 41%, respectively. Perceptions of the effects of hormone therapy were inaccurate, with 53% of all women expecting a reduction in hot flushes, 44% expecting that hormone therapy increased breast cancer, and 23% expecting that hormone therapy decreased fractures. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests a difference between perceptions of symptoms, fears, risks of future illnesses, and side effects of symptomatic treatments at menopause and actual experience. Because risk perception influences health-related behaviors, visits to healthcare providers, and treatment decisions and can be modified through education, an understanding of risk perception is clinically important. Further research is needed.


title: Virus Like Particles as Immunogens and Universal Nanocarriers.

text: Over the last two decades virus-like particles (VLPs) have become an important tool in biomedical research and medicine. VLPs are multiprotein structures that resemble viable virus particles in conformation but lack the viral genome. Consequently, they are non-infectious and non-replicative, but retain the ability to penetrate cells, making them useful for a vast spectrum of applications. Above all, VLPs mimicking genuine viruses in antigenic structure provide a safe alternative to attenuated and inactivated viruses in vaccine development. Moreover, due to their transducing proprieties, VLPs may efficiently deliver foreign nucleic acids, proteins, or conjugated compounds to the organism, or even to specific cell types. Additionally, VLPs are versatile nanovectors due to their flexibility in terms of composition and expression systems. In this review, different approaches for of virus-like particle synthesis and manipulation, as well as their potential applications, will be discussed.


title: Development of a 1-step enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the rapid diagnosis of bovine respiratory syncytial virus in postmortem specimens.

text: Bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) is associated with severe respiratory disease in cattle. BRSV infection frequently leads to the death of young infected animals. The presence of BRSV in postmortem specimens is routinely detected using indirect immunofluorescence (IIF). However, this technique requires special equipment and considerable expertise. The present paper describes the development of a 1-step ELISA for rapid (1.5 hours) detection of BRSV antigen in organ homogenates. The performance of the new 1-step ELISA was evaluated using bovine postmortem specimens (n = 108) in comparison with 3 other BRSV diagnostic techniques: indirect immunofluorescence, the Clearview respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) test, and real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The relative sensitivity, specificity, and the kappa coefficient of 1-step ELISA, the Clearview RSV electroimmunoassay (EIA), and IIF were calculated, using real-time RT-PCR as the reference test. The new 1-step ELISA was the most sensitive and specific of the 3 tests. Thus, the new 1-step ELISA is a reliable test for detecting BRSV antigen in organ homogenates.


title: Are Non-Tumescent Ablation Procedures Ready to Take Over?

text: Tumescent anesthesia refers to the percutaneous administration of large volume anesthetic to cause the target tissue to become swollen or firm. The use of tumescent anesthesia is essential for the treatment of refluxing truncal veins using endothermal technologies. In order to obviate the use of tumescent anesthesia as an adjunct to treatment, one has to evaluate the technologies that do not employ thermal energy as the modality for treatment. These technologies include foam sclerotherapy, mechanicochemical ablation (MOCA), and the use of glue (Sapheon™ closure system). The following review juxtaposes the literature supporting the use of tumescent-based techniques to the literature supporting the use of tumescent-less techniques.


title: Novel uses of noninvasive ventilation.

text: Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) have been used in various unusual settings to assist breathing. NIV is now frequently used to treat exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic respiratory failure in neuromuscular disease. This paper discusses CPAP and NIV for postoperative hypoxemia, preventing intubation in high-risk bronchoscopy, respiratory failure in pandemics, obesity hypoventilation syndrome, and respiratory support during percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube placement.


title: Gross postmortem and histologic examination findings from abortion losses and calf mortalities in western Canadian beef herds.

text: Production losses from abortions, stillbirths, and early calf mortality were described for the 2002 calf crop in 203 beef herds in western Canada. A total of 1689 calves were examined. A summary diagnosis was reported for 64% of aborted calves, 78% of stillborn calves, 88% of neonatal calves, and 94% of the calves > 3 d of age. Diagnoses for aborted calves included: thyroid gland lesions, pneumonia, developmental anomalies, placentitis, and myocardial necrosis or myopathy. For stillborn calves, diagnostic findings included: dystocia, thyroid gland lesions, myocardial necrosis or myopathy, developmental anomalies, and skeletal myopathy or necrosis. The most common diagnoses for neonatal calves (≤ 3 d) were: pneumonia, skeletal myopathy or necrosis, myocardial necrosis or myopathy, accident or trauma, and septicemia. For older calves (3 d to 3 mo), the most common diagnoses included: starvation, abomasal ulcer or perforation, enteritis or colitis, pneumonia, and intestinal volvulus, obstruction, or perforation.


title: Clinical and Radiologic Characteristics of COVID-19 in Patients With CKD.

text: INTRODUCTION In this study, we aimed to evaluate the presentation and outcome of COVID-19 in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). METHODS We included 43 patients with a past history of CKD and confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19. Patients were evaluated for demographic characteristics, clinical and laboratory data and findings of initial chest computed tomography (CT) and were followed until either death or discharge occurred. Then, study variables were compared based on final outcome and stage of CKD. RESULTS Mean age ± SD of patients was 60.65 ± 14.36 years; 65.1% were male. Five of 43 patients (11.6%) died on follow-up and the rest were discharged. Disease outcome did not differ across CKD stages (P > .05). More than half of the patients (58.1%) presented with severe disease on admission. Clinical symptoms were similar to those of non-CKD individuals. Mean duration of hospitalization was higher in those who died, although not significant (16.6 ± 8.38 vs. 11 ± 6.26, P > .05). The only hematologic parameter that significantly differed between survivors and non-survivors was lactase dehydrogenase level (P < .05). Ground-glass opacification and reticular pattern were the most frequent patterns on CT and pleural effusion existed in about one-fifth of all patients. A greater lower zone score was noted in deceased patients (P < .05). CONCLUSION Patients with CKD are vulnerable to a more severe form of COVID-19 and experience a higher mortality rate than the general population; however, higher CKD stage is not related to worse prognosis or different imaging manifestation compared with lower stage.


Glycoprotein E1 of coronavirus A59: a new type of viral glycoprotein.


title: Retroviruses pseudotyped with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus spike protein efficiently infect cells expressing angiotensin-converting enzyme 2.

text: Infection of receptor-bearing cells by coronaviruses is mediated by their spike (S) proteins. The coronavirus (SARS-CoV) that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) infects cells expressing the receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Here we show that codon optimization of the SARS-CoV S-protein gene substantially enhanced S-protein expression. We also found that two retroviruses, simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) and murine leukemia virus, both expressing green fluorescent protein and pseudotyped with SARS-CoV S protein or S-protein variants, efficiently infected HEK293T cells stably expressing ACE2. Infection mediated by an S-protein variant whose cytoplasmic domain had been truncated and altered to include a fragment of the cytoplasmic tail of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 envelope glycoprotein was, in both cases, substantially more efficient than that mediated by wild-type S protein. Using S-protein-pseudotyped SIV, we found that the enzymatic activity of ACE2 made no contribution to S-protein-mediated infection. Finally, we show that a soluble and catalytically inactive form of ACE2 potently blocked infection by S-protein-pseudotyped retrovirus and by SARS-CoV. These results permit studies of SARS-CoV entry inhibitors without the use of live virus and suggest a candidate therapy for SARS.


title: Immunohistochemical characterization of a hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma in a cat.

text: A hepatic mass was identified in a 5-year-old, female mixed-breed cat that died spontaneously after a clinical history of progressive emaciation, ptyalism, and persistent coryza. At necropsy, a 7-cm-diameter, yellow-brown, firm, multilobulated tumor was identified in the liver. Microscopically, the mass consisted of neoplastic cells arranged in small, closely packed nests within a thin fibrovascular stroma. These cells were of medium sized and polygonal, with fine argyrophilic cytoplasmic granules. Nuclei were predominantly round with finely stippled chromatin and indistinct nucleoli. Mitotic figures were numerous. Immunohistochemically, most of the neoplastic cells were immunoreactive for chromogranin A, neuron-specific enolase (NSE), and cytokeratin AE1/AE3 and weakly labeled for synaptophysin. The tumor was negative for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), vimentin, and cytokeratins 5, 6, 8, and 17. Vascular emboli and intrahepatic micrometastasis were also identified with chromogranin A. All these features were consistent with a hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma and emphasized the importance of using a panel of antibodies to diagnose such rare tumors.


title: Does electrocardiography at admission predict outcome in Crimean -Congo hemorrhagic fever?

text: BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES Crimean - Congo hemorrhagic fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic fever with considerable mortality. Despite increasing knowledge about hemorrhagic fever viruses, the pathogenesis of Crimean -Congo hemorrhagic fever and causes of death were not well described. We aimed to evaluate whether there were electrocardiographic parameters designating mortality among these patients. STUDY DESIGN This retrospective study was performed among confirmed Crimean -Congo hemorrhagic fever cases in Turkey. Electrocardiography was available in 49 patients within 24 h of hospitalization. All electrocardiograms were evaluated by two expert cardiologists according to Minnesota coding system. RESULTS Among patients with available electrocardiograms, there were 31 patients who survived, and 18 patients who died of Crimean - Congo hemorrhagic fever. Both groups were similar in terms of age, sex, body temperature, heart rate, and blood parameters. T-wave changes and bundle branch block were more frequently encountered among those who died. Presence of T-wave negativity or bundle branch block in this cohort of patients with Crimean -Congo hemorrhagic fever predicted death with a sensitivity of 72.7%, specificity of 92.6%, positive predictive value of 88.9%, negative predictive value of 80.6%. CONCLUSIONS We think within the light of our findings that simple electrocardiography at admission may help risk stratification among Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever cases.


title: Complete genomic sequence of human coronavirus OC43: molecular clock analysis suggests a relatively recent zoonotic coronavirus transmission event.

text: Coronaviruses are enveloped, positive-stranded RNA viruses with a genome of approximately 30 kb. Based on genetic similarities, coronaviruses are classified into three groups. Two group 2 coronaviruses, human coronavirus OC43 (HCoV-OC43) and bovine coronavirus (BCoV), show remarkable antigenic and genetic similarities. In this study, we report the first complete genome sequence (30,738 nucleotides) of the prototype HCoV-OC43 strain (ATCC VR759). Complete genome and open reading frame (ORF) analyses were performed in comparison to the BCoV genome. In the region between the spike and membrane protein genes, a 290-nucleotide deletion is present, corresponding to the absence of BCoV ORFs ns4.9 and ns4.8. Nucleotide and amino acid similarity percentages were determined for the major HCoV-OC43 ORFs and for those of other group 2 coronaviruses. The highest degree of similarity is demonstrated between HCoV-OC43 and BCoV in all ORFs with the exception of the E gene. Molecular clock analysis of the spike gene sequences of BCoV and HCoV-OC43 suggests a relatively recent zoonotic transmission event and dates their most recent common ancestor to around 1890. An evolutionary rate in the order of 4 x 10(-4) nucleotide changes per site per year was estimated. This is the first animal-human zoonotic pair of coronaviruses that can be analyzed in order to gain insights into the processes of adaptation of a nonhuman coronavirus to a human host, which is important for understanding the interspecies transmission events that led to the origin of the severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak.


title: [Clinical study on treatment of severe acute respiratory syndrome by integrative Chinese and Western medicine].

text: OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of integrative Chinese and western medicine (ICWM) in treating severe a cute respiratory syndrome (SARS). METHODS Sixty SARS patients were diagnosed and observed according to the universal standard, and divided into the ICWM group (n = 31, treated with ICWM) and the control group (n = 29, treated by conventional western medicine alone). RESULTS ICWM showed better effect than that of western medicine alone in improving clinical symptoms, promoting the absorption of inflammation in lung, increased oxygen saturation (P < 0.01) and decreased the dosage of corticoid used (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION The effect of ICWM is better than that of simple western medicine in treating SARS.


title: Identification of the catalytic sites of a papain-like cysteine proteinase of murine coronavirus.

text: The murine coronavirus mouse hepatitis virus gene 1 is expressed as a polyprotein, which is cleaved into multiple proteins posttranslationally. One of the proteins is p28, which represents the amino-terminal portion of the polyprotein and is presumably generated by the activity of an autoproteinase domain of the polyprotein (S. C. Baker, C. K. Shieh, L. H. Soe, M.-F. Chang, D. M. Vannier, and M. M. C. Lai, J. Virol. 63:3693-3699, 1989). In this study, the boundaries and the critical amino acid residues of this putative proteinase domain were characterized by deletion analysis and site-directed mutagenesis. Proteinase activity was monitored by examining the generation of p28 during in vitro translation in rabbit reticulocyte lysates. Deletion analysis defined the proteinase domain to be within the sequences encoded from the 3.6- to 4.4-kb region from the 5' end of the genome. A 0.7-kb region between the substrate (p28) and proteinase domain could be deleted without affecting the proteolytic cleavage. However, a larger deletion (1.6 kb) resulted in the loss of proteinase activity, suggesting the importance of spacing sequences between proteinase and substrate. Computer-assisted analysis of the amino acid sequence of the proteinase domain identified potential catalytic cysteine and histidine residues in a stretch of sequence distantly related to papain-like cysteine proteinases. The role of these putative catalytic residues in the proteinase activity was studied by site-specific mutagenesis. Mutations of Cys-1137 or His-1288 led to a complete loss of proteinase activity, implicating these residues as essential for the catalytic activity. In contrast, most mutations of His-1317 or Cys-1172 had no or only minor effects on proteinase activity. This study establishes that mouse hepatitis virus gene 1 encodes a proteinase domain, in the region from 3.6 to 4.4 kb from the 5' end of the genome, which resembles members of the papain family of cysteine proteinases and that this proteinase domain is responsible for the cleavage of the N-terminal peptide.


title: [New infections: myths and reality].

text: New contemporary data about new infectious diseases of XXI century are presented. Data on morbidity and mortality from severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS, atypical pneumonia) and avian influenza are analyzed and compared with World Health Organization data on human influenza. Biologic characteristics of avian influenza virus A/H5N1 are discussed as well as possibility of its human-to-human transmission. Principles of SARS and avian influenza infections transmission as zoonoses are described as well as mechanisms of transmission impeding their ability to infect humans. It has been argued that SARS should be regarded as contagious infection, whereas avian influenza - as non-contagious. Features of all stages of epidemic process of these infections are analyzed.


title: Respiratory viruses and atypical bacteria triggering severe asthma exacerbation in children.

text: 1. Respiratory viruses and atypical bacteria were detected in 51.0% of Hong Kong children with asthma exacerbations, which was significantly higher than the detection rate of 27.3% in children with chronic stable asthma. 2. Co-infections of two or more respiratory pathogens were more commonly found in children with asthma exacerbations (10.7%) than in patients with stable asthma (2.6%). 3. Human rhinovirus infection was a significant risk factor for asthma exacerbations. 4. There was no significant association between the severity of asthma exacerbations and respiratory viral or atypical bacterial infections. 5. Routine use of macrolide antibiotics in the treatment of childhood asthma exacerbations should be discouraged.


title: A first look at COVID-19 information and misinformation sharing on Twitter.

text: Since December 2019, COVID-19 has been spreading rapidly across the world. Not surprisingly, conversation about COVID-19 is also increasing. This article is a first look at the amount of conversation taking place on social media, specifically Twitter, with respect to COVID-19, the themes of discussion, where the discussion is emerging from, myths shared about the virus, and how much of it is connected to other high and low quality information on the Internet through shared URL links. Our preliminary findings suggest that a meaningful spatio-temporal relationship exists between information flow and new cases of COVID-19, and while discussions about myths and links to poor quality information exist, their presence is less dominant than other crisis specific themes. This research is a first step toward understanding social media conversation about COVID-19.


Survey and evaluation of modified oxygen delivery devices used for suspected severe acute respiratory syndrome and other high-risk patients in Hong Kong.


title: Veterinary vaccines for public health and prevention of viral and bacterial zoonotic diseases.

text: To meet with the increasing demand for food, the scale of world food production is increasing, as is the transport of animals and food products. At the same time, the contact of animals with the environment remains unchanged or, in the case of free-ranging animals, is even increasing. A number of microorganisms have established themselves in farmed animals, which although relatively harmless to animals are pathogenic to man. In this article, the options for reducing the risk of transferring zoonotic agents from animals (particularly farm animals) to man using veterinary vaccines against viral and bacterial diseases are described.


title: Mapping the scope and opportunities for public health law in liberal democracies.

text: The two questions, "What is public health law?" and "How can law improve the public's health?" are perennial ones for public health law scholars. This paper proposes a framework for conceptualizing discussion and debate about the scope and opportunities for public health law within liberal democracies. Part 2 of the paper draws selectively on this framework in order to highlight some areas where law's potential role deserves greater acknowledgment and exploration.


title: Detection of antibodies against SARS-Coronavirus using recombinant truncated nucleocapsid proteins by ELISA.

text: Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a lifethreatening emerging respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus, SARS-CoV. The nucleocapsid (N) protein of SARS-CoV is highly antigenic and may be a suitable candidate for diagnostic applications. We constructed truncated recombinant N proteins (N1 [1-422 aa], N2 [1- 109 aa], and N3 [110-422 aa]) and determined their antigenicity by Western blotting using convalescent SARS serum. The recombinants containing N1 and N3 reacted with convalescent SARS serum in Western blotting. However, the recombinant with N2 did not. In ELISA using N1 or N3 as the antigens, positive results were observed in 10 of 10 (100%) SARS-CoV-positive human sera. None of 50 healthy sera gave positive results in either assay. These data indicate that the ELISA using N1 or N3 has high sensitivity and specificity. These results suggest that the middle or C-terminal region of the SARS N protein is important for eliciting antibodies against SARS-CoV during the immune response, and ELISA reactions using N1 or N3 may be a valuable tool for SARS diagnosis.


title: Impact of respiratory viral infections on cystic fibrosis.

text: The life expectancy for patients with cystic fibrosis has improved remarkably over the last 20 years. Progressive deterioration of pulmonary function continues despite the aggressive use of antimicrobials. The absence of fever, neutrophilia, and systemic symptoms suggest that during pulmonary exacerbations other non-bacterial factors may have played a part. Some have suggested respiratory viruses as main suspects. So far, few data have illustrated the relationship of respiratory viruses and cystic fibrosis. By gaining further knowledge of this relationship, one may change future clinical practice and boost the survival of these patients.


title: Comparison of capsid sequences from human and animal astroviruses.

text: We have sequenced the genomic 3'-end, including the structural gene, of human astrovirus (HAstV) serotype 7 and morphologically related viruses infecting pig (PAstV), sheep (OAstV) and turkey (TAstV-1). These sequences were compared with corresponding astrovirus sequences available in the nucleic acid databases, including sequences of the seven other HAstV serotypes, two other avian astroviruses (TAstV-2 and avian nephritis virus) and astrovirus from cat (FAstV). A 35 nt stem-loop motif near the 3'-end of the genome, previously described as being highly conserved, was present in all of the astroviruses except TAstV-2. In the N-terminal half of the capsid precursor protein, there were several short conserved peptide motifs. Otherwise the capsid proteins of astroviruses infecting different hosts were highly divergent. Calculation of genetic distances revealed that the distance between FAstV and HAstV is comparable to the largest distances between different HAstV serotypes. Higher similarities between the HAstV, FAstV and PAstV capsid sequences suggest interspecies transmissions involving humans, cats and pigs relatively recently in the evolutionary history of astroviruses.


title: The cellular and molecular pathogenesis of coronaviruses.

text: Coronaviruses cause a wide spectrum of diseases in humans and animals but generally fall into two classes, with respiratory or enteric tropisms. Mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) and rat coronaviruses are the viruses most frequently encountered in the laboratory animal setting. This review focuses primarily on the cellular and molecular aspects of MHV pathogenesis. The high mutation and recombination rates of coronaviruses lead to a diverse, ever-changing population of MHV strains. The spike (S) protein is the most variable coronavirus protein and is responsible for binding to cell surface receptors, inducing cell fusion and humoral and cellular immunity. Differences within the S protein of different MHV strains have been linked to their variable tropisms. Since immunity to MHV is strain-specific, seropositive mice can be reinfected with different strains of MHV. Natural infections with MHV are acute, with persistence occurring at the population level, not within an individual mouse, unless it is immunocompromised. Age, genotype, immunologic status of the mouse, and MHV strain influence the type and severity of disease caused by MHV. Interference with research by MHV has been reported primarily in the fields of immunology and tumor biology and may be a reflection of MHV's capacity to grow in several types of immune cells. While many methods are available to diagnose coronavirus infection, serologic tests, primarily ELISA and IFA, are the most commonly used. MHV is best managed on a preventive basis. Elimination of MHV from a population requires cessation of breeding and halting the introduction of naive mice into the population.


title: Ribavirin suppresses eIF4E-mediated oncogenic transformation by physical mimicry of the 7-methyl guanosine mRNA cap.

text: The eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF4E is deregulated in many human cancers, and its overexpression in cells leads to malignant transformation. Oncogenic properties of eIF4E are directly linked to its ability to bind 7-methyl guanosine of the 5' mRNA. Here, we observe that the antiviral guanosine analogue ribavirin binds to eIF4E with micromolar affinity at the functional site used by 7-methyl guanosine mRNA cap, competes with eIF4E:mRNA binding, and, at low micromolar concentrations, selectively disrupts eIF4E subcellular organization and transport and translation of mRNAs posttranscriptionally regulated by eIF4E, thereby reducing levels of oncogenes such as cyclin D1. Ribavirin potently suppresses eIF4E-mediated oncogenic transformation of murine cells in vitro, of tumor growth of a mouse model of eIF4E-dependent human squamous cell carcinoma in vivo, and of colony formation of eIF4E-dependent acute myelogenous leukemia cells derived from human patients. These findings describe a specific, potent, and unforeseen mechanism of action of ribavirin. Quantum mechanical and NMR structural studies offer directions for the development of derivatives with improved cytostatic and antiviral properties. In all, ribavirin's association with eIF4E may provide a pharmacologic means for the interruption of posttranscriptional networks of oncogenes that maintain and enhance neoplasia and malignancy in human cancer.


title: Effect of ultraviolet germicidal irradiation on viral aerosols.

text: Ultraviolet (UV) germicidal air disinfection is an engineering method used to control the airborne transmission of pathogenic microorganisms in high-risk settings. Despite the recent emergence of respiratory viral pathogens such as SARS and avian influenza viruses, UV disinfection of pathogenic viral aerosols has not been examined. Hence, we characterized the UV disinfection of viral aerosols using the bacteriophage MS2, adenovirus, and coronavirus. Our objectives were to characterize the effect of nebulization and air sampling on the survival of important viral pathogens, quantitatively characterize and estimate the UV susceptibility of pathogenic viral aerosols, and evaluate the effect of relative humidity (RH) on the susceptibility of viral aerosols, to 254 nm UV-C. The viruses were aerosolized into an experimental chamber using a six-jet Collison nebulizer, exposed to 254 nm UV, and sampled using an AGI-30 liquid impinger. Both the MS2 and adenovirus aerosols were very resistant to UV air disinfection, with a reduction of less than 1 logarithm in viable viral aerosols at a UV dose of 2608 microW s/cm2. The susceptibility of coronavirus aerosols was 7-10 times that of the MS2 and adenovirus aerosols. Unlike bacterial aerosols, there was no significant protective effect of high RH on UV susceptibility of the tested viral aerosols. We confirmed that the UV disinfection rate differs greatly between viral aerosols and viruses suspended in liquid.


title: Air Medical Evacuation of Nepalese Citizen During Epidemic of COVID-19 from Wuhan to Nepal.

text: In December 2019, the world was disrupted by the news of a new strain of virus known as Novel Corona virus, taking lives of many in China. Wuhan, the capital of Central China's Hubei province is said to be the place where the outbreak started. The city went on a lockdown as the disease spread rapidly. After the lockdown, most countries like India and Bangladesh airlifted their citizens who were studying in Wuhan. Similarly, Nepal also has many youth studying medicine in Wuhan. Pleas for help from the students reached the government. This was a first encounter of such experience for Nepal government. With the help of Health Emergency Organizing committee, Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, Nepal Army Hospital, Nepal Police Hospital, Waste Management team, Nepal Ambulance service, Tribhuwan Airport and Royal Airlines the government of Nepal planned, organized and successfully brought back all the 175 students on 15 the February, 2019 from Wuhan, China. The aim of the present article is to share the experience, the challenges faced and recommendations for future similar cases. Keywords: evacuation; Nepal; Novel Corona virus; Wuhan.


docid: cnoeaqyc

title: Identification and characterization of a porcine torovirus.

text: A porcine torovirus (PoTV) was identified and characterized; it is a novel member of the genus Torovirus (family Coronaviridae, order Nidovirales), closely related to but clearly distinct from the already recognized equine torovirus (ETV) and bovine torovirus (BoTV) representatives. Immunoelectron microscopy of feces from piglets revealed elongated, 120- by 55-nm particles which were recognized by a torovirus-specific antiserum. Amplification by reverse transcriptase (RT) PCR with primers designed to detect conserved regions (on the basis of the genomes of BoTV strain Breda and ETV strain Berne) resulted in the identification of the 489-bp nucleocapsid gene, encoding a 18.7-kDa protein. The sequence identity in this region between PoTV and both ETV and BoTV was only about 68%, whereas the latter two show 81% identity. Neutralizing antibodies directed against ETV were found in sera of adult and young pigs. In all 10 herds sampled, seropositive animals were present, and 81% of randomly selected adult sows possessed antibodies. A longitudinal study with RT PCR showed that piglets shed virus in the feces for 1 or more days, starting 4 to 14 days after weaning.


title: Public health response to a rabid kitten--four states, 2007.

text: On July 24, 2007, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) was notified by the North Carolina Division of Public Health (NCDPH) of a stray, rabid kitten that had been handled by players on several girls' softball teams during a tournament in Spartanburg County, South Carolina. This report summarizes the public health response to exposure to the rabid kitten and highlights the importance of multistate collaboration in a rabid animal investigation.


title: Characterization of prescription opioid abuse in the United States: focus on route of administration.

text: Prescription opioids are prescribed increasingly for the management of chronic pain, and this has been accompanied by a dramatic rise in opioid-related abuse, addiction, and overdose deaths. Reports of abuse involving nonoral administration (e.g., snorting, injecting) of prescription opioids are increasing, although the epidemiology of oral versus nonoral abuse is not well understood. Available data indicate that oral abuse is far more common,with 72% to 97% of opioid abusers perferring oral administration. Factors associated with nonoral administration include longer duration of opioid abuse, male gender, and rural setting. Extended-release opioids, because of their relatively high drug load, may be attractive to experienced abusers seeking to manipulate the formulation to facilitate a rapid onset of effect. Putative abuse-deterrent formulations have been developed to decrease the likelihood or consequences of nonoral abuse. In addition, Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) are now required for prescribed extended-release/long-acting opioids by the US Food and Drug Administration, although their effectiveness in reducing the risk of abuse, addiction, and overdose has not been evaluated. Physicians should remain vigilant when prescribing opioids and should exercise appropriate patient selection, perform risk analysis and stratification, and maintain continuous patient monitoring to ensure the benefits outweigh these important risks.


title: Serologic studies of MS patients, controls, and patients with other neurologic diseases: antibodies to HTLV-I, II, III.

text: We have studied the frequency of human retrovirus antibody (HTLV-I, II, III) in the serum and CSF of patients with MS, matched controls, and patients with optic neuritis, idiopathic and postencephalitic Parkinson's disease, neuropathies, polymyositis, ALS, and postpoliomyelitis. Except for the postpoliomyelitis samples, all samples were collected prior to 1980. Contrary to a previous published report, no significant levels of antibody to HTLV-I, II, or III were found in the MS patients or controls. No retrovirus antibody was detected in patients with the other neurologic diseases.


title: Expanding access to antiretroviral therapy in sub-saharan Africa: avoiding the pitfalls and dangers, capitalizing on the opportunities.

text: We describe a number of pitfalls that may occur with the push to rapidly expand access to antiretroviral therapy in sub-Saharan Africa. These include undesirable opportunity costs, the fragmentation of health systems, worsening health care inequities, and poor and unsustained treatment outcomes. On the other hand, AIDS "treatment activism" provides an opportunity to catalyze comprehensive health systems development and reduce health care inequities.However, these positive benefits will only happen if we explicitly set out to achieve them. We call for a greater commitment toward health activism that tackles the broader political and economic constraints to human and health systems development in Africa, as well as toward the resuscitation of inclusive and equitable public health systems.


title: Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System Policy Changes and Fiscal Year 2016 Rates; Revisions of Quality Reporting Requirements for Specific Providers, Including Changes Related to the Electro

text: We are revising the Medicare hospital inpatient prospective payment systems (IPPS) for operating and capital related costs of acute care hospitals to implement changes arising from our continuing experience with these systems for FY 2016. Some of these changes implement certain statutory provisions contained in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (collectively known as the Affordable Care Act), the Pathway for Sustainable Growth Reform(SGR) Act of 2013, the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014, the Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation Act of 2014, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, and other legislation. We also are addressing the update of the rate-of-increase limits for certain hospitals excluded from the IPPS that are paid on a reasonable cost basis subject to these limits for FY 2016.As an interim final rule with comment period, we are implementing the statutory extensions of the Medicare dependent,small rural hospital (MDH)Program and changes to the payment adjustment for low-volume hospitals under the IPPS.We also are updating the payment policies and the annual payment rates for the Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) for inpatient hospital services provided by long-term care hospitals (LTCHs) for FY 2016 and implementing certain statutory changes to the LTCH PPS under the Affordable Care Act and the Pathway for Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) Reform Act of 2013 and the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014.In addition, we are establishing new requirements or revising existing requirements for quality reporting by specific providers (acute care hospitals,PPS-exempt cancer hospitals, and LTCHs) that are participating in Medicare, including related provisions for eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals participating in the Medicare Electronic Health Record (EHR)Incentive Program. We also are updating policies relating to the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program, the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, and the Hospital-Acquired Condition (HAC) Reduction Program.


title: Emerging infectious diseases at the beginning of the 21st century.

text: The emergence and re-emergence of infectious diseases involves many interrelated factors. Global interconnectedness continues to increase with international travel and trade; economic, political, and cultural interactions; and human-to-human and animal-to-human interactions. These interactions include the accidental and deliberate sharing of microbial agents and antimicrobial resistance and allow the emergence of new and unrecognized microbial disease agents. As the 21st century begins, already new agents have been identified, and new outbreaks have occurred. Solutions to limiting the spread of emerging infectious diseases will require cooperative efforts among many disciplines and entities worldwide. This article defines emerging infectious diseases, summarizes historical background, and discusses factors that contribute to emergence. Seven agents that have made a significant appearance, particularly in the 21st century, are reviewed, including: Ebola and Marburg hemorrhagic fevers, human monkeypox, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), West Nile virus, and avian influenza. The article provides for each agent a brief historical background, case descriptions, and health care implications.


title: A subgenomic mRNA transcript of the coronavirus mouse hepatitis virus strain A59 defective interfering (DI) RNA is packaged when it contains the DI packaging signal.

text: In infected cells, only the genomic RNA of the coronavirus mouse hepatitis virus strain A59 (MHV-A59) is packaged into the virions. In this study, we show that a subgenomic (sg) defective interfering (DI) RNA can be packaged into virions when it contains the DI RNA packaging signal (DI RNA-Ps). However, the sg DI RNA is packaged less efficiently than the DI genomic RNA. Thus, while specificity of packaging of RNAs into MHV-A59 virions is determined by the DI RNA-Ps, efficiency of packaging is determined by additional factors.


title: The E1 glycoprotein of an avian coronavirus is targeted to the cis Golgi complex.

text: It was previously reported that the E1 protein of an avian coronavirus was targeted to the juxtanuclear region in COS cells expressing the protein from cloned cDNA, suggesting that the protein contains information for targeting to the Golgi complex. The first of three membrane-spanning domains was required for intracellular targeting, because a mutant E1 (delta m1,2) lacking this domain was delivered to the plasma membrane. We have used immunoelectron microscopy to localize the wild-type E1 protein within Golgi elements of COS cells and AtT-20 cells expressing these proteins from recombinant vaccinia vectors. By immunoperoxidase and immunogold labeling, the wild-type E1 protein was localized to one or two cisternae located on one side of the Golgi stack that could be identified as the cis side in AtT-20 cells. In contrast, the mutant E1 protein was detected in all cisternae across the stack as well as at the plasma membrane. When the E1 proteins were immunoprecipitated and subjected to digestion with endoglycosidase H, the majority of the wild-type E1 glycoprotein was endoglycosidase H sensitive, whereas the majority of the mutant E1 was processed to an endoglycosidase H-resistant, polylactosaminoglycan-containing form. The findings indicate that the wild-type E1 protein is specifically targeted to cis Golgi cisternae and are consistent with the assumption that the first membrane-spanning domain is required for targeting to the cis Golgi.


Reforming health protection and promotion in Canada: time to act.


title: Familial canine dermatomyositis: clinicopathologic, immunologic, and serologic studies.

text: Laboratory studies were performed on 3 Collies with familial canine dermatomyositis, 6 progeny from a breeding of 2 of the Collies (incross litter), and 4 progeny from the breeding of an affected Collie male and a normal Labrador Retriever (outcross litter). Hematologic abnormalities were leukogram changes consistent with inflammation, and, in 2 severely affected incross dogs, anemia of inflammatory disease. Serum muscle enzyme activities were not markedly increased. High concentrations of immune complexes and proportionally increased total immunoglobulin G were present in the sera of moderately and severely affected incross dogs. The same dogs had weakly positive direct Coombs' tests, and 1 affected outcross dog had a strongly positive direct Coombs' test. Rheumatoid factor was present in a severely affected incross dog. A few dogs had polyclonal globulin increases that were attributed to inflammation. Low antibody titers to canine calicivirus were present in 3 dogs and a low titer to canine coronavirus was present in 1 dog.


[Transfusion-transmitted infections].


title: Characteristic distribution of L-tuple for DNA primary sequence.

text: We consider construction of a characteristic distribution of an L-tuple in a DNA sequence. The mathematical characteristic of the characteristic distribution is selected as invariant to characterize the L-tuple. With the invariant, we can perform the sequence comparison. The graphs of characteristic distributions of dinucleotide GC for the coding sequences of the first exon of beta-globin gene of eleven different species and the construction of phylogenetic tree of twenty four coronavirus genomes illustrate the utility of the approach.


title: Use of respiratory and facial protection.

text: Infectious microorganisms can be transmitted by various routes. Respiratory and facial protection is needed to prevent infection with organisms that are usually transmitted through the droplet/airborne route, or when airborne particles have been artificially created, for example during aerosol-generating procedures. Recent experiences with severe acute respiratory syndrome and pandemic (H1N1) influenza in 2009 highlighted that health professionals may have difficulty in choosing the correct facial and respiratory protection. The Scientific Development Committee of the Healthcare Infection HealtSociety established a working group to develop guidance addressing this issue.


title: Discontinued drugs in 2006: anti-infectives.

text: Of the drugs dropped from development in 2006, 11 were being developed for infectious diseases. Of these, nine were for viral diseases, including four against HIV, two against hepatitis C virus and one each against respiratory syncytial virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome (coronavirus) and a variety of viruses. The nine antiviral agents comprised six synthetic small-molecule compounds, one peptide, one monoclonal antibody and a vaccine. The remaining two agents were a vaccine for Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection, and lipid-based agent for septic shock. Each of these drugs is briefly reviewed and reasons for failure are discussed.


title: [Expression and renaturation of a novel human single-chain Fv antibody against SARS-CoV].

text: A novel human ScFv H12 against SARS-CoV has been selected from a SARS immune library. In order to produce a large amount of ScFv H12, pET28a-H12 expression vector was constructed and ScFv H12 was expressed at yield about 30% of total proteins in E. coli . Here two different refolding procedures were used to refold ScFv H12 from inclusion body: gel filtration chromatography and dilution. The results showed that ScFv H12 could be efficiently refolded by both procedures. However, the refolding via gel filtration was 1.5 time more effective than that of dilution. The affinity of ScFv H12 to SARS-CoV virion was detected as Kd = 73.5 nmol/mL.


Background paper. Transcription and replication of coronavirus RNA: a 1989 update.


title: A pilot study of cerebral and haemodynamic physiological changes during sedation with dexmedetomidine or propofol in patients with acute brain injury.

text: Sedation for the mechanically-ventilated, brain-injured patient remains challenging. The purpose of this pilot study was to compare the cerebral physiologic effects of sedation with propofol versus dexmedetomidine in mechanically-ventilated, brain-injured patients. Using a randomised, crossover, unblinded clinical trial, we enrolled patients with severe brain injury (Glasgow Coma Score ≤8) from traumatic injury, subarachnoid haemorrhage or intracerebral haemorrhage undergoing multimodal monitoring (intracranial pressure, brain temperature, oximetry and microdialysis). Patients received an infusion of either propofol or dexmedetomidine for six hours and then a crossover for the subsequent six hours after sufficient washout/in. Clinical and physiological measurements were recorded hourly. In eight patients, (four traumatic injury, three subarachnoid haemorrhage and one intracerebral haemorrhage), the mean dose of propofol used was 25.5 µg/kg/minute while the mean dose of dexmedetomidine was 0.54 µg/kg/hour. All subjects were effectively sedated to a goal of Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale -2 and Bispectral Index of 50-70 throughout the study period. We did not observe any statistically significant differences between the groups in systemic or cerebral physiologic metrics. Though differences were noted in cerebral metabolic substrates (lactate/pyruvate ratio), none were statistically significant. In our pilot cohort, dexmedetomidine and propofol appear equally effective in sedating severely brain-injured patients and neither is associated with adverse physiological effects as measured by multimodal monitoring. Larger long-term studies are required to determine whether clinically favourable benefits demonstrated in the medical critical care setting also apply to this patient population.


title: Inducible nitric oxide synthase and nitrotyrosine are found in monocytes/macrophages and/or astrocytes in acute, but not in chronic, multiple sclerosis.

text: We have examined the localization of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and nitrotyrosine (the product of nitration of tyrosine by peroxynitrite, a highly reactive derivative of nitric oxide [NO]) in demyelinating lesions from (i) two young adult patients with acute multiple sclerosis (MS), (ii) a child with MS (consistent with diffuse sclerosis), and (iii) five adult patients with chronic MS. Previous reports have suggested a possible correlation between iNOS, peroxynitrite, related nitrogen-derived oxidants, and the demyelinating processes in MS. We have demonstrated iNOS-immunoreactive cells in both acute-MS and diffuse-sclerosis-type lesions. In acute-MS lesions, iNOS was localized in both monocytes/macrophages and reactive astrocytes. However, foamy (myelin-laden) macrophages and the majority of reactive astrocytes were iNOS negative. In specimens from the childhood MS patient, iNOS protein was present only in a subpopulation of reactive or hypertrophic astrocytes. In contrast, no iNOS staining was detected in chronic-MS lesions. Immunohistochemical staining of acute-MS lesions with an antibody to nitrotyrosine revealed codistribution of iNOS- and nitrotyrosine-positive cells, although nitrotyrosine staining was more widespread in cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage. In diffuse-sclerosis-type lesions, nitrotyrosine staining was present in hypertrophic astrocytes, whereas it was absent in chronic-MS lesions. These results suggest that NO and nitrogen-derived oxidants may play a role in the initiation of demyelination in acute-MS lesions but not in the later phase of the disease.


Judicious approach in medical practice.


title: Biomedical applications based on core-shell nanoparticles.

text: Here some progresses of core-shell nanoparticles (NPs) for biomedical applications have been reported. A new synthesis mechanism for preparation of core-shell NPs by using water-in-oil (W/O) microemulsion technique has been investigated. And the applications of the core-shell NPs on cell recognition, oligonucleotide detection, single bacterial detection, pH nano-sensor for single cell, DNA recovery and gene carrier have been demonstrated.


title: Ecological sources of zoonotic diseases.

text: Although of zoonotic origin, pathogens or infections posing a global threat to human health such as human immunodeficiency virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome or emerging influenza type A viruses may actually have little in common with known, established zoonotic agents, as these new agents merely underwent a transient zoonotic stage before adapting to humans. Evolution towards person-to-person transmission depends on the biological features of the pathogen, but may well be triggered or facilitated by external factors such as changes in human exposure. Disease emergence may thus be depicted as an evolutionary response to changes in the environment, including anthropogenic factors such as new agricultural practices, urbanisation, or globalisation, as well as climate change. Here the authors argue that in the case of zoonotic diseases emerging in livestock, change in agricultural practices has become the dominant factor determining the conditions in which zoonotic pathogens evolve, spread, and eventually enter the human population. Livestock pathogens are subjected to pressures resulting from the production, processing and retail environment which together alter host contact rate, population size and/or microbial traffic flows in the food chain. This process is illustrated by two study cases: a) livestock development in the 'Eurasian ruminant street' (the area extending from central Asia to the eastern Mediterranean basin) and the adjacent Arabian peninsula b) poultry production in Southeast Asia. In both scenarios, environmental factors relating to demography, land pressure and imbalances in production intensification have led to an unstable epidemiological situation, as evidenced by the highly pathogenic avian influenza upsurge early in 2004, when the main outbreaks were located in areas which had both large scale, peri-urban commercial holdings and a high density of smallholder poultry units.


docid: pfqkygtq

title: Specific immunoglobulin g antibody detected in umbilical blood and amniotic fluid from a pregnant woman infected by the coronavirus associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome.

text: Specific immunoglobulin G antibody for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus was detected in maternal blood, umbilical blood, and amniotic fluid from a pregnant SARS patient. Potential protection of fetus from infection was suggested.


title: [Development of monoclonal antibodies against SARS-CoV and identification of antigenic epitopes].

text: Based on the genomic sequence of SARS-CoV strain BJ101, antigenic immunodominant genes coding for the structure proteins of SARS-CoV were predicted by bio-informatics methods, and two chimeric genes A and B with multi-immunodominants lined up by Gly-Pro-Gly linker were synthesized. The chimeric genes were cloned into plasmid pGEX-6p-1 and expressed in E. coli with IPGT inducing. BALB/c mice were immunized with the purified recombinant fusion protein. The specificity of monoclonal antibodies were tested with a commercial ELISA kit for detecting antibody against SARS-CoV. The results showed that two peptides with molecular weights of 34kD and 35kD expressed by the two chimeric genes could be recognized by SARS patient convalescent serum in Western blot. Six positive hybridoma cell lines stably secreting monoclonal antibodies were selected. The subtype of monoclonal antibody D3C5 is IgG2a, and subtypes of all other five monoclonal antibodies are IgG1. Light chains of all monoclonal antibodies are kappa. With a commercial SARS-CoV antibodies detection ELISA kit, five out of six monoclonal antibodies were positively recognized. In western blot analysis with inactived virus cultures, D3D1 specifically recognized a band of about 180 kD. To further analyse the epitopes corresponding to the monoclonal antibodies, six oligoes (S1-S6) from S gene were synthesized and expressed. The results showed that the monoclonal antibodies D3D1 and D3C5 specifically recognized expression product of S2 and S5 oligoes, respectively. The S2 and S5 oligoes are corresponding to 447-458aa and 789-799aa of SARS-CoV S protein respectively.


FELASA recommendations for the health monitoring of breeding colonies and experimental units of cats, dogs and pigs. Report of the Federation of European Laboratory Animal Science Associations (FELASA) Working Group on Animal Health.


docid: dqyxmozv

title: Avian influenza and pandemics.

text: The confirmation of H5N1 avian influenza in England has caused renewed concern over the prospect of a global influenza pandemic. This article outlines the extent of government contingency plans for an influenza pandemic and the role healthcare workers will be expected to play.


title: SARS: here to stay? Monkeypox: beware of exotic pets.

text: Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is probably here to stay, and every health care institution should take precautions against an outbreak. The signs and symptoms of SARS are nonspecific, and there is no early diagnostic test, no specific treatment, and no vaccine. In some parts of the world, including Canada, more than 80% of probable cases were nosocomial.


The epidemiology of multiple sclerosis.


title: [Isolation of coronaviruses in cell culture from nasal swab samples of calves with respiratory tract diseases in the Federal Republic of Germany].

text: Coronavirus was isolated in HRT-18 tissue culture from nasal swabs of 4 from 15 calves showing respiratory symptoms. The strains showed cytopathic effects and could be identified as coronaviruses of bovine origin by their mouse erythrocyte agglutinating activity as well as serological specific hemagglutination inhibition and electron microscopical methods. This is the first report on the isolation of coronaviruses in tissue culture from the respiratory tract of calves in the FRG.


title: Mouse hepatitis virus spike and nucleocapsid proteins expressed by adenovirus vectors protect mice against a lethal infection.

text: Infection with the mouse hepatitis coronavirus (MHV) provides an excellent model for the study of viral diseases of the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract. With the ultimate aim of studying mucosal immunity to MHV we have cloned the genes encoding the structural proteins of MHV strain A59 (MHV-A59) into the E3 region of a human adenovirus type 5 vector. Infection of HeLa cells with the resulting recombinant adenoviruses AdMHVS, AdMHVN and AdMHVM revealed the correct expression of the spike (S), nucleocapsid (N) and membrane (M) proteins, respectively. Intraperitoneal inoculation of BALB/c mice with the recombinant viruses elicited serum antibodies which specifically recognized the respective MHV proteins in an immunoprecipitation assay. Only antibodies to the S protein neutralized MHV-A59 in vitro but titres were low. When analysed by ELISA or by immunofluorescence only the antibody response to the N protein was significant; weak responses or no detectable response at all were found for S and M, respectively. Upon intracerebral challenge with a lethal dose of MHV-A59 we found that a significant fraction of animals vaccinated with adenovirus vectors expressing either the S protein or N protein were protected. This protective effect was significantly stronger when the animals were given a booster immunization with the same vector prior to challenge. No protection was induced by AdMHVM. Interestingly, enhanced protection resulted when AdMHVS and AdMHVN were applied in combination as compared to survival after single immunizations. The results indicate that both the N and S proteins generate a protective immune response and suggest that this response is enhanced by combined expression of the two proteins.


title: Real-time reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) and its potential use in clinical diagnosis.

text: qRT-PCR (real-time reverse transcription-PCR) has become the benchmark for the detection and quantification of RNA targets and is being utilized increasingly in novel clinical diagnostic assays. Quantitative results obtained by this technology are not only more informative than qualitative data, but simplify assay standardization and quality management. qRT-PCR assays are most established for the detection of viral load and therapy monitoring, and the development of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome)-associated coronavirus qRT-PCR assays provide a textbook example of the value of this technology for clinical diagnostics. The widespread use of qRT-PCR assays for diagnosis and the detection of disease-specific prognostic markers in leukaemia patients provide further examples of their usefulness. Their value for the detection of disease-associated mRNA expressed by circulating tumour cells in patients with solid malignancies is far less apparent, and the clinical significance of results obtained from such tests remains unclear. This is because of conceptual reservations as well as technical limitations that can interfere with the diagnostic specificity of qRT-PCR assays. Therefore, although it is evident that qRT-PCR assay has become a useful and important technology in the clinical diagnostic laboratory, it must be used appropriately and it is essential to be aware of its limitations if it is to fulfil its potential.


title: The Christmas season as a risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations.

text: BACKGROUND Epidemics of hospitalization for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) occur annually during the Christmas holidays, and COPD exacerbations commonly coincide with respiratory viral infections. OBJECTIVE To compare the incidence and determinants of COPD exacerbations occurring between the Christmas holiday period and the remainder of the winter season. METHODS Seventy-one subjects with COPD of mixed severity faxed daily symptom diaries to a computer monitoring system from December 1, 2006, to April 30, 2007. Possible exacerbations prompted a home visit for assessment, spirometry and specimen collection for virological testing. RESULTS Study subjects submitted a total of 95.4% of possible daily symptom diary sheets by fax. Of 114 possible COPD exacerbations detected using the faxed diaries, 110 met the Anthonisen criteria for true exacerbations. A total of 47 exacerbations (mean 6.7/week) occurred during the Christmas holiday period, while 63 exacerbations (mean 4.3/week) occurred during the remainder of winter. Of the Christmas period exacerbations and of those in the balance of winter, 21 (44%) and 20 (32%), respectively, coincided with respiratory viral infections. CONCLUSIONS The incidence of COPD exacerbations during the Christmas period was greater than during the rest of winter in 2006/2007 and peaked immediately before Christmas - in contrast to hospital presentation for COPD, which peaked during the Christmas week. No clear role of respiratory viral infections in the increased rate of exacerbations during the Christmas period was established in the present study. COPD patients were highly compliant with daily symptom reporting using faxed daily diaries, which permitted nearly complete detection of all exacerbations that occurred at incidence.


title: The role of international migration in infectious diseases: the HIV epidemic and its trends in Japan.

text: Globalization and its associated international migrations facilitate the spread of infectious diseases. This article reports trends in and discusses the relation between international migration and HIV infection in Japan. The authors analyze relevant literature, drawing on government and other sources. Among foreigners in Japan, there were 27.0 reported HIV and 9.3 reported AIDS cases per million in 1990, and 52.9 HIV and 38.8 AIDS cases per million in 2000. These rates were initially 45 to 90 times the population prevalence of HIV and AIDS among Japanese, but are now only 10 to 20 times the prevalence among Japanese, as HIV becomes an increasing problem for the Japanese population. HIV-infected foreigners who are uninsured are at a disadvantage for diagnosis, counseling, and treatment compared with insured persons, and at a significantly higher risk for low CD4 counts. For all sections of Japan's population, counseling and testing are inadequate, and surveillance of behavioral risk, infection, and disease is limited. International migrants are at increased risk for HIV transmission and at a disadvantage for care and treatment. Japan needs both to develop policies that assist migrants and to respond to the growing threat among its nonmigrant population.


title: Rapid and real-time detection of Chikungunya virus by reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay.

text: The standardization and validation of a one-step, single-tube, accelerated, quantitative reverse transcription (RT) loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) assay targeting the E1 gene for the rapid and real-time detection of Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) are reported. A linear relationship between the amount of template and time of positivity value over a range of 2 x 10(8) to 2 x 10(2) copies was obtained. The feasibility of CHIKV RT-LAMP for clinical diagnosis was validated with patient serum samples from an ongoing epidemic in Southern India. Optimal assay conditions with zero background were established for the detection of low levels of CHIKV in acute-phase patient serum samples. The comparative evaluation of the RT-LAMP assay with acute-phase patient serum samples demonstrated exceptionally higher sensitivity by correctly identifying 21 additional positive borderline cases that were missed by conventional RT-PCR (P < 0.0001) with a detection limit of 20 copies. The quantification of virus load in patient serum samples was also determined from the standard curve based on their time of positivity and was found to be in the range of 2 x 10(8) to 2 x 10(1) copies. In addition, the field applicability of the RT-LAMP assay was also demonstrated by standardizing SYBR Green I-based RT-LAMP wherein the amplification was carried out in a water bath at 63 degrees C for 60 min, which was followed by monitoring gene amplification with the naked eye through color changes. These findings demonstrated that the RT-LAMP assay is a valuable tool for rapid, real-time detection as well as quantification of CHIKV in acute-phase serum samples without requiring any sophisticated equipment and has potential usefulness for clinical diagnosis and surveillance of CHIKV in developing countries.


title: Respiratory virus detection: beyond influenza and RSV into emerging infectious diseases.

text: In the era of global travel, clinicians can no longer consider just influenza and Respiratory Synctial Virus (RSV) and ignore other causes of presumptive viral respiratory tract infections. Since the recognition of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) coronavirus in 2003, novel viruses seem to emerge more frequently. Novel influenza strains, the novel coronavirus (MERS-CoV) identified last year in the Middle East, other novel viruses, and increasing numbers of immunocompromised patients that can be felled by acute respiratory infections all demand a need for rapid recognition of the etiology of viral respiratory illnesses. This article will review viral respiratory PCR tests currently available or in development and how they can be used to improve patient care both within the hospital setting and in the outpatient setting.


title: Impact of influenza during the post-pandemic season: epidemiological picture from syndromic and virological surveillance.

text: INTRODUCTION Following the observation that 1 or 2 pandemic peak due to the circulation ofAHINlv had occurred in most countries and in most World Health Organization (WHO) Regions, WHO declared on August 10"h, 2010 that the world was moving into the post-pandemic period, whose surveillance presents considerable interest both from epidemiological and clinical point of view. We described the epidemiological picture emerged from syndromic and virological surveillance during the post-pandemic season in Liguria, Italy. MATERIALS AND METHODS An Emergency Department Syndrome surveillance system, based on data collected at "San Martino" and IRCCS "G. Gaslini" Liguria Regional Reference University Hospitals for adults and children is active since July 2007. Monitored syndromes include "Influenza-Like Illness" (ILl) and "Low Respiratory Tract Infections" (LRTI). The Ligurian Regional Reference laboratory for Influenza virological surveillance and diagnosis offers rapid detection of influenza viruses by real-time and block RT-PCR, viral culture and genetic characterization by entire sequence analysis of haemagglutinin- and neuraminidase-coding regions in accordance with the international standards established by the global laboratory network. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The integration of syndromic surveillance system and laboratory surveillance for rapid detection and characterization of the disease responsible agent represented a specific and sensitive tool for influenza surveillance. The post-pandemic season was characterized by early onset and by the heaviest impacts for ILI and LRTI among the recent epidemic seasons. In contrast to the picture observed during the pandemic season, the 2010/11 winter was characterized by the intensive circulation of pandemic AH1N1v coupled with sustained activity due to influenza B and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). Antigenic and molecular characterization of influenza strains confirmed the good matching between circulating and 2010/11 vaccine viruses.


title: IL-10 is an important mediator of the enhanced susceptibility to pneumococcal pneumonia after influenza infection.

text: Secondary pneumococcal pneumonia is a serious complication during and shortly after influenza infection. We established a mouse model to study postinfluenza pneumococcal pneumonia and evaluated the role of IL-10 in host defense against Streptococcus pneumoniae after recovery from influenza infection. C57BL/6 mice were intranasally inoculated with 10 median tissue culture infective doses of influenza A (A/PR/8/34) or PBS (control) on day 0. By day 14 mice had regained their normal body weight and had cleared influenza virus from the lungs, as determined by real-time quantitative PCR. On day 14 after viral infection, mice received 10(4) CFU of S. pneumoniae (serotype 3) intranasally. Mice recovered from influenza infection were highly susceptible to subsequent pneumococcal pneumonia, as reflected by a 100% lethality on day 3 after bacterial infection, whereas control mice showed 17% lethality on day 3 and 83% lethality on day 6 after pneumococcal infection. Furthermore, 1000-fold higher bacterial counts at 48 h after infection with S. pneumoniae and, particularly, 50-fold higher pulmonary levels of IL-10 were observed in influenza-recovered mice than in control mice. Treatment with an anti-IL-10 mAb 1 h before bacterial inoculation resulted in reduced bacterial outgrowth and markedly reduced lethality during secondary bacterial pneumonia compared with those in IgG1 control mice. In conclusion, mild self-limiting influenza A infection renders normal immunocompetent mice highly susceptible to pneumococcal pneumonia. This increased susceptibility to secondary bacterial pneumonia is at least in part caused by excessive IL-10 production and reduced neutrophil function in the lungs.


title: Science and society: promoting the learning of immunology in developing countries.

text: In 2005, the economic gap between developing and developed countries is bigger than ever, and this has consequences for public health. So, to sustain education and research in the most resource-constrained regions, it is necessary to promote local teaching of the immunology of infectious diseases. This Perspective article reviews the use and expected efficiency of current Internet-based tools for higher education in the biomedical sciences in developing countries. We also discuss other approaches to improve access to updated training in immunology for students in the poorest countries.


title: Membrane protein molecules of transmissible gastroenteritis coronavirus also expose the carboxy-terminal region on the external surface of the virion.

text: The binding domains of four monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) specific for the M protein of the PUR46-MAD strain of transmissible gastroenteritis coronavirus (TGEV) have been located in the 46 carboxy-terminal amino acids of the protein by studying the binding of MAbs to recombinant M protein fragments. Immunoelectron microscopy using these MAbs demonstrated that in a significant proportion of the M protein molecules, the carboxy terminus is exposed on the external surface both in purified viruses and in nascent TGEV virions that recently exited infected swine testis cells. The same MAbs specifically neutralized the infectivity of the PUR46-MAD strain, indicating that the C-terminal domain of M protein is exposed on infectious viruses. This topology of TGEV M protein probably coexists with the structure currently described for the M protein of coronaviruses, which consists of an exposed amino terminus and an intravirion carboxy-terminal domain. The presence of a detectable number of M protein molecules with their carboxy termini exposed on the surface of the virion has relevance for viral function, since it has been shown that the carboxy terminus of M protein is immunodominant and that antibodies specific for this domain both neutralize TGEV and mediate the complement-dependent lysis of TGEV-infected cells.


docid: vonizlpv

title: Predicting the mortality due to Covid-19 by the next month for Italy, Iran and South Korea; a simulation study.

text: Aim To estimate the number of confirmed cases and the rate of death and also to investigate the cause of death in Italy, Iran and South Korea in the next month. Background Growing number of confirmed and deaths cases from the coronavirus worldwide, particularly in Italy, Iran and South Korea, has resulted concerns about the future of these countries and their deterioration. Also the European region is likely to face more casualties due to the delay in the virus reaching most of its regions and, of course, as the trend continues. Methods We conducted a simulation in both current and ideal situation for the next month to predict the death rate and examine the reason for the difference in Italy, Iran and South Korea individually. If we assume the cultural and political factors and age pyramids distribution are similar across regions, the differences are mainly due either to the heavier health-care burden owing to the larger population or to the medical facilities diversities. Results Our results for Italy showed higher death number, but the rate would be more for Iran. South Korea is also expected to have a smaller increase in the number of confirmed cases and deaths compared to Iran and Italy by the next month. Conclusion Given the prevailing conditions around the world and the increasing number of casualties, it is essential that all countries, especially those with fewer days of involvement, shall do their best to avoid major losses and damages.


title: The lesson of supplementary treatment with Chinese medicine on severe laboratory-confirmed SARS patients.

text: Chinese medicine (CM) has been used to control infectious diseases for thousands of years. In 2003 outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) occurred in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. In view of the possible beneficial effect of CM on SARS, we conducted this study to examine whether CM is of any benefit as a supplementary treatment of SARS. Four severe laboratory-confirmed SARS patients received routine western-medicine treatment plus different supplementary treatment: CM A, CM B and CM C (placebo control). We reported the course of the cases in terms of changes in chest radiographic scores. Case 1 treated as a placebo control passed away on the 9th day after onset of disease. The other three cases treated with CM A or CM B survived. The initial findings seemed to indicate a favorable effect of CM on management of SARS. The findings need to be verified with a larger sample. Using CM as a supplementary treatment of severe SARS seems to indicate that natural herbal medicine can be used against avian influenza. Hence, such related experience or clinical trials should be taken into consideration when facing the possible outbreak of avian influenza in the future.


title: Perceived Racial/Ethnic Discrimination and Mental Health: a Review and Future Directions for Social Epidemiology.

text: PURPOSE OF REVIEW Recent literature on racial or ethnic discrimination and mental health was reviewed to assess the current science and identify key areas of emphasis for social epidemiology. Objectives of this review were to: 1) Determine whether there have been advancements in the measurement and analysis of perceived discrimination; 2) Identify the use of theories and/or frameworks in perceived discrimination and mental health research; and 3) Assess the extent to which stress buffers are being considered and evaluated in the existing literature. RECENT FINDINGS Metrics and analytic approaches used to assess discrimination remain largely unchanged. Theory and/or frameworks such as the stress and coping framework continue to be underused in majority of the studies. Adolescents and young adults experiencing racial/ethnic discrimination were at greater risk of adverse mental health outcomes, and the accumulation of stressors over the life course may have an aggregate impact on mental health. Some growth seems evident in studies examining the mediation and moderation of stress buffers and other key factors with the findings suggesting a reduction in the effects of discrimination on mental health. SUMMARY Discrimination scales should consider the multiple social identities of a person, the context where the exposure occurs, how the stressor manifests specifically in adolescents, the historical traumas, and cumulative exposure. Life course theory and intersectionality may help guide future work. Despite existing research, gaps remain in in elucidating the effects of racial and ethnic discrimination on mental health, signaling an opportunity and a call to social epidemiologists to engage in interdisciplinary research to speed research progress.


Bronchiolitis Today.


Factors influencing emerging infectious diseases in the southeastern United States.


title: Prevalence of circulating antibodies to p10, a non-structural protein of the Borna disease virus in cats with ataxia.

text: Japanese domestic cats were surveyed for circulating antibodies to the plO and p24 proteins of the Borna disease virus (BDV) by Western blotting. Twenty-four of 52 cats (46.2%) with ataxia and other neurologic symptoms of unknown cause were positive for antibodies to BDV p10 and/or p24. In contrast, cats without neurological symptoms gave a significantly lower prevalence of anti-BDV antibodies to p10 and/or p24 (36 of 152 cats, 23.7%). Thirty specific pathogen-free (SPF) cats tested as controls were uniformly negative to BDV pl0 and p24 antigens. These results suggest that BDV may play a role in ataxia in cats. Additionally, our results suggest that it is necessary to use both p10 and p24 as antigens to detect circulating antibodies to BDV in cats.


title: A new mesh design for plug and patch groin hernia repair: Parietene PP.

text: Plug and patch hernioplasty is a technique showing very good results. Actually some criticisms mainly concern the amount of prosthetic material and the shrinkage of the plug resulting in recurrence of hernia, groin pain, and/or migration. The new tridimensional mesh Parietene PP allows to achieve a plug and patch hernioplasty, without any risk of plug migration. The Parietene PP hernia repair in simple and easy to learn. Preliminary results are very satisfactory and comparable with the best outcome from mesh plug repair, without any risk of plug migration.


docid: selnxebs

title: Cell-penetrating-peptide-mediated siRNA lung delivery.

text: The therapeutic application of siRNA (short interfering RNA) shows promise as an alternative approach to small-molecule inhibitors for the treatment of human disease. However, the major obstacle to its use has been the difficulty in delivering these large anionic molecules in vivo. A potential approach to solving this problem is the chemical conjugation of siRNA to the cationic CPPs (cell-penetrating peptides), Tat-(48-60) (transactivator of transcription) and penetratin, which have been shown previously to mediate protein and peptide delivery in a host of animal models. In this transaction, we review recent studies on the utility of siRNA for the investigation of protein function in the airways/lung. We show that, despite previous studies showing the utility of cationic CPPs in vitro, conjugation of siRNA to Tat-(48-60) and penetratin failed to increase residual siRNA-mediated knockdown of p38 MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) (MAPK14) mRNA in mouse lung in vivo. Significantly, we will also discuss potential non-specific actions and the induction of immunological responses by CPPs and their conjugates and how this might limit their application for siRNA-mediated delivery in vivo.


title: An indolent case of severe acute respiratory syndrome.

text: Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a highly contagious and typically rapidly progressive form of atypical pneumonia, which spread from Asia to many parts of the world in early 2003. Clinical diagnosis of SARS requires the presence of unremitting fever and progressive pneumonia despite antibiotic therapy, particularly in the presence of lymphopenia and raised transaminase levels. We report the case of a woman who had undergone a successful allogeneic bone marrow transplant for acute myeloid leukemia. She presented initially with fever and a normal chest radiograph. Her indolent clinical course of SARS was punctuated by resolution of fever, but there was progressive radiologic deterioration and increasing serum antibody titer against SARS coronavirus. Treatment with oral prednisolone and ribavirin normalized her lymphopenia, altered transaminases, chest radiograph and high-resolution computed tomography appearances rapidly. Our experience should alert other clinicians in recognizing this atypical indolent presentation of SARS, to protect health care workers and the community at large and to ensure that these patients are properly treated.


Requirement of the poly(A) tail in coronavirus genome replication.


title: Targeted multimodal liposomes for nano-delivery and imaging: an avenger for drug resistance and cancer.

text: Understanding the cellular target structure and thereby proposing the best delivery system to achieve sustained release of drugs has always been a significant area of focus in biomedical research for translational benefits. Specific targeting of the receptors expressed on the target cell represents an effective strategy for increasing the pharmacological efficacy of the administered drug. Liposomes offer enhanced conveyance as a potential carrier of biomacromolecules such as anti-cancer proteins, drugs and siRNA for targeting tumour cell death. Commonly used liposomal constructs for various therapies are Doxil, Myocet, DepoCyt and Abraxanes. However, recent strategy of using multifunctional liposomes for the sustained release of drugs with increased plasma residence time and monoclonal antibody-based targeting of tumours coupled with imaging modalities have attracted enormous scientific attention. The ability of liposomes coated with specific ligands such as Apo-E derived RGD R9 and Tat peptide, to reverse the conceptualisation of drug resistance and cross the blood brain barrier, provides promising future for their use as an efficient drug delivery system. By outlining the recent advancements and innovations in the established concept of liposomal drug delivery, this review will focus on the multifunctional liposomes as an emerging novel lipid based drug delivery system.


title: In vivo restoration of biologically active 3' ends of virus-associated RNAs by nonhomologous RNA recombination and replacement of a terminal motif.

text: Sequences at the 3' ends of plus-strand RNA viruses and their associated subviral RNAs are important cis elements for the synthesis of minus strands in vivo and in vitro. All RNAs associated with turnip crinkle virus (TCV), including the genomic RNA (4,054 bases) and satellite RNAs (sat-RNAs) such as sat-RNA D (194 bases), terminate with the motif CCUGCCC. While investigating the ability of in vivo-generated recombinants between sat-RNA D and TCV to be amplified in plants, we discovered that sat-RNA D, although truncated by as many as 15 bases in the chimeric molecules, was released from the chimeric transcripts and amplified to high levels. The "new" sat-RNA D molecules nearly all terminated with the motif (C1-2)UG(C1-3) (which may begin with 1 or 2 cytosines and end with 1, 2, or 3 cytosines), which was similar or identical to the natural sat-RNA D 3' end. The new sat-RNA D also contained between 1 and 22 bases of heterogeneous sequence upstream from the terminal motif, which, in some cases, was apparently derived from internal regions of either the plus or minus strand of the TCV genomic RNA. Since most of these internal genomic RNA sequences within TCV were not adjacent to (C1-2)UG(C1-3), at least two steps were required to produce new sat-RNA D 3' ends: nonhomologous recombination with the TCV genomic RNA followed by the addition or modification of the terminus to generate the (C1-2)UG(C1-3) motif.


title: Mutagenic analysis of the 3' cis-acting elements of the rubella virus genome.

text: Thermodynamically predicted secondary structure analysis of the 3'-terminal 305 nucleotides (nt) of the rubella virus (RUB) genome, a region conserved in all RUB defective interfering RNAs, revealed four stem-loop (SL) structures; SL1 and SL2 are both located in the E1 coding region, while SL3 and SL4 are within the 59-nt 3' untranslated region (UTR) preceding the poly(A) tract. SL2 is a structure shown to interact with human calreticulin (CAL), an autoantigen potentially involved in RUB RNA replication and pathogenesis. RNase mapping indicated that SL2 and SL3 are in equilibrium between two conformations, in the second of which the previously proposed CAL binding site in SL2, a U-U bulge, is not formed. Site-directed mutagenesis of the 3' UTR with a RUB infectious clone, Robo302, revealed that most of the 3' UTR is required for viral viability except for the 3'-terminal 5 nt and the poly(A) tract, although poly(A) was rapidly regenerated during subsequent replication. Maintenance of the overall SL3 structure, the 11-nt single-stranded sequence between SL3 and SL4, and the sequences forming SL4 were all important for viral viability. Studies on the interaction between host factors and the 3' UTR showed the formation of three RNA-protein complexes by gel mobility shift assay, and UV-induced cross-linking detected six host protein species, with molecular masses of 120, 80, 66, 55, 48, and 36 kDa, interacting with the 3' UTR. Site-directed mutagenesis of SL2 by nucleotide substitutions showed that maintenance of SL2 stem rather than the U-U bulge was critical in CAL binding since mutants having the U-U bulge base paired had a similar binding activity for CAL as the native structure whereas mutants having the SL2 stem destabilized had much lower binding activity. However, all of these mutations gave rise to viable viruses when introduced into Robo302, indicating that binding of CAL to SL2 is independent of viral viability.


title: Legal capacity of the elderly in Greece.

text: Legal capacity of the elderly people in Greece is of great legal, medical and social importance, but has received little attention till now from medical literature. This paper aims to study whether elderly people with dementia are able to participate in legal contracts like sales, purchases, loans, leases, donations and testaments. We tried to introduce a new test for the above legal-financial contracts and show some preliminary findings. The test consists of six examined relevant domains concerning basic monetary skills, cash transactions, bank statement management, financial conceptual knowledge, knowledge of potential heirs (beneficiaries) and assets/estate and finally the decision making process for different dilemmas on sales, purchases, loans, leases, donations and testaments. We studied 203 people. Eighty three people were healthy, 64 with Alzheimer's disease (AD) (10 with severe AD, 22 with moderate, and 32 with mild AD), 10 with Parkinson's disease (PD), and 46 with amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI). Individuals were included in the study only if they were aged 60 and over and only if they had a partner or a guardian who could give information on the individual's daily living. The exclusion criteria were predefined as follows: history of any other mental health disease and/or any other serious somatic health disease except for their official diagnosis of dementia. Results showed statistically significant differences with all three groups of patients characterized as incapable for legal-financial actions. Patients with severe AD (P<0.001), patients with moderate AD (P<0.001), patients with mild AD (P<0.001), patients with PD (P<0.001) and aMCI patients (P<0.001) differed significantly from healthy controls. Further research should include more extensive sampling of elderly patients with varying demographic characteristics in Greece, to confirm and expand our initial findings. In conclusion, our new test which is based on Marson's theoretical model of financial capacity seems to be highly correlated with the so far use of MMSE/HMSE scores, but it gives more specific information that is of interest in the field of civil forensics for characterizing someone as legally (in) capable for large and/or small scale financial acts. Our preliminary results show for the first time in Greece that: a) four groups of elderly people (suffering from Alzheimer's disease at different stages, Parkinson's disease and amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment and healthy elders) show a significantly different profile on all examined domains of this new test according to their diagnosis, b) people with MCI from Greece do face problems in the domains outlined above (mainly financial decision making problems), and that c) subsequent changes in the Greek law should be made.


Communicating about the Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreak to the international community and in-country foreigners, Republic of Korea, 2015.


title: An intense influenza pandemic--possible subtype of H5N1: its implications for Jamaica.

text: Using two different attack rates, 20% and 30%, the paper attempts to project several possible outcomes for the Jamaican economy in the event of a severe pandemic. In addition to forecasting the possible loss in man hours for the economy, the study uses the Monte Carlo modelling technique to provide estimates of the death and hospitalization rates among the 0-19, 20-64 and 65(+)-year age cohorts while extra-polating the demand for healthcare providers.


New ways of initiating translation in eukaryotes.


title: Development and applications of a bovine coronavirus antigen detection enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

text: We developed a monoclonal antibody-based, antigen capture sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for bovine coronavirus. We compared the ELISA with electron microscopy and the hemagglutination test and found a close correlation between them. The sensitivity of the ELISA was 10(4) bovine coronavirus particles per ml of 10% fecal suspension. Compared with electron microscopy, bovine coronavirus ELISA had 96% specificity.


title: Feasibility of Transanal Minimally Invasive Surgery (TAMIS) for Rectal Tumours and Its Impact on Quality of Life - The Bristol Series.

text: AIM We assessed feasibility of the transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS) procedure and quality of life postoperatively. PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 28 patients with rectal lesions were treated using TAMIS at Southmead Hospital, North Bristol NHS Trust. Outcome measures included feasibility of excision, negative margin (R0) resection rate, length of hospital stay, morbidity and mortality, and postoperative quality of life associated with anal incontinence. Results; TAMIS was feasible in 90% of cases. R0 resection was 82%. The mean length of hospital stay was 1.5 days. Six (21%) patients experienced acute urinary retention postoperatively. One (4%) patient was re-admitted with rectal bleeding. One patient experienced a perforation. Mortality was 0%. Postoperative quality of life indicated low severity of symptoms of anal incontinence. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that TAMIS is a feasible option in the treatment of rectal tumours and does not impair quality of life postoperatively.


title: Coronavirus main proteinase (3CLpro) structure: basis for design of anti-SARS drugs.

text: A novel coronavirus has been identified as the causative agent of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The viral main proteinase (Mpro, also called 3CLpro), which controls the activities of the coronavirus replication complex, is an attractive target for therapy. We determined crystal structures for human coronavirus (strain 229E) Mpro and for an inhibitor complex of porcine coronavirus [transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV)] Mpro, and we constructed a homology model for SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV) Mpro. The structures reveal a remarkable degree of conservation of the substrate-binding sites, which is further supported by recombinant SARS-CoV Mpro-mediated cleavage of a TGEV Mpro substrate. Molecular modeling suggests that available rhinovirus 3Cpro inhibitors may be modified to make them useful for treating SARS.


title: Dynamics of human respiratory virus-specific CD8+ T cell responses in blood and airways during episodes of common cold.

text: We determined the dynamics of CD8(+) T cells specific for influenza virus and respiratory syncytial virus in blood and tracheostoma aspirates of children during the course of respiratory infections. We showed that during localized respiratory infections the ratio of activated effector CD8(+) T cells to resting memory/naive CD8(+) T cells in peripheral blood increased significantly. Furthermore, the number of effector/memory T cells specific for respiratory viruses declined in blood and increased in the airways, suggesting that these T cells redistributed from blood to airways. T cells specific for the infecting virus were present in the airways for longer periods at increased levels than nonspecifically recruited bystander T cells. After clearance of the infection, the ratio of resting memory and naive CD8(+) T cells normalized in peripheral blood and also memory T cell numbers specific for unrelated viruses that declined during the infection due to bystander recruitment were restored. Taken together, these results showed a significant systemic T cell response during relatively mild secondary infections and extensive dynamics of virus-specific and nonspecific Ag-experienced T cells.