Infected Ones Research Articles

Pathogen priming alters host transmission potential and predictors of transmissibility in a wild songbird species.

As Covid-19 dramatically illustrated, humans and other animals can become infected with the same pathogen multiple times. Because individuals already have defenses against pathogen their immune systems have encountered before, reinfections are typically less severe, and are thought to be less contagious, but this is rarely directly tested. We used a songbird species and two strains of its common bacterial pathogen to study how contagious hosts are when their immune systems have some degree of prior experience with a pathogen. We found that reinfected hosts are not as contagious as initially infected ones. However, the more transmissible of the two strains, which also causes more harm to its hosts, was able to multiply more readily than the other strain within reinfected hosts, and was more contagious in both reinfected and first-infected hosts. This suggests that reinfections might favor more harmful pathogen strains that are better able to overcome immune defenses.

Holothuria polii Extract as a Potential Anticoccidial Agent: Evidence of Its MUC2 Regulatory Impact in Murine Jejunum.

Eimeria is a parasite that causes coccidiosis in a variety of animals, leading to nutritional imbalances, issues with food digestion and absorption, low weight, and intestinal inflammation of varying degrees in its hosts. Anticoccidial medication resistance has become a significant obstacle to disease control efforts, leading to a renewed focus on discovering novel chemicals for alternative therapeutic approaches. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of Holothuria polii extract (HpE) in treating eimeriosis in mice. Five groups of mice were studied, with E. papillata sporulated oocysts (1 × 103) used to infect three groups experimentally. The first group was treated with 200 mg/kg of HpE, the second group with Amprolium (120 mg/kg), and the third group was left untreated as a control. The fourth and fifth groups were uninfected, with one of them treated with 200 mg/kg of HpE and the other used as a negative control. The results revealed that HpE has 10 phytochemical compounds according to GC-MS analysis. Treatment with HpE resulted in a substantial decrease in oocyst output in feces. Also, the parasitic stages showed morphometric alterations, with reductions in the measurements compared with the infected, untreated mice. Moreover, expression of the mucin gene (MUC2) was higher in treated mice compared to infected ones, with significant increases in goblet cell numbers, which provided additional evidence for the activity of HpE as an anticoccidial product. In conclusion, there are a wide variety of natural products and many have been employed in folk medicine for treating a range of parasitic diseases.

Evidence for a constitutive cost of host resistance on body fat growth in ewe lambs from lines selected for resistance or susceptibility to experimental infections with Haemonchus contortus

Although benefits of selection for host resistance to gastro-intestinal nematodes have long been recognized, its costs on production traits remain unclear. A main difficulty when studying those costs is to disentangle genetic effects due to selection from plastic responses induced by infection. Putative costs of host resistance have been extensively investigated in growing sheep. However, while most of those studies have relied on live weight to assess body growth, more comprehensive assessments accounting for body composition are advocated to detect trade-offs. In this study we used 90 female lambs from lines divergently selected on resistance to Haemonchus contortus that we experimentally infected (n = 60) or not (n = 30) under controlled conditions. As those conditions were defined to enable uninfected lambs to fully express their growth potential, we sought to precisely identify the effects of selection for host resistance on health traits and on growth traits. We assessed muscular and fat growth based on repeated measurements with dorsal ultrasonography for all lambs on farm, and with whole-body computed tomography (CT) scans for a subgroup of 18 infected lambs. Lambs achieved a high growth rate, including infected ones despite their high worm burden (confirmed at necropsy in the subgroup). As expected, lambs from the resistant (R) line were less infected than those from the susceptible (S) line. However, the clear pathogenic effects observed on muscular growth and voluntary feed intake were similar between lines. In contrast, a line difference in body fat was supported both by dorsal and volumetric CT measurements. Specifically, lower fat in the R line compared with the S line was observed equally in infected and uninfected groups, thus providing evidence for a constitutive cost of host resistance. Although this cost is not necessarily disadvantageous in nutrient-rich environments exposing animals to excess fat deposition, its consequences in nutrient-scarce environments may be important to promote sustainable breeding strategies for host resistance.

Machine learning investigation of tuberculosis with medicine immunity impact

Tuberculosis (T.B.) remains a prominent global cause of health challenges and death, exacerbated by drug-resistant strains such as multidrug-resistant tuberculosis MDR-TB and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis XDR-TB. For an effective disease management strategy, it is crucial to understand the dynamics of T.B. infection and the impacts of treatment. In the present article, we employ AI-based machine learning techniques to investigate the immunity impact of medications. SEIPR epidemiological model is incorporated with MDR-TB for compartments susceptible to disease, exposed to risk, infected ones, preventive or resistant to initial treatment, and recovered or healed population. These masses' natural trends, effects, and interactions are formulated and described in the present study. Computations and stability analysis are conducted upon endemic and disease-free equilibria in the present model for their global scenario. Both numerical and AI-based nonlinear autoregressive exogenous NARX analyses are presented with incorporating immediate treatment and delay in treatment. This study shows that the active patients and MDR-TB, both strains, exist because of the absence of permanent immunity to T.B. Furthermore, patients who have recovered from tuberculosis may become susceptible again by losing their immunity and contributing to transmission again. This article aims to identify patterns and predictors of treatment success. The findings from this research can contribute to developing more effective tuberculosis interventions.

PREVALENCE OF URINARY TRACT INFECTION AMONG OUT PATIENTS A JOS HOSPITAL PLATEAU STATE NIGERIA.

Infection of the urinary tract(called UTI) is caused by microbes thatinvade and inhabit the urinary system (urethra, bladder, ureters, andkidney). Because the urine is an excellent culture medium for the UTI pathogens,these pathogens ascend into the urinary system causing UTI varying from boils, cystitis, and prostitis which may even lead to sepsis if left untreated. This research was conducted to assess the preponderance of UTI among out-patients who attendedthe Plateau Specialist Hospital, Jos. We observed that of the 80 samples examined, 15 tested positive for UTI,suggesting a prevalence of 18.75%. According to age group, it was discovered that age group between 41 above has the highest prevalence of urinary tract infection with 12.5%. Based on gender, the female has the highest prevalence rate of 10(15.0%), though more in number than the males. the female were 60 out of 80 while the male were 20 in number. There was no positive sample obtained in children sample.It was discovered that Escherichia coli has the highest prevalence rate at 6(7.5%), followed by Staphylococcus aureus 4 (5.0%). The isolation of urinary tract pathogens from these patients though with a lower prevalence stresses the urgent need for public enlightenment campaigns by the appropriate authorities to educate the patients as well as the masses on the etiological agents, the possible risk factors, routes of transmission and health implication of urinary tract infection and ways of preventing the bacteria, as well as early diagnosis and treatment of infected ones.

Stochastic two-strain epidemic model with saturated incidence rates driven by Lévy noise

In this paper, we introduce a stochastic two-strain epidemic model driven by Lévy noise describing the interaction between four compartments; susceptible, infected individuals by the first strain, infected ones by the second strain and the recovered individuals. The forces of infection, for both strains, are represented by saturated incidence rates. Our study begins with the investigation of unique global solution of the suggested mathematical model. Then, it moves to the determination of sufficient conditions of extinction and persistence in mean of the two-strain disease. In order to illustrate the theoretical findings, we give some numerical simulations.

Reproductive, productive and financial consequences of chronic Trypanosoma vivax infection in a dairy cattle herd in a region without a cyclic vector

This study evaluated the reproductive, productive and financial consequences of chronic Trypanosoma vivax infection in a dairy cattle herd located in a region without the cyclic vector during two years. Animals were categorized as either positive (chronically infected) or negative for T. vivax antibodies using a commercial rapid test. Additionally, serum samples from cows were analyzed for the presence of anti-Neospora caninum antibodies. Pregnancy diagnoses were performed through rectal palpation and ultrasonography after 30, 60 and every 21 days until the 144th day of pregnancy. If an abortion occurred in the final trimester, serology and cPCR were performed on calves for T. vivax and N. caninum. The breeding period, calving interval and pregnancy losses were recorded. The milk production of each animal during the 305 days of lactation was measured, and the annual financial impact of milk production was calculated using a revenue minus feed cost (RMFC) indicator. Out of 177 cows, 71.75 % were chronically infected, and 13.50 % were T. vivax-negative. No correlation (p = 0.8854) of co-infection between T. vivax and N. caninum was observed. Negative cows required fewer (p≤0.05) artificial inseminations than chronically infected ones. T. vivax was not significantly associated (p = 0.7893) with pregnancy loss up to 81 days of pregnancy. Cows chronically infected by T. vivax had 4-fold greater chance (p = 0.0280) of experiencing pregnancy loss between 82 and 144 days of gestation. Eighteen cows aborted, two were positive for T. vivax antibodies, and one for N. caninum antibodies. The calves were negative for T. vivax and N. caninum. Chronically infected cows and negative cows for T. vivax that experienced pregnancy loss (82–144 days of pregnancy) had a longer (p≤0.05) breeding period to become pregnant, and consequently a longer calving interval compared to cows that maintained pregnancy. The difference (p≤0.05) in milk production was evident when pregnancy loss occurred between 82 and 144 days of gestation in cows chronically infected by T. vivax. The RMFC indicated a negative impact of 38.2 % on the farm's annual milk revenue due to the presence of chronically infected cows.

Studies of the Carbohydrates Content in Tissues of Hamster (Mesocricetus Auratus) Infected with Hookworm (Ancylostoma Ceylanicum)

Hookworm infections are the helminthic infection that affects tropical and subtropical areas. Several laboratory animals have been infected with hookworms. Due to parasitic infection, the structure and function of tissues undergo severe derangements and metabolic disorders. In the present study, a hamster, Mesocricetus auratus was infected with a hookworm, Ancylostoma ceylanicum. Investigation of the Carbohydrate content of A.ceylanicum in M. auratus was studied in control and infected ones. Understanding the level of pathogenicity caused by an A. ceylanicum infection can be aided by examining the total amount of carbohydrates present in the tissues of the host, M. auratus. A biochemical estimation of the total carbohydrate content was made. The brain and spleen were found to have higher carbohydrate contents. There was decreased carbohydrate activity in the kidney, liver, gut, and muscle. The present study depicted the alterations in the total carbohydrate content in various tissues of the host, M. auratus due to the infection of A. ceylanicum. The result of the data obtained in the various tissues due to infection was found to be statistically significant. It was further plotted graphically plotted and interpreted. The research work done in the present study helped to understand the biochemical changes taking place in the host, Mesocricetus auratus due to hookworm, Ancylostoma ceylanicum infection.

A novel fractionalized investigation of tuberculosis disease

ABSTRACT In this study, we investigate novel fractional tuberculosis model with Caputo fractional derivative. The computational solution of the fractional tuberculosis disease is obtained with the help of the generalized Euler's method (GEM). This article considers two treatment strategies: protective treatment for latent populations and main treatment for infected ones. The compartmental structure of the six-dimensional model includes the susceptible, latent, infected, recovered, and treatment classes. To examine the nature of differential equations of fractional order that arise in biological illness, the findings produced utilizing the method under consideration are more accurate and straightforward. Additionally, the stability of the equilibrium point is also investigated. The fractional model has been graphically simulated using MATLAB22.

Post-COVIDmental health of librarians in Vietnam

This study aims to measure the mental well-being levels of librarians in Vietnamin the new normal context after the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings are expected to advocate for future policy interventions regarding mental health carefor staffin Vietnam’s librariesand information centerssince the pandemic has made coping with crises recognised globally as an integral part of life. On this ground, a survey was designed and administered online for librarians across Vietnam to self-rate their 5 dimensions of psychological generalwell-being using the WHO-5 [1]together with the Revised Life Orientation Test (LOT-R) [2],and Strahan-Gerbasi’s 1972 short version of the Marlow‐Crowne Social Desirability Scale [3].The survey shows despite the low mid-COVID mental health, there was a statisticallysignificant increase in mental health scores in the new normal. There are abouttwo-thirds of the surveyed librarians areinfected with COVID-19. For either the mid-or post-COVIDmental health, there was a statistically significant difference in scores between the infected and uninfected ones. Threeindependent-samplet-tests on genders, marital and parenthood statuses only found statistically significant differences in mid-and post-COVIDmental health scores between different marital and parenthood statuses, with the unmarried and the ones with no children scoring higher on both mid-and post-COVIDmental health over their counterparts. Eight one-way between-groups ANOVA tests conducted on a wide range of demographics (geographical area, library type, library size, age, seniority, position, specialization, and qualification) only showed statistically significant differences in mid- 2and post-COVIDmental health scores between different age groups, seniority levels, and types of position.

Healing with precision: A multi-functional hydrogel-bioactive glass dressing boosts infected wound recovery and enhances neurogenesis in the wound bed

Chronic skin wounds, especially infected ones, pose a significant clinical challenge due to their increasing incidence and poor outcomes. The deteriorative microenvironment in such wounds, characterized by reduced extracellular matrix, impaired angiogenesis, insufficient neurogenesis, and persistent bacterial infection, has prompted the exploration of novel therapeutic strategies. In this study, we developed an injectable multifunctional hydrogel (GEL/BG@Cu + Mg) incorporating Gelatin-Tannic acid/ N-hydroxysuccinimide functionalized polyethylene glycol and Bioactive glass doped with copper and magnesium ions to accelerate the healing of infected wounds. The GEL/BG@Cu + Mg hydrogel composite demonstrates good biocompatibility, degradability, and rapid formation of a protective barrier to stop bleeding. Synergistic bactericidal effects are achieved through the photothermal properties of BG@Cu + Mg and sustained copper ions release, with the latter further promoting angiogenesis. Furthermore, the hydrogel enhances neurogenesis by stimulating axons and Schwann cells in the wound bed through the beneficial effects of magnesium ions. Our results demonstrate that the designed novel multifunctional hydrogel holds tremendous promise for treating infected wounds and allowing regenerative neurogenesis at the wound site, which provides a viable alternative for further improving clinical outcomes.

Saffron corm sorting and rot treatment strategy for productivity enhancement for precision agriculture

One of the most economical and precious spices ever known is saffron. It has innumerable pharmaceutical applications, and its cultivation is limited to certain topographic regions throughout the world. Although efforts are continuously being made to increase productivity and increase the area under cultivation, there are multiple factors leading to its low production. Corm size is one of the major factors affecting the quality and production of saffron. The more the corm size for a plantation, the better the yield of the crop. This can pose a serious threat to saffron cultivators who are not able to get good quality corms and sort quality corms from infected ones. Additional factors affecting saffron cultivation include attack by fungus leading to corm rots and sclerotineal disease. In this paper, IoT (Internet of Things) has been used to provide an energy-efficient, ready-to-use, reliable, and user-friendly solution for corm sorting and treatment before sowing to promote quality, better yield and minimized wastage due to corm rots. After sorting the corms, they are treated with 0.2% of tiabendazole fungicide solution and dried, before sowing and for long-term storage. Firstly, sorting and treatment system for the saffron corms processing as per weight is proposed. First two-layer cleaning mechanism to remove foreign substances, then three-step treatment has been applied to remove microorganisms. An automated conveyor system equipped with IoT devices was used for sorting and treating saffron corms. Different energy efficient LPWA (Low Power Wide Area) and LTE (Long Term Evolution) technologies used in the framework, for communication are NB-IoT (Narrow Band IoT) and LoRa (Long Range Radio).

Obtaining aseptic in vitro culture of Hydrangea paniculata ‘Samarskya Lydia’

Techniques for obtaining sterile culture in vitro Hydrangea paniculata 'Samarskaya Lydia' have been developed. The highest number of viable (92%) explants with a minimum of infected and necrotic ones was obtained by sequential treatment of apical and axillary buds from spring regrowth shoots in 3% hydrogen peroxide solution for 3 minutes and 7% sodium hypochlorite solution for 4 minutes. The selected Anderson nutrient medium containing BAP at a concentration of 5.0 mg/l and IAA – 1.0 mg/l is the most preferable for regeneration of shoots with a propagation coefficient of 6.

Induction of PR-Proteins and Oxidative Isozymes in Tomato Genotypes Resistant and Susceptible to Tomato Mosaic Virus and Tomato Spotted wilt Virus

Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) and Tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) are two of the most common viruses that threaten tomato crops in Egypt and worldwide. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of PRs, and oxidative isozymes in the protection of tomato plants from oxidative damage induced by viral infection in 16 tomato genotypes. A total of 16 tomato genotypes were evaluated against TSWV and ToMV separately. Changes in the content of protein and defense enzymes were studied in tomato genotypes resistant and susceptible to TSWV or ToMV. The results of the investigation showed that 16 tomato lines gave different responses to infection with TSWV or ToMV [highly resistant (HR), resistant (R), moderately resistant (MR), moderately susceptible (MS), and susceptible (S)]. In this study, the total soluble protein profiles, polyphenol oxidase (PPO), and peroxidase (POX) isozymes of the healthy tomato plants and the TSWV or ToMV infected ones were estimated by electrophoresis in Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). The results showed quantitative and qualitative differences in the number of bands among the 16 tomato genotypes. Thus, the protein content and isozyme activities were increased or decreased or not changed in inoculated tomato plants with TSWV or ToMV, compared with the un-inoculated plants, depending on the genotype, virus, and degree of resistance. On the other hand, it was found a negative or low-positive correlation between disease incidence and (protein content and isozyme activities). Therefore, it is important that to understand the defense strategy of plants against viruses and how tomato plants defend themselves from virus invasion. Therefore, tomato genotypes resistant to TSWV or ToMV could be used in the tomato breeding programs to prevent viral infection

Local behavior of the Eden model on graphs and tessellations of manifolds

The Eden Model in Rn\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${\\mathbb {R}}^n$$\\end{document} constructs a blob as follows: initially a single unit hypercube is infected, and each second a hypercube adjacent to the infected ones is selected randomly and infected. Manin, Roldán, and Schweinhart investigated the topology of the Eden model in Rn\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${\\mathbb {R}}^{n}$$\\end{document} by considering the possible shapes which can appear on the boundary. In particular, they give probabilistic lower bounds on the Betti numbers of the Eden model. In this paper, we prove analogous results for the Eden model on any infinite, vertex-transitive, locally finite graph: with high probability as time goes to infinity, every “possible” subgraph (with mild conditions on what “possible” means) occurs on the boundary of the Eden model at least a number of times proportional to an isoperimetric profile of the graph. Using this, we can extend the results about the topology of the Eden model to non-Euclidean spaces, such as hyperbolic n-space and universal covers of certain Riemannian manifolds.

Optimal control analysis on the impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions and vaccination on the dynamics of COVID-19

COVID-19 is a serious issue, claiming millions of lives across the globe. Starting from the beginning of the pandemic, different controlling strategies, such as non-pharmaceutical interventions and vaccination, have been adapted to mitigate the virus. In this paper, we developed an epidemiological mathematical model to assess the transmission dynamics of COVID-19 with interventions. The impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions and vaccination of vulnerable individuals on its transmission has been discussed in the developed model. We have proved the mathematical well-posedness and epidemiological meaningfulness of the model. The disease free and endemic equilibrium points are calculated, and the stability analysis of the equilibria have been proved by obtaining the control as well as the basic reproduction numbers of the model. Furthermore, an optimal control analysis is implemented to assess the impacts of employing control interventions. The controls are employed as a time dependent self protective measures, vaccinating individuals, and treating the infected ones. Then we proved the existence and uniqueness of optimal controls, and analyzed the problem using Pontryagin’s Maximum Principle. We estimated the parameter values of the proposed model with collected epidemiological data. Different simulation cases were performed to compare the analytical results and identify the most appropriate control intervention strategies. After implementing the proposed control measures, and performing the efficiency analysis of the control strategies, we obtained a promising result for reducing the number of infected individuals by implementing the control measures properly.

Sequential infection of human norovirus and Salmonella enterica resulted in higher mortality and ACOD1/IRG1 upregulation in zebrafish larvae

Human norovirus (HNoVs) and Salmonella are both very important foodborne pathogens with mixed infection of HNoV and Salmonella reported clinically. With the use of model organism zebrafish (Danio rerio), it was observed that the sequential infection of HNoVs and Salmonella caused lower survival rates (12.5 ± 4.2%) than the single-pathogen infection by Salmonella (31.6 ± 7.3%, P < 0.05) or HNoVs (no mortality observed). Gene expression study with the use of RT-PCR and global transcriptomic analysis revealed that the mortality of zebrafish larvae was very likely due to the harmful inflammatory responses. Specifically, it was noted that the genes encoding aconitate decarboxylase 1 (ACOD1), also known as immunoresponsive gene 1 (IRG1), were significantly upregulated in the sequentially infected zebrafish larvae. The expression of acod1 could lead to mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. The ROS levels were indeed higher in sequentially infected zebrafish larvae than the single-pathogen infected ones (P < 0.05). An immersion treatment of glutathione or citraconate did not affect the microbial loads of HNoVs and Salmonella but significantly reduced the ROS levels and protected the zebrafish larvae by inducing higher survival rates in the sequentially infected zebrafish larvae (P < 0.05). Taken together, this study accumulated new knowledge over the function of ACOD1/IRG1 pathway in infectious diseases, and proposed possible treatment strategies accordingly.

IMPACT OF Plasmodium falciparum PARASITAEMIA ON SOME HEMATOLOGICAL PROFILES AMONG CHILDREN 6-59 MONTHS: A CASE STUDY OF SELECTED HOSPITALS IN MAIDUGURI, BORNO STATE

Plasmodium falciparum is responsible for millions of deaths globally, with children under five (5) years old the most vulnerable. It is associated with some haematological changes. As a result, this study was carried out to evaluate the effects of P. falciparum parasitaemia on certain haematological parameters in Malaria-affected Children in Maiduguri. To ascertain the prevalence and haematological alterations brought on by infection, blood samples were taken from 421 kids during the months of December 2021 and June 2022 (7 months). Overall results show 182 (43.23%) patients were positive to malaria while 239 (56.77%) were negative. Similarly, the PCV, RBC and thrombocytes count respectively (23.95%, 2.94x10-9/µL and 346.23X10-9/µL and 147.15X10-9/µL) of the malaria positives subjects were significantly (p=0.05) lower compared to the malaria negative (34.69%, 4.0 X10-9/µL and 346.23 X10-9/µL) subjects. Furthermore, the mean WBC, lymphocytes and neutrophils respectively of the malaria positive subjects were significantly higher compared (18.67 x10-9/µL, 59.88% and 66,05%) to the infected ones (12.92 x10-9/µl, 37.69% and 47.05%). The result also shows the mean of sex comparison of haematological parameters of children infected with malaria, with the PCV and thrombocytes of male positive subject been significantly lower than that of the female negative children (24.40% and 145.98X10-9/µ) versus (34.82% and 337.00X10-9/µl) appropriately (p=0.05), whereas the mean WBC, lymphocytes and neutrophils were significantly higher compared to female positive subjects (17.48X10_9/µl, 59.46% and 63.95%) versus (18.64 x10-9/µl, 60.48% and 69.04%), (p=0.01, 0.05). In conclusion, malaria is highly prevalent among children, 21-30 months old in Maiduguri and it is associated...

Early detection of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wied.) in oranges using different aspects of remote sensing applications

Mediterranean Fruit Fly, Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) is regarded as an important pest of orange (Citrus). Early detection of pest infestations enables theoptimal application of preventative and control measures. This study was carried out under laboratory conditions, in order to predict and monitor orange pest infestations. Consequently, the scope was to find a remote sensing application that can help in the prediction of Mediterranean Fruit Fly infestation in oranges with the least loss in production. Spectroscopic and thermal imaging techniques were investigated, as effective tools in determination of pest infestation and damage in orange fruits. According to the findings, the optimum spectral zones that can be used to discriminate and differentiate between healthy (non-infected) orange fruit and infected ones were red and near infrared bands. Six vegetation indices were calculated to analyze the Field Spectral measurements. By calculating the NPCI (Normalized Pigment Chlorophyll Index), it was found that NPCI values for infected orange fruits were higher in comparison to healthy ones. Thermal imaging showed that the infected orange fruit temperatures were on average 0.8 °C higher than that of healthy fruits. As the maximum temperature differential (MTD) between healthy and infected fruits were 23.7–24.5 °C, respectively. These spectral reflectance curves were useful for researchers working on Site-specific crop management, as they can use remote sensing to detect individual fruit infections. Also, this technique should be used as a powerful and non-destructive method for assistance in agriculture.

Establishment of a secondary infection laboratory model of Echinococcus shiquicus metacestode using BALB/c mice and Mongolian jirds (Meriones unguiculatus).

Echinococcus shiquicus is peculiar to the Qinghai–Tibet plateau of China. Research on this parasite has mainly focused on epidemiological surveys and life cycle studies. So far, limited laboratory studies have been reported. Here, experimental infection of E. shiquicus metacestode in BALB/c mice and Mongolian jirds (Meriones unguiculatus) was carried out to establish alternative laboratory animal models. Intraperitoneal inoculation of metacestode material containing protoscoleces (PSCs) obtained from infected plateau pikas were conducted on BALB/c mice. Furthermore, metacestode material without PSCs deriving from infected BALB/c mice was intraperitoneally inoculated to Mongolian jirds. Experimental animals were dissected for macroscopic and histopathological examination. The growth of cysts in BALB/c mice was infiltrative, and they invaded the murine entire body. Most of the metacestode cysts were multicystic, but a few were unilocular. The cysts contained sterile vesicles, which had no PSCs. The metacestode materials were able to successfully infect new mice. In the jirds model, E. shiquicus cysts were typically formed freely in the peritoneal cavity; the majority of these cysts were free while a small portion adhered loosely to nearby organs. The proportion of fertile cysts was high, and contained many PSCs. The PSCs produced in Mongolian jirds also successfully infected new ones, which confirms that jirds can serve as an alternative experimental intermediate host. In conclusion, a laboratory animal infection was successfully established for E. shiquicus using BALB/c mice and Mongolian jirds. These results provide new models for the in-depth study of Echinococcus metacestode survival strategy, host interactions and immune escape mechanism.