Risk Of Spread Research Articles

First detection of hepatitis E virus in dromedary camels from Iran.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) genotype 7 is a zoonotic disease detected in dromedary camels. The consumption of camel meat and dairy products, the abundance of dromedary camels in Southeast Iran and the import of camels from neighbouring countries to Iran made the researchers investigate the infection rate of camels by the virus. A total of 53 healthy camels in Southeast Iran (Sistan and Baluchistan Province) tested for HEV RNA. A total of 17 blood samples and 36 liver samples were taken from 53 healthy dromedary camels (aged between 2 and 10 years) from various southeastern regions of Iran. The samples were tested for HEV using RT-PCR. Overall, 56.6% of the studied samples (n=30) tested positive for HEV RNA. The present study was the first of its kind in Iran and revealed the presence of HEV in the Iranian dromedary camel population, which might play the role of a zoonosis reservoir for its transmission to humans. This discovery raises concerns about food-borne illnesses that can be transmitted from animals to humans. However, further research is needed to identify the specific genotype of the HEV in Iranian dromedary camel infections and to determine the risk of spread to other animals and humans.

Facing the Wildfire Spread Risk Challenge: Where Are We Now and Where Are We Going?

Wildfire is a sudden and highly destructive natural disaster that poses significant challenges in terms of response and rescue efforts. Influenced by factors such as climate, combustible materials, and ignition sources, wildfires have been increasingly occurring worldwide on an annual basis. In recent years, researchers have shown growing interest in studying wildfires, leading to a substantial body of related research. These studies encompass various topics, including wildfire prediction and forecasting, the analysis of spatial and temporal patterns, the assessment of ecological impacts, the simulation of wildfire behavior, the identification of influencing factors, the development of risk assessment models, techniques for managing combustible materials, decision-making technologies for firefighting, and fire-retardant methods. Understanding the factors that affect wildfire spread behavior, employing simulation methods, and conducting risk assessments are vital for effective wildfire prevention, disaster mitigation, and emergency response. Consequently, it is imperative to comprehensively review and explore further research in this field. This article primarily focuses on elucidating and discussing wildfire spread behavior as a key aspect. It summarizes the driving factors of wildfire spread behavior and introduces a wildfire spread behavior simulation software and its main applications based on these factors. Furthermore, it presents the research progress in wildfire risk assessment based on wildfire spread behavior factors and simulation, and provides an overview of various methods used for wildfire risk assessment. Finally, the article proposes several prospects for future research on wildfire spread: strengthening the dynamic monitoring of wildfires and utilizing comprehensive data from multiple sources, further exploring the differential effects of key factors on wildfire spread, investigating differences in driving factors, improving wildfire models in China, developing applicable software, and conducting accurate and scientific assessments of wildfire risks to protect ecological resources.

Perspectives of Non-Hospitalised Patients with COVID-19 Self-Isolating for 10 Days at Home: A Qualitative Study in Primary Care in Greece

The aim of this qualitative research, conducted in Spring 2021, was to identify the inconveniences and the psychological and social impact of 10 days of home isolation, required by law, in non-hospitalised COVID-19 patients in Greece and to improve management. Thirty-seven semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted, audio-recorded, and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis identified four key emergent themes, i.e., everyday life during self-isolation, psychological issues, social issues, and information and guidance. Food provisioning was of particular concern. Solidarity was expressed to individuals in need. Isolation was not always viable due to space constraints and the necessity to care for sick family members. Fear of transmission to vulnerable groups, hospitalisation, irreversible complications, and death as well as anxiety, insecurity, guilt, and alienation were articulated. COVID-19 disrupted the normal functioning of families and led to revision of interpersonal relationships. Patients avoided re-integration in society due to the transmitter stigma and to limit the risk of infection spread in the community. Over-information promoted fear. Mild illness raised doubts about information validity. Primary care provided monitoring and psychological support. Home isolation caused disruption in various aspects of participants’ life, ranging from logistic problems to dealing with the psychological burden of isolation and illness. Primary care could play a central role in supporting patients.

Abstract B040: Novel immunotherapy strategies targeting PTEN and TP53 defects in advanced prostate cancer

Abstract Prostate cancer is the most diagnosed cancer in men worldwide and the leading cause of cancer death in men worldwide. Genetic inactivation of PTEN and TP53 are common in advanced prostate cancers. Checkpoint immunotherapy has yielded meaningful responses across many cancers but shown modest activity in advanced prostate cancer. Prior studies showed that overexpression of immune checkpoint B7-H3 (CD276) correlates with the increased risks of clinical recurrence, disease spread, and poor outcomes in various cancer types, including prostate cancer. However, the roles of B7-H3 in prostate cancer development and its tumor microenvironment remain unclear, partially due to the lack of tissue-specific deletion mouse models. This gap in knowledge hinders the application of immunotherapy targeting B7-H3 in prostate cancers. To identify PTEN- and p53-associated immune checkpoints, we performed multi-omics analyses of expression patterns of 51 checkpoint molecules in human prostate cancer samples and found that B7-H3 is one of the most significantly overexpressed immune checkpoints in prostate tumors containing PTEN and TP53 genetic inactivation. Mechanistically, we found that the PTEN-AKT pathway co-operates with p53 pathway in modulating B7-H3 expression in cancer cells. In Pten/Trp53 genetically engineered mouse (GEM) models, prostate-specific deletion of Cd276 resulted in markedly delayed tumor progression and reversed immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment. Furthermore, we developed and evaluated novel combinatorial immunotherapy strategies targeting B7-H3 in advanced prostate cancer with PTEN and TP53 deficiencies. Citation Format: Wei Shi, Yin Wang, Yuehui Zhao, Di Zhao. Novel immunotherapy strategies targeting PTEN and TP53 defects in advanced prostate cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Advances in Prostate Cancer Research; 2023 Mar 15-18; Denver, Colorado. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(11 Suppl):Abstract nr B040.

Pest categorisation of Coleosporium asterum, C. montanum and C. solidaginis.

The EFSA Plant Health Panel performed a pest categorisation of Coleosporium asterum (Dietel) Sydow & P. Sydow, Coleosporium montanum (Arthur & F. Kern) and Coleosporium solidaginis (Schwein.) Thüm, three basidiomycete fungi belonging to the family Coleosporiaceae, causing rust diseases on Pinus spp. (aecial hosts) and on Asteraceae (telial hosts). Coleosporium asterum was described on Aster spp. in Japan and has been reported from China, Korea, France and Portugal. Coleosporium montanum is native to North America, has been introduced to Asia and has been reported from Austria on Symphyotrichum spp. Coleosporium solidaginis has been reported on Solidago spp. from North America, Asia and Europe (Switzerland and Germany). There is a key uncertainty about these reported distributions, due to the until recently accepted synonymy between these fungi and the lack of molecular studies. The pathogens are not listed in Annex II of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072, an implementing act of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031, or in any emergency plant health legislation. There are no reports of interceptions of C. asterum, C. montanum or C. solidaginis in the EU. The pathogens can further enter into, establish in and spread within the EU via host plants for planting, other than seeds and host plant parts (e.g. cut flowers, foliage, branches), other than fruits. Entry into and spread within the EU may also occur by natural means. Host availability and climate suitability in the EU are favourable for the establishment of the pathogens in areas where host plants in the Asteraceae and Pinaceae co-exist. Impacts can be expected on both aecial and telial hosts. Phytosanitary measures are available to reduce the risk of further introduction and spread of the three pathogens in the EU. Coleosporium asterum, C. montanum and C. solidaginis satisfy the criteria that are within the remit of EFSA to assess for these species to be regarded as Union quarantine pests, but a key uncertainty exists about their EU distribution.

CCTG HN11: SPECT-CT guided elective contralateral neck treatment (SELECT) for patients with lateralized oropharyngeal cancer—A phase III randomized controlled trial.

TPS6114 Background: Lymphatic mapping identifies neck lymph nodes at risk for cancer spread in patients with lateralized oropharyngeal (OPC) squamous cell carcinoma. We hypothesize that a lymphatic mapping guided approach to radiotherapy (RT) treatment of the contralateral neck will enable safe de-escalation of therapy with acceptable disease control with potential benefits in RT related toxicity, QOL, swallowing function and economics. Methods: HN.11 is a Canadian Cancer Trials Group international multi-centre, non-inferiority randomized phase III trial comparing a lymphatic mapping-guided approach for management of the contralateral neck (experimental) vs. bilateral neck radiation therapy (RT) (control). The primary objective is to determine if a lymphatic mapping-guided approach for management of the contralateral neck has a non-inferior disease-free survival (DFS) compared to bilateral neck RT. Secondary objectives: To compare swallowing related QOL, xerostomia, isolated contralateral neck failure, overall survival, loco-regional failure, distant metastases, RT-related toxicities, patient reported adverse events (PRO CTCAE), gastrostomy tube usage, and economics indicators (resource utilization, lost productivity, financial toxicity, EQ5D). Exploratory objectives: Swallowing function using video fluoroscopic swallow studies, head and neck-cancer specific QOL, patterns of lymphatic drainage, radiomic prediction of contralateral lymphatic drainage, correlation of tumour somatic mutations and ctDNA with disease recurrence. Statistical Design: The target sample size is 510 patients. The experimental arm will be considered non-inferior if the upper limit of the one sided 95% confidence interval (CI) of the estimated hazard ratio (HR) does not exceed 1.46 (non-inferiority margin of 6.5% for 2-year DFS). In the primary intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis, the study has 81% power, with a one-sided type I error rate of 5%, assuming 5 years of accrual, 3-years of follow up to observe 178 DFS events, and a 5% loss to follow up. If non-inferiority is demonstrated in the ITT analysis, a secondary per-protocol analysis will be performed, analyzing those patients treated as per their allocation, with 80% power to detect non-inferiority of the experimental arm assuming a conservative 10% cross-over from the experimental to the control arm (i.e. failed lymphatic mapping). Conduct to Date: Study activation September 29, 2022. First enrollment was February 10, 2023. Supported by Canadian Cancer Society, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, National Cancer Trials Network (NCTN). Clinical trial information: NCT05451004 .

Risk of brain metastases in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer without baseline brain metastasis: Pooled analysis of individualized patient data from three randomized clinical trials involving first-line atezolizumab treatment.

2032 Background: Data on the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors on delaying or preventing the occurrence of brain metastases (BMs) in metastatic NSCLC without initial BMs is limited. We explored the benefit of first-line atezolizumab versus chemotherapy in the occurrence of BMs in patients without baseline BMs. Methods: Individual patient data from IMpower1301, IMpower131, and IMpower150 were pooled. All patients in the intention to treat population were analyzed. Primary endpoints included BM free survival (BMFS) and the cumulative incidence of BM. Patients without baseline BMs were categorized into two groups: patients who received treatment including atezolizumab (atezolizumab group) and patients who received comparator chemotherapies (chemotherapy group). Results: In 2543 patients without baseline BMs, 87 (3.4%) developed BM, including 58 (3.4%) and 29 (3.4%) in the atezolizumab group and the chemotherapy group, respectively. The median BMFS was 8.31 months (95% CI 7.79-8.67). The cumulative incidence of BM at 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months was 1.9%, 3.1%, and 3.8%, respectively. Compared to the chemotherapy group, BMFS was significantly improved in the atezolizumab group (8.6 months versus 7.3 months, p < 0.001). After taking the competing risk events into account, no significant difference of the cumulative incidence of BM was observed between the two groups ( p = 0.671), suggesting that the significantly better BMFS in the atezolizumab group analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method should be due to the lower incidence of extracranial progression or death. Baseline bone metastasis and non-squamous NSCLC were identified as two risk factors for BM. Conclusions: In patients with NSCLC without baseline BMs, first-line atezolizumab improved BMFS but not the cumulative incidence of BM compared to chemotherapy, indicating that atezolizumab could not reduce the intrinsic risk of intracranial tumor spreading. [Table: see text]

A comparison of thyroid cancer survival managed with different surgical subtypes: A SEER database analysis.

e18110 Background: Thyroid cancer is a common endocrine malignancy that has been shown to be treatable with surgical intervention. Multiple surgical approaches can be used to treat thyroid cancer ranging from minimally-invasive local destruction or partial lobectomy to total thyroidectomy. There are limited studies comparing the survival between different surgical subtypes used to treat thyroid cancer at a national registry level; we herein investigate the differences between surgical subtypes in the management of thyroid cancer. Methods: We queried the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Database for patients with thyroid cancer (primary site code C739) diagnosed between 2000-2019. All histologic subtypes were included. Patients with multiple primary tumors and patients without surgical intervention were excluded. Variables selected for review included age at diagnosis, race, sex, stage, and surgery subtype. Surgical subtypes of interest included codes 20-50 which corresponds to the removal of less than a lobe NOS, local surgical excision, partial lobectomy, lobectomy only, isthmectomy only, lobectomy with isthmectomy, removal of a lobe and partial removal of the contralateral lobe, subtotal or near-total thyroidectomy, and total thyroidectomy. Descriptive statistics, Kaplan-Meier (KM), and Cox regression analyses were performed using SPSS version 28. Results: A total of 167932 patients were included. Of these, 1564 patients received local/partial lobectomy. On KM, partial lobectomy showed significantly improved survival compared to both local excision and removal of less than a lobe, NOS (p’s < 0.05). For lobectomies and isthmectomies, a total of 24904 patients were included. On KM, both lobectomy alone and lobectomy with isthmectomy showed survived significantly improved than isthmectomy alone (p’s < 0.001). A total of 141464 patients received either subtotal thyroidectomies or total thyroidectomies, 95% of which were total thyroidectomies. On KM, patients managed with total thyroidectomy survived significantly better than subtotal thyroidectomy (p < 0.001). After controlling for age, sex, race, and stage, Cox regression analysis showed complete lobectomy (Hazard ratio [HR] = 0.352), subtotal thyroidectomy (HR = 0.416), and total thyroidectomy (HR = 0.162) all had significantly improved survival relative to local excision or destruction (p’s < 0.001). Conclusions: Our results show that more complete removal of the thyroid, including complete lobectomy, subtotal thyroidectomy, and total thyroidectomy, is associated with improved survival in patients with thyroid cancers. The improved outcomes with more invasive procedures suggest wider margins may reduce the risk of spread or recurrence after initial resection.

Research on the impact of information interaction between government and media on the dissemination of public opinion on the internet

This study aims to explore influence mechanism of multi-participants risk perception to the public opinion dissemination. Based on the complex network theory, the dynamic model of network public opinion dissemination is constructed, applied social network method to analyze the influence mechanism of information interaction of network public opinion participants on network public opinion communication, using the method of simulation, this paper discussed the influence of external factors on the communication state and risk of public opinion under the conditions of single interference, information superposition and time series transformation. The results show the advantage of government information release before large-scale dissemination is that can reduce the spread risk of public opinion. The media information release later than the government has a positive effect on the risk prevention and control of public opinion propagation. Under the interaction of media and government information, the information superposition effect is more significant, and superposition effect appearance is related to the order of the participants information release and the reliability of the facts represented by participants.

What Did We Achieve Through VALITEST, an EU Project on Validation in Plant Pest Diagnostics?

Ensuring the reliability of diagnostic activities is an essential cornerstone of plant health strategies to reduce the risk of entry and spread of plant pests in a region and ultimately their impacts. Diagnostic tests should be validated to ensure that they are fit for purpose. Validation is usually done by diagnostic laboratories, although companies commercializing diagnostic kits also produce validation data for their products. Due to the high number of pest, matrix, and method combinations and given the significant resources required to validate tests, it is essential that validation data are shared with the entire diagnostic community and produced in a harmonized way to facilitate their use by different stakeholders. Indeed, the selection of tests to be used in specific contexts is not the sole responsibility of diagnostic laboratories but also involves national plant protection organizations. The VALITEST EU project (2018 to 2021) was established to tackle all these issues. New validation data for tests targeting important pests for the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization region were produced. Guidelines to improve and harmonize the validation framework were developed. Sharing of validation data and experience was ensured through the development of new or existing databases, the organization of training courses, and the dissemination of the project outputs in scientific publications and standards. Finally, the involvement of researchers, diagnosticians, policy makers, inspectors, and industries and the establishment of the European Plant Diagnostic Industry Association were important actions to strengthen the interactions between plant health stakeholders. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .

Prognostic Analysis of Lymphovascular Invasion in Stages I-III Colorectal Cancer: A Retrospective Study Based on Propensity Score Match.

Lymphovascular invasion (LVI) is a micropathological tumor factor believed to increase the risk of tumor metastasis and spread. Propensity score matching (PSM) is a statistical method that can control confounding factors. Current research rarely considers the confounding relationship between LVI and other factors that may influence prognosis. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between LVI and prognosis in patients with stage I-III colorectal cancer (CRC) by using propensity score matching (PSM). This was a retrospective study involving 610 patients. PSM was used to adjust for baseline differences between the groups. The survival rates were calculated. A nomogram was constructed based on the Cox proportional hazards model before matching. The C-index, receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), and calibration curve were used to evaluate the nomogram. A total of 150 patients tested positive for LVI, accounting for 24.6% of the total, and 120 couples of patients were identified after PSM. The survival curve and Cox proportional hazards model after matching confirmed the adverse effects of LVI on tumor prognosis. The Cox proportional hazards model before matching showed that age, carcinoembryonic antigen level, T stage, N stage, histologic grade and LVI were independent prognostic factors. The C-index of the nomogram established based on the Cox proportional hazards model was 0.787 (95% CI=0.728-0.845). The areas under the curve were 0.796 in the 3-year ROC. LVI is an adverse prognostic factor in patients with stage I-III colorectal cancer.

Complications Associated with Preventive Management to Reduce the Risk of COVID-19 Spread After Surgery for Spinal Cord Injury.

Preventive management to reduce the risk of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) spread led to delays in active rehabilitation, which may have negatively impacted the outcomes of patients with traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). Therefore, the aim of this study was to clarify the influence of preventive management on the rate of perioperative complications after surgical treatment for SCI. This single-center retrospective study examined the cases of 175 patients who had SCI surgery between 2017 and 2021. We could not continue early rehabilitation interventions starting on April 30, 2020, because of our preventive management to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spread. Using a propensity score-matched model, we adjusted for age, sex, American Spinal Injury Association impairment scale score at admission, and risk factors for perioperative complications described in previous studies. Perioperative complication rates were compared between the COVID-19 pandemic and prepandemic groups. Of the 175 patients, 48 (the pandemic group) received preventive management. The preliminary analysis revealed significant differences between the unmatched pandemic and prepandemic groups with respect to age (75.0 versus 71.2 years, respectively; p = 0.024) and intraoperative estimated blood loss (152 versus 227 mL; p = 0.013). The pandemic group showed significant delays in visiting the rehabilitation room compared with the prepandemic group (10 versus 4 days from hospital admission; p < 0.001). There were significant differences between the pandemic and prepandemic groups with respect to the rates of pneumonia (31% versus 16%; p = 0.022), cardiopulmonary dysfunction (38% versus 18%; p = 0.007), and delirium (33% versus 13%; p = 0.003). With a propensity score-matched analysis (C-statistic = 0.90), 30 patients in the pandemic group and 60 patients in the prepandemic group were automatically selected. There were significant differences between the matched pandemic and prepandemic groups with respect to the rates of cardiopulmonary dysfunction (47% versus 23%; p = 0.024) and deep venous thrombosis (60% versus 35%; p = 0.028). Even with early surgical intervention, late mobilization and delays in active rehabilitation during the COVID-19 pandemic increased perioperative complications after SCI surgery. Therapeutic Level III . See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Underestimated Risks of Microplastics on the Environmental Spread of Antibiotic Resistance Genes

Microplastics (MPs) has aroused growing environmental, ecological and health concerns due to their biotoxicity and non-negligible roles in promoting the spread of pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Especially, the formation of biofilm on MP surfaces in an aquatic environment is supposed to drastically enhance the MPs’ impacts due to enhanced microbial contact and an altered local environment, but the detailed risks and MPs-microbe interactions remain poorly understood. This Viewpoint sheds light on the phenomenon and mechanisms of MP-promoted ARGs propagation, underscores the underestimated risks of ARG spread in real water environments due to biased microplastic detection methods as well as the limited knowledge of combined pollution and inappropriate risk assessment methods, and discusses the future research needs for risk control.

Mitigating the impacts of weather on lamb survival in Southern New Zealand

Increased fecundity and improved feed management have doubled the number of lambs born in any threeday period in spring since 1990. Four farmer catchment groups were engaged to investigate options that farmers may use to reduce the impacts of weather at lambingtime. After workshops identified potential mitigations, a lamb survival model was developed using data from the literature. This was applied at daily time steps to weather data over a 20-year period from 1980-1999, with chosen mitigations added to investigate their impact. Direct intervention by improving pre-lambing ewe nutrition increased live lambs by 7-8% (P&lt;0.05). Policy development strategies to provide shelter increased live lambs by 8 and 17% with reductions in wind speed of 50 and 100% respectively (P&lt;0.05). These results were consistent across all environments tested. Increasing fecundity increased the net number of lambs at docking, though also resulted in a greater number of lamb losses. Spreading risk by spreading lambing did not alter the net long-term lamb survival rate. Provision of shelter, both before and during lambing, and ensuring adequate pre-laming ewe nutrition were most effective at consistently improving lamb survival in all the environments tested.

Manual Friction with Ethyl Alcohol at 70% (w/v) to Disinfect Three-Way Stopcocks

The disinfection procedures aim to reduce the microbial load, but there are doubts about the risks of contamination spreading into the lumens of devices, such as three-way stopcocks (3-WS). This study aimed at an in vitro evaluation of the antibacterial procedure of manual friction of 3-WS intentionally contaminated and to determine the solution dispersion into the lumens. Laboratory experiments were developed in two steps: evaluation of bacterial spread through intentional contamination with Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and alcohol dispersion into the 3-WS lumens. After manual friction of the 3-WS with saline solution at 0.85% (w/v) [control group], S. aureus and P. aeruginosa were isolated in the lumens of 55.6% and 27.8% of the devices, respectively. However, after the disinfection of the 3-WS with ethyl alcohol at 70% (w/v), there was no bacterial contamination in the lumens of the 3-WS. On the other hand, the solution dispersion (dye) into the lumens was evidenced by two different techniques: Durham tubes (5.6%) and swabs (46.3%). The manual friction of the 3-WS with ethyl alcohol at 70% demonstrated antibacterial efficacy, but it refers to reflections on the risk of solution diffusion into the venous network and the inherent clinical practice situations and patient safety.

An overview of the monkeypox

Smallpox-like symptoms are caused by the human monkeypox orthopoxvirus, a zoonotic orthopoxvirus. The zoonotic human monkeypox was detected in 1970, twelve years after the monkeypox virus was found in a Danish lab in 1958. It has lately been documented in cases outside of Africa, and it has spread to other regions of Africa. (mainly West and Central Africa). The genesis, epidemiology, and ecology of the disease are still largely unknown, which has caused a rise in the frequency and geographic dispersion of human monkeypox cases in recent years. 8 days on average were needed for incubation. (range 4–14 days). A multi-nation outbreak of human monkeypox infections, involving transmission from person to person, was documented in Europe and North America in May 2022. Monitoring and epidemiological analysis need to be more precise in order to calculate the effect on public health and develop policies to reduce the risk of a larger spread of disease. Small viral epidemics with mortality rates around 10% and rates of secondary human-to-human transmission around the same percentage are frequent in tropical Central and West Africa. On July 31, 2022, the first case of monkeypox mortality was reported in India; the victim was a 22-year-old man who had recently returned from the United Arab Emirates. In light of the continuous outbreaks throughout the world, we provide current information on monkeypox for medical professionals in this overview. There is a zoonotic orthopoxvirus that produces human monkeypox. However, ST 246 has been found to be effective in vivo and in vitro in infected animals, and experiments were safely carried out on non-infected humans. ST 246 has not been tested for its effectiveness on monkey pox or orthopox-infected individuals.

Semi-Quantitative Risk Assessment of African Swine Fever Virus Introduction in Outdoor Pig Farms.

In a previous study, a semi-quantitative risk assessment was developed to rank pig holdings in terms of likelihood of introducing African swine fever virus (ASFV) by assessing their compliance with biosecurity and exposure to geographical risk factors. The method was initially developed for confined pig holdings, but given that ASF is endemic in wild boar of several countries, we modified the approach to make it suitable for free-range farms as well. In the current study, a total of 41 outdoor pig farms were assessed in an area where exposure to wild boar was generally high (density from 2.3 to 10.3 wild boar per Km2). As expected, non-compliance with biosecurity measures was frequent in outdoor farms, and the frequency of non-compliance indicated that the absence of adequate separation of pigs from the external environment was the major weakness in the farms assessed. In 46.3% of them, there was no fence or, if present, it was not adequate to avoid contact with wild boar. However, the approach adopted proved to be suitable for identifying intervention priorities to mitigate the risk of ASFV spread in free-range pig herds and for identifying the weaknesses of individual farms, as recommended by EFSA in 2021, which suggests implementing tools to improve biosecurity by favoring higher-risk farms.

E-nursing homes: transforming access to nurses in nursing homes in response to the staffing crisis.

The UK is facing a nationwide staffing crisis within adult social care, due to difficulties in recruiting and retaining registered nurses. Current interpretation of legislation means nursing homes must always have the physical presence of a registered nurse on duty within the home. With the shortage of registered nurses increasing, reliance on agency workers is commonplace, a practice impacting service cost and continuity of care. Lack of innovation to tackle this issue means the question of how to transform service delivery to combat staffing shortages is open for debate. The potential for technology to augment the provision of care was highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this article the authors present one possible solution focused on the provision of digital nursing care within nursing homes. Anticipated benefits include enhanced accessibility of nursing roles, reduced risk of viral spread and opportunities for upskilling staff. However, challenges include the current interpretation of legislation.

Suitability of a Historical, Novel, and Occasional Host for Mountain Pine Beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

The mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), recently underwent a notable range-expansion event in western Canada, resulting in access to the novel host jack pine, Pinus banksiana Lamb. We assessed the suitability of jack pine for mountain pine beetle, as well as the historic host lodgepole pine, Pinus contorta Dougl. var. latifolia Engelm., and the non-Pinus host white spruce, Picea glauca (Moench) Voss, to help inform an assessment of the risk of future spread into Canada’s boreal forest and to further our understanding of host use in bark beetles. Several performance traits we measured were similar between lodgepole pine and jack pine, but gallery length and productivity indicated that lodgepole pine was the more suitable host. Development appeared to be faster in jack pine; however, in contrast to previous studies, we attribute it to oviposition arresting earlier in the novel host compared to the other hosts and not a difference in development rate. Initial productivity was surprisingly high in spruce, but we found evidence of a delayed negative effect that manifested as reduced cold tolerance, delayed development, and high mortality of late-instar larvae. Although jack pine is a suitable host for the mountain pine beetle, our results indicate that the beetle’s eruptive potential could be lower in jack pine compared to lodgepole pine, given all other factors are equal. Other factors that may also affect mountain pine beetle population dynamics require additional research and include the composition and structure of jack pine forests, environmental conditions, and biotic interactions.

Transfer route and driving forces of antibiotic resistance genes from reclaimed water to groundwater

The infiltration of reclaimed water has created a significant environmental risk due to the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in riparian groundwater. Reclaimed water from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) had been identified as a source of both antibiotics and ARGs in groundwater, based on their spatial and temporal distribution. The assembly process of microbial communities in the groundwater of the infiltration zone was more influenced by deterministic processes. Co-occurrence network analysis revealed that Thermotoga, Desulfotomaculum, Methanobacterium, and other such genera were dominant shared genera. These were considered core genera and hosts of ARGs for transport from reclaimed water to groundwater. The most abundant ARG in these shared genera was MacB, enriched in groundwater point G3 and potentially transferred from reclaimed water to groundwater by Acidovorax, Hydrogenophaga, Methylotenera, Dechloromonas, and Nitrospira. During the infiltration process, environmental factors and the tradeoff between energy metabolism and antibiotic defense strategy may have affected ARG transfer. Understanding the transfer route and driving forces of ARGs from reclaimed water to groundwater provided a new perspective for evaluating the spread risk of ARGs in reclaimed water infiltration.