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The COVID-19 global pandemic has had severe, unpredictable and synchronous impacts on all levels of perishable food supply chains (PFSC), across multiple sectors and spatial scales. Aquaculture plays a vital and rapidly expanding role in food security, in some cases overtaking wild caught fisheries in the production of high-quality animal protein in this PFSC. We performed a rapid global assessment to evaluate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and related emerging control measures on the aquaculture supply chain. Socio-economic effects of the pandemic were analysed by surveying the perceptions of stakeholders, who were asked to describe potential supply-side disruption, vulnerabilities and resilience patterns along the production pipeline with four main supply chain components: a) hatchery, b) production/processing, c) distribution/logistics and d) market. We also assessed different farming strategies, comparing land- vs. sea-based systems; extensive vs. intensive methods; and with and without integrated multi-trophic aquaculture, IMTA. In addition to evaluating levels and sources of economic distress, interviewees were asked to identify mitigation solutions adopted at local / internal (i.e., farm-site) scales, and to express their preference on national / external scale mitigation measures among a set of a priori options. Survey responses identified the potential causes of disruption, ripple effects, sources of food insecurity, and socio-economic conflicts. They also pointed to various levels of mitigation strategies. The collated evidence represents a first baseline useful to address future disaster-driven responses, to reinforce the resilience of the sector and to facilitate the design reconstruction plans and mitigation measures, such as financial aid strategies.
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We report a possible spontaneous case of oxalate nephrosis in an African fruit bat (Epomops franqueti), incidentally observed in Ibadan, South-West Nigeria, in an anatomical and serological survey of the species. Wild caught bats underwent sedation, intracardial perfusion, necropsy and histopathology. All 15 wild-caught African fruit bats were apparently healthy. However, light microscopy revealed mild oligofocal tubulonephrosis with intraluminal deposition of polarizing crystals interpreted as subclinical oxalate nephrosis in one case. In summary, we suggest a dietary aetiology, based on seasonal availability of high ascorbic acid or oxalate containing fruits. However, exposure to anthropogenic contaminants cannot be completely ruled out.
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Macroalgae have high potential to be an efficient, and sustainable feedstock for the production of biofuels and other more valuable chemicals. Attempts have been made to enable the co-fermentation of alginate and mannitol by Saccharomyces cerevisiae to unlock the full potential of this marine biomass. However, the efficient use of the sugars derived from macroalgae depends on the equilibrium of cofactors derived from the alginate and mannitol catabolic pathways. There are a number of strong metabolic limitations that have to be tackled before this bioconversion can be carried out efficiently by engineered yeast cells. An analysis of the redox balance during ethanol fermentation from alginate and mannitol by Saccharomyces cerevisiae using metabolic engineering tools was carried out. To represent the strain designed for conversion of macroalgae carbohydrates to ethanol, a context-specific model was derived from the available yeast genome-scale metabolic reconstructions. Flux balance analysis and dynamic simulations were used to determine the flux distributions. The model indicates that ethanol production is determined by the activity of 4-deoxy-l-erythro-5-hexoseulose uronate (DEHU) reductase (DehR) and its preferences for NADH or NADPH which influences strongly the flow of cellular resources. Different scenarios were explored to determine the equilibrium between NAD(H) and NADP(H) that will lead to increased ethanol yields on mannitol and DEHU under anaerobic conditions. When rates of mannitol dehydrogenase and DehRNADH tend to be close to a ratio in the range 1-1.6, high growth rates and ethanol yields were predicted. The analysis shows a number of metabolic limitations that are not easily identified through experimental procedures such as quantifying the impact of the cofactor preference by DEHU reductase in the system, the low flux into the alginate catabolic pathway, and a detailed analysis of the redox balance. These results show that production of ethanol and other chemicals can be optimized if a redox balance is achieved. A possible methodology to achieve this balance is presented. This paper shows how metabolic engineering tools are essential to comprehend and overcome this limitation.
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New members of the influenza A virus genus have been detected recently in bats from South America. By molecular investigations, using a generic real-time RT-PCR (RT-qPCR) that detects all previously known influenza A virus subtypes (H1-H16) and a newly developed RT-qPCR specific for the South American bat influenza-like virus of subtype H17, a total of 1571 samples obtained from 1369 individual bats of 26 species from Central Europe were examined. No evidence for the occurrence of such influenza viruses was found. Further attempts towards a more comprehensive evaluation of the role of bats in the ecology and epidemiology of influenza viruses should be based on more intense monitoring efforts. However, given the protected status of bats, not only in Europe, such activities need to be embedded into existing pathogen-monitoring programs.
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Quirópteros/virología , Virus de la Influenza A/aislamiento & purificación , Gripe Humana/epidemiología , Infecciones por Orthomyxoviridae/veterinaria , Animales , Monitoreo Epidemiológico , Europa (Continente)/epidemiología , Humanos , Virus de la Influenza A/genética , Gripe Humana/virología , Infecciones por Orthomyxoviridae/epidemiología , Infecciones por Orthomyxoviridae/virología , Óvulo/virología , Salud Pública , Reacción en Cadena en Tiempo Real de la Polimerasa/veterinaria , Sensibilidad y Especificidad , ZoonosisRESUMEN
Due to their mechanical properties, there has been growing interest in poly-ether-ether-ketone (PEEK) and its composites as bearing material in total and unicompartmental knee arthroplasty. The aim of this study was to analyze the biological activity of wear particles of two different (pitch and PAN) carbon-fiber-reinforced- (CFR-) PEEK varieties in comparison to ultra-high-molecular-weight-polyethylene (UHMWPE) in vivo. The authors hypothesized no difference between the used biomaterials. Wear particle suspensions of the particulate biomaterials were injected into knee joints of Balb/c mice, which were sacrificed after seven days. The cytokine expression (IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF-α) was analyzed immunohistochemically in the synovial layer, the adjacent bone marrow and the articular cartilage. Especially in the bone marrow of the two CFR-PEEK varieties there were increased cytokine expressions compared to the control and UHMWPE group. Furthermore, in the articular cartilage the CFR-PEEK pitch group showed an enhanced cytokine expression, which could be a negative predictor for the use in unicondylar knee systems. As these data suggest an increased proinflammatory potential of CFR-PEEK and its composites in vivo, the initial hypothesis had to be refuted. Summarizing these results, CFR-PEEK seems not to be an attractive alternative to UHMWPE as a bearing material, especially in unicompartmental knee arthroplasty.
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Materiales Biocompatibles/efectos adversos , Materiales Biocompatibles/química , Citocinas/biosíntesis , Cetonas/efectos adversos , Cetonas/química , Prótesis de la Rodilla/efectos adversos , Polietilenglicoles/efectos adversos , Polietilenglicoles/química , Polietilenos/efectos adversos , Polietilenos/química , Falla de Prótesis , Animales , Benzofenonas , Médula Ósea/inmunología , Médula Ósea/patología , Carbono/química , Fibra de Carbono , Cartílago Articular/inmunología , Cartílago Articular/patología , Análisis de Falla de Equipo , Femenino , Interleucina-1beta/biosíntesis , Interleucina-6/biosíntesis , Ensayo de Materiales , Ratones , Ratones Endogámicos BALB C , Modelos Animales , Tamaño de la Partícula , Polímeros , Membrana Sinovial/inmunología , Membrana Sinovial/patología , Factor de Necrosis Tumoral alfa/biosíntesisRESUMEN
SUMMARY: In Germany, active bat rabies surveillance was conducted between 1993 and 2012. A total of 4546 oropharyngeal swab samples from 18 bat species were screened for the presence of EBLV-1- , EBLV-2- and BBLV-specific RNA. Overall, 0·15% of oropharyngeal swab samples tested EBLV-1 positive, with the majority originating from Eptesicus serotinus. Interestingly, out of seven RT-PCR-positive oropharyngeal swabs subjected to virus isolation, viable virus was isolated from a single serotine bat (E. serotinus). Additionally, about 1226 blood samples were tested serologically, and varying virus neutralizing antibody titres were found in at least eight different bat species. The detection of viral RNA and seroconversion in repeatedly sampled serotine bats indicates long-term circulation of the virus in a particular bat colony. The limitations of random-based active bat rabies surveillance over passive bat rabies surveillance and its possible application of targeted approaches for future research activities on bat lyssavirus dynamics and maintenance are discussed.
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Quirópteros , Rabia/veterinaria , Animales , Anticuerpos Neutralizantes/sangre , Anticuerpos Antivirales/sangre , Alemania/epidemiología , Vigilancia de la Población , ARN Viral/genética , Rabia/epidemiología , Reacción en Cadena de la Polimerasa de Transcriptasa Inversa , Especificidad de la EspecieRESUMEN
Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is an emerging zoonotic pathogen that causes high morbidity and mortality in humans and livestock. In this paper, we describe the cloning, expression and purification of RVFV glycoprotein Gn and its application as a diagnostic antigen in an indirect ELISA for the specific detection of RVF IgG antibodies in sheep and goats. The performance of this Gn based ELISA is validated using a panel of almost 2000 field samples from sheep and goats from Mozambique, Senegal, Uganda and Yemen. All serum samples were also tested by virus neutralization test (VNT), the gold standard method for RVFV serological testing. Compared to the VNT results the Gn based ELISA proved to have an excellent sensitivity (94.56%) and specificity (95.57%). Apart from establishing this new diagnostic assay, these results also demonstrate a close correlation between the presence of RVFV Gn and neutralizing antibodies.
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Ensayo de Inmunoadsorción Enzimática/veterinaria , Glicoproteínas/metabolismo , Enfermedades de las Cabras/diagnóstico , Fiebre del Valle del Rift/veterinaria , Virus de la Fiebre del Valle del Rift/inmunología , Enfermedades de las Ovejas/diagnóstico , África del Sur del Sahara/epidemiología , Animales , Clonación Molecular , Ensayo de Inmunoadsorción Enzimática/métodos , Enfermedades de las Cabras/virología , Cabras , Inmunoglobulina G/sangre , Fiebre del Valle del Rift/diagnóstico , Fiebre del Valle del Rift/inmunología , Fiebre del Valle del Rift/virología , Ovinos , Enfermedades de las Ovejas/virología , Proteínas Virales/inmunología , Proteínas Virales/metabolismo , Yemen/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
It is known from earlier studies that the pathogenesis of BSE in cattle differs considerably from the TSE pathogenesis in sheep, where the lymphoreticular system (LRS) is majorly involved in the transport and propagation of the agent. In cattle, the BSE agent has only been detected in the Peyer's patches of the distal ileum and in the tonsils, which have both been identified as the portal of entry for the agent after oral uptake. It was shown that as opposed to most other animal species, in cattle the BSE agent amplifies almost exclusively in the central and peripheral nervous system. However, there is growing evidence for a centrifugal spread from the central nervous system into the periphery at the late stage of the disease. Moreover, there are only very limited data available concerning the pathogenesis of both atypical BSE forms, H type and L type BSE, as compared to classical BSE. In this manuscript we summarize the most recent data that we generated on the classical BSE pathogenesis after an oral challenge study that was performed with 56 cattle. Preliminary results on the pathogenesis of both atypical BSE forms are also presented, based on an intracranial challenge of cattle with German isolates of both atypical BSE forms.
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Sistema Nervioso Central/metabolismo , Encefalopatía Espongiforme Bovina/metabolismo , Proteínas PrPSc/metabolismo , Animales , Bovinos , Sistema Nervioso Central/patología , Encefalopatía Espongiforme Bovina/patologíaRESUMEN
For almost two decades after the discovery of the first bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) case, it was generally accepted that only one BSE strain existed globally. However, in 2004, two novel BSE forms (L-type and H-type) were separately identified in two different European Member States, forms that differed from the classical (C-type) form by their biochemical properties and by the pattern of PrP(Sc) deposition as determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC). 60 atypical BSE cases have been identified worldwide as of November 2010, including one H- and one L-type BSE case each in Germany. However, it was not known whether the biological properties (pathogenesis and agent distribution, as well as transmissibility to other species) of these novel forms were the same as in classical BSE cases. Eleven calves were thus challenged intracranially, five with the German H-type and six with German L-type BSE cases. The experimental design and the clinical studies, followed by laboratory testing, are described in this manuscript.
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Encefalopatía Espongiforme Bovina/transmisión , Animales , Encéfalo/patología , Bovinos , Encefalopatía Espongiforme Bovina/patología , Femenino , Alemania , Immunoblotting/veterinaria , Periodo de Incubación de Enfermedades Infecciosas , Proteínas PrPSc/aislamiento & purificación , Proteínas PrPSc/patogenicidad , Priones/genética , Priones/aislamiento & purificación , Priones/patogenicidadRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this randomised controlled trial was to evaluate the effectiveness of a short, highly structured parent based language intervention group programme for 2-year-old children with specific expressive language delay (SELD, without deficits in receptive language). METHODS: 61 children with SELD (mean age 24.7 months, SD 0.9) were selected between October 2003 and February 2006 during routine developmental check-ups in general paediatric practices, using a German parent-report screening questionnaire (adapted from the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories). Standardised instruments were used to assess the language and non-verbal cognitive abilities of these children and of 36 other children with normal language development (reference group; mean age 24.6 months, SD 0.8). 58 children with SELD were sequentially randomly assigned to an intervention group (n = 29) or a 12-month waiting group (n = 29). In the intervention group, mothers participated in the 3-month Heidelberg Parent-based Language Intervention (HPLI). All children were reassessed 6 and 12 months after pretest. Assessors were blind to allocation and previous results. RESULTS: 47 children were included in the analysis. At the age of 3 years, 75% of the children in the intervention group showed normal expressive language abilities in contrast to 44% in the waiting group. Only 8% of the children in the intervention group versus 26% in the waiting group met the criteria for specific language impairment (t score < or =35). CONCLUSIONS: By applying the short, highly structured HPLI in children with SELD, the rate of treatment for language impairment at the age of 3 years can be significantly reduced.
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Intervención Educativa Precoz/métodos , Trastornos del Desarrollo del Lenguaje/terapia , Responsabilidad Parental , Preescolar , Análisis Costo-Beneficio , Intervención Educativa Precoz/economía , Escolaridad , Femenino , Estudios de Seguimiento , Alemania , Costos de la Atención en Salud/estadística & datos numéricos , Humanos , Lactante , Trastornos del Desarrollo del Lenguaje/diagnóstico , Trastornos del Desarrollo del Lenguaje/economía , Pruebas del Lenguaje , Masculino , Edad Materna , Relaciones Madre-Hijo , Madres/educación , Pruebas NeuropsicológicasAsunto(s)
Neoplasias de la Mama/diagnóstico , Carcinoma Lobular/diagnóstico , Coristoma , Piel , Neoplasias de la Mama/terapia , Carcinoma Lobular/terapia , Femenino , Humanos , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética , Persona de Mediana Edad , Inducción de Remisión , Pared Torácica , Resultado del TratamientoRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Seroma formation is one of the most frequent complications following abdominoplasty. The effect of intraoperative fibrin sealant on the formation of seroma was investigated in patients who had an abdominoplasty. The relevance of slow vs accelerated fibrin polymerization was determined. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Two different thrombin concentrations (4 IE vs 500 IE thrombin/ml) of fibrin sealant were used in two groups of 20 patients each. The control group consisted of 20 patients with abdominoplasties without fibrin glue adhesion. RESULTS: The group with slow-reacting fibrin sealant (4 IE) had a significantly lower rate of seroma formation than both the high concentration fibrin group and controls (P<0.032 and P<0.018, respectively). In addition, the amount of postoperative drainage was significantly lower in the low-dose group (P<0.000). Patients with seroma had a significantly higher weight of resected tissue (P<0.04). The amount of postoperative drainage, age, and body/mass index had no significant effect on the prevalence of complications. CONCLUSION: The use of slow reacting, low-dose fibrin glue demonstrated a protective effect against the formation of seroma following abdominoplasty. The amount of postoperative drainage was significantly lower.
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Pared Abdominal/cirugía , Adhesivo de Tejido de Fibrina/uso terapéutico , Seroma/etiología , Cirugía Plástica , Adhesivos Tisulares/uso terapéutico , Adulto , Factores de Edad , Anciano , Índice de Masa Corporal , Interpretación Estadística de Datos , Drenaje , Femenino , Humanos , Persona de Mediana Edad , Complicaciones Posoperatorias , Estudios Prospectivos , Seroma/prevención & controlAsunto(s)
Úlcera por Presión/cirugía , Colgajos Quirúrgicos , Femenino , Humanos , Cifosis/etiología , Cifosis/cirugía , Vértebras Lumbares/cirugía , Persona de Mediana Edad , Osteogénesis Imperfecta/complicaciones , Complicaciones Posoperatorias , Úlcera por Presión/etiología , Escoliosis/etiología , Escoliosis/cirugía , Fusión Vertebral , Vértebras Torácicas/cirugíaRESUMEN
Intensive active surveillance has uncovered two atypical German BSE cases in older cattle which resemble the two different atypical BSE phenotypes that have recently been described in France (designated H-type) and Italy (designated L-type or BASE). The H-type is characterized by a significantly higher molecular size, but a conventional glycopattern of the proteinase K treated abnormal prion protein (PrP(Sc)), while the L-type PrP(Sc) has only a slightly lower molecular size and a distinctly different glycopattern. In this paper we describe the successful transmission of both German atypical BSE cases to transgenic mice overexpressing bovine PrP(C). Upon challenge with the L-type, these mice developed BSE after a substantially shorter incubation period than any classical BSE transmission using these mice to date. In contrast, the incubation period was distinctly prolonged when these mice were challenged with the H-type. PrP(Sc) accumulated in the brains of these mice were of the same atypical BSE type that had been used for the transmission. These atypical cases suggest the possible existence of sporadic BSE cases in bovines. It is thus feasible that the BSE epidemic in the UK could have also been initiated by an intraspecies transmission from a sporadic BSE case.
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Encefalopatía Espongiforme Bovina/transmisión , Proteínas PrPC/química , Proteínas PrPC/patogenicidad , Proteínas PrPSc/química , Proteínas PrPSc/patogenicidad , Secuencia de Aminoácidos , Animales , Encéfalo/metabolismo , Bovinos , Susceptibilidad a Enfermedades , Encefalopatía Espongiforme Bovina/metabolismo , Endopeptidasa K/metabolismo , Alemania , Inmunohistoquímica/veterinaria , Ratones , Ratones Transgénicos , Datos de Secuencia Molecular , Peso Molecular , Reacción en Cadena de la Polimerasa/métodos , Reacción en Cadena de la Polimerasa/veterinaria , Proteínas PrPC/metabolismo , Proteínas PrPSc/metabolismo , Factores de TiempoRESUMEN
The prion theory postulates that prions are novel infectious agents that are composed largely, if not entirely, of abnormally folded host-encoded prion proteins. However, the existence of different prion strains is enigma, if these novel infectious agents lack a genetic element, such as a nucleic acid. The best proof for this 'protein-only' concept would be the in vitro generation of prions from synthetic sources. Indeed, a substantial body of evidence has meanwhile been accumulated in favour of this postulate. This mini review recapitulates all relevant studies and experimental data on the generation of synthetic prions.
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Enfermedades del Sistema Nervioso Central/veterinaria , Enfermedades por Prión/veterinaria , Priones/análisis , Animales , Enfermedades del Sistema Nervioso Central/patología , Enfermedades del Sistema Nervioso Central/virología , Humanos , Enfermedades por Prión/patología , Enfermedades por Prión/virología , Priones/químicaRESUMEN
Following the implementation of a large scale transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) surveillance programme of small ruminants, evidence for a natural transmission of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) to a French goat has been found. During the years 2002-2004, a massive TSE rapid testing programme on >250,000 small ruminants was carried out in Germany. In this national survey, 186 scrapie-affected sheep were found which originated from 78 flocks. The majority of these cases were of the classical TSE type (115 sheep belonging to 14 outbreaks). However, 71 cases coming from 64 flocks were of the novel atypical scrapie type. According to the regulation EU 999/2001, all TSE cases in small ruminants have to be examined by strain typing methods to explore any possibility of the existence of BSE cases in the field sheep population. Here we report on a biochemical typing strategy (termed FLI-test), which includes the determination of molecular masses, antibody binding affinities and glycosylation pattern of the TSE induced abnormal prion protein. Based on this typing approach none of the analysed German classical TSE outbreaks (total number of analysed sheep: 36) displayed biochemical features indicative for a BSE infection. However, in two cases distinct but BSE-unrelated PrP(Sc) types were found, which alludes to the existence of different scrapie strains in the German sheep population.
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Encefalopatía Espongiforme Bovina/diagnóstico , Enfermedades de las Cabras/diagnóstico , Proteínas PrPSc/análisis , Scrapie/diagnóstico , Animales , Bovinos , Encefalopatía Espongiforme Bovina/genética , Encefalopatía Espongiforme Bovina/transmisión , Genotipo , Alemania , Enfermedades de las Cabras/genética , Enfermedades de las Cabras/transmisión , Cabras , Inmunohistoquímica/veterinaria , Tamizaje Masivo/veterinaria , Peso Molecular , Vigilancia de la Población , Proteínas PrPSc/química , Proteínas PrPSc/genética , Enfermedades por Prión/genética , Enfermedades por Prión/transmisión , Enfermedades por Prión/veterinaria , Scrapie/genética , Scrapie/transmisión , OvinosRESUMEN
Prion protein (PrP) genotypes were determined in eight sheep that have been tested positive for atypical scrapie from purebred or crossbred Merinoland sheep flocks in Germany and compared with the PrP genotypes of their flock mates. Two restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analyses were developed to determine all PRNP haplotypes occurring by variations at codons 136, 154 and 171. At least one copy of the A(136) H(154) Q(171) (AHQ) allele was found in all scrapie-positive sheep while the frequency of AHQ varied from over 23% to less than 3% in the whole flocks. There was a significant association between PrP genotype and a positive scrapie diagnosis over all flocks, suggesting a high scrapie susceptibility of PrP genotypes including the AHQ allele, at least in sheep of Merinoland type. These results argue that sheep with the AHQ allele are not generally less susceptible to scrapie and support the hypothesis that the influence of this allele on scrapie susceptibility may vary from flock to flock depending on genetic and/or epidemiological factors. This has to be considered when strategies for the eradication of scrapie in sheep are based on PrP genotypes.
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Predisposición Genética a la Enfermedad/genética , Priones/genética , Scrapie/genética , Ovinos/genética , Alelos , Animales , Cruzamiento , Codón , Variación Genética , Genotipo , Alemania , Haplotipos , Scrapie/prevención & controlRESUMEN
The intensified surveillance of scrapie in small ruminants in the European Union (EU) has resulted in a substantial increase of the number of diagnosed cases. Four rapid tests which have passed the EU evaluation for BSE testing of cattle are also recommended currently and used for the testing of small ruminants by the EU authorities. These tests include an indirect ELISA (cELISA), a colorimetric sandwich ELISA (sELISA I), a chemiluminescent sandwich ELISA (sELISA II), and a Western blot (WB). To this point, the majority of samples have been screened by using either sELISA I (predominantly in Germany) or WB (predominantly in France). In this study, it is shown that a number of the German and French scrapie cases show inconsistent results using rapid and confirmatory test methods. Forty-eight German sheep, 209 French sheep and 19 French goat transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) cases were tested. All cases were recognised by the sELISA I and either one of the confirmatory methods (scrapie-associated fibrils (SAF)-immunoblot or immunohistochemistry). Surprisingly, three rapid tests failed to detect a significant number of scrapie cases (29 in France and 24 in Germany). The possible reasons for these inconsistent reaction patterns of scrapie cases are discussed. Similar discrepancies have not been observed during rapid testing of cattle for BSE, the disease for which all diagnostic methods applied have been evaluated.