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BACKGROUND: Acute gastroenteritis is a major health concern for all age groups and accounts for more than 2.5 million deaths annually in children under five years old. Human Aichi virus causes acute gastroenteritis and is associated with foodborne outbreaks. Little is known about its pathogenicity, evolution, and geographical distribution. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe the global seroprevalence of AiV-1 and its genotype distribution, track outbreaks, and estimate co-infection rates with other viral gastroenteritis. METHODS: A comprehensive systematic search of the epidemiological aspects of AiV-1 was conducted using peer-reviewed English original articles indexed in several scientific database libraries since its first detection in Japan until October 2022. A total of 55 published studies were included in the final analysis based on the inclusion criteria. RESULT: The global prevalence of AiV-1 was 1.45 %. To date, nine AiV-1 outbreaks were reported following the first oyster-associated outbreak in Japan between 1987 and 1991. AiV-1 genotype A has a worldwide distribution, whereas genotypes B and C have a pattern of geo-localization. The gradual and significant increase of AiV-1 seroprevalence with age was reported in all studies. The most predominant viruses causing viral coinfection among AiV-1-infected patients were Norovirus (36.55 %), Rotavirus (18.91 %), and Sapovirus (15.13 %). Coinfections with Norovirus (p-value 0.003), Rotavirus (p = 0.007), and Human Astrovirus (p = 0.032) were significantly correlated with AiV-1 coinfection. CONCLUSION: This was the first comprehensive systematic review of AiV-1. Although AiV-1 has a low global prevalence, it can be considered a health concern due to its association with childhood gastroenteritis.

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Diverse enteric pathogens, transmitted through human and animal feces, can cause gastroenteritis. Enteric viruses, such as human Aichi virus, specifically genotype A (AiV-A), are emerging pathogens that cause illnesses even at low doses and are spreading globally. This research developed a reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assay targeting the 3CD junction and a reverse transcription colorimetric loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-cLAMP) duplex assay targeting junctions 2BC and 3CD of the AiV-A genome for rapid and sensitive detection of this virus in metropolitan and regional wastewater samples in Queensland, Australia. The performance of these assays was evaluated using control materials and by analyzing wastewater samples. In serially diluted control materials, RT-qPCR provided quantifiable data (mean 1.51 log10 GC/2 µL of nucleic acid) down to a dilution of 1 × 10-5 pg/µL. In comparison, the duplex RT-cLAMP assay detected down to 1 × 10-4 pg/µL, indicating that its sensitivity was one order of magnitude less than that of RT-qPCR. Of the 38 wastewater samples from 38 metropolitan and regional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Queensland, Australia, 21 (55.3 %) tested positive by RT-qPCR with concentrations ranging from 3.60 to 6.23 log10 GC/L. In contrast, only 15 (39.5 %) of 38 wastewater samples were positive using the duplex RT-cLAMP assay. The methods demonstrated substantial qualitative agreement (κ = 0.730), with a concordance of 86.5 %, demonstrating the reliability of RT-cLAMP for detecting AiV-A in wastewater samples. The duplex RT-cLAMP assay, despite demonstrating reduced detection sensitivity, has proven effective and holds promise as a supplementary approach, especially in settings with limited resources where rapid and affordable testing is crucial.

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Amid a global infrastructure boom, there is increasing recognition of the ecological impacts of the extraction and consumption of construction minerals, mainly processed as concrete, including significant and expanding threats to global biodiversity. We investigated how high-level national and international biodiversity conservation policies address mining threats, with a special focus on construction minerals. We conducted a review and quantified the degree to which threats from mining these minerals are addressed in biodiversity goals and targets under the 2011-2020 and post-2020 biodiversity strategies, national biodiversity strategies and action plans, and the assessments of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. Mining appeared rarely in national targets but more frequently in national strategies. Yet, in most countries, it was superficially addressed. Coverage of aggregates mining was greater than coverage of limestone mining. We outline 8 key components, tailored for a wide range of actors, to effectively mainstream biodiversity conservation into the extractive, infrastructure, and construction sectors. Actions include improving reporting and monitoring systems, enhancing the evidence base around mining impacts on biodiversity, and modifying the behavior of financial agents and businesses. Implementing these measures could pave the way for a more sustainable approach to construction mineral use and safeguard biodiversity.

Amenazas de la minería a las políticas de alto nivel para la conservación de la biodiversidad Resumen Enmedio del auge global del desarrollo de infraestructura, hay un mayor reconocimiento de los impactos ecológicos de la extracción y consumo de materiales para construcción, procesados predominantemente como concreto. Estos materiales representan amenazas significativas y en expansión para la biodiversidad global. Investigamos cómo son abordadas las amenazas de la minería por las políticas nacionales e internacionales de alto nivel para la conservación de la biodiversidad, con enfoque especial en los minerales para construcción. Realizamos una revisión exhaustiva y cuantificamos el grado en el cual son abordadas las amenazas de la extracción de estos minerales en los objetivos y metas para la biodiversidad bajo estrategias 2011­2020 y post 2020, las estrategias y planes de acción nacionales para la biodiversidad, y las evaluaciones de la Plataforma Intergubernamental Científico­normativa sobre Diversidad Biológica y Servicios de los Ecosistemas. La minería raramente apareció en los objetivos nacionales, pero fue más frecuente en las estrategias nacionales. Sin embargo, fue abordada superficialmente en la mayoría de los países. La cobertura de minería de agregados fue mayor que la cobertura de la minería de caliza. Describimos ocho componentes clave, adaptados para una amplia gama de actores, para incorporar eficazmente la conservación de la biodiversidad en los sectores extractivo, desarrollo de infraestructura y construcción. Las acciones incluyen la mejora de los sistemas de informes y monitoreo, el reforzamiento de la base de evidencias en torno a los impactos de la minería sobre la biodiversidad y la modificación del comportamiento de los agentes financieros y comerciales. La implementación de estas medidas podría allanar el camino para un enfoque más sostenible en el uso de minerales para la construcción y la salvaguarda de la biodiversidad.

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For centuries, Laggera pterodonta (LP), a Chinese herbal medicine, has been widely employed for treating respiratory infectious diseases; however, the mechanism underlying LP's effectiveness against the influenza A/Aichi/2/1968 virus (H3N2) remains elusive. This study aims to shed light on the mechanism by which LP combats influenza in H3N2-infected mice. First, we conducted quasi-targeted metabolomics analysis using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to identify LP components. Subsequently, network pharmacology, molecular docking, and simulation were conducted to screen candidate targets associated with AKT and NF-κB. In addition, we conducted a series of experiments including qPCR, hematoxylin-eosin staining, flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to provide evidence that LP treatment in H3N2-infected mice can reduce pro-inflammatory cytokine levels (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1ß, and MCP-1) while increasing T cells (CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+) and syndecan-1 and secretory IgA expression. This, in turn, aids in the prevention of excessive inflammation and the fortification of immunity, both of which are compromised by H3N2. Finally, we utilized a Western blot assay to confirm that LP indeed inhibits the AKT/NF-κB signaling cascade. Thus, the efficacy of LP serves as a cornerstone in establishing a theoretical foundation for influenza treatment.

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Oceans beyond the continental shelf represent the largest yet least protected environments. The new agreement to increase protection targets to 30% by 2030 and the recent United Nations (UN) High Seas Treaty try to address this gap, and an increase in the declaration of oceanic Marine Protected Areas (oMPAs) in waters beyond 200 m in depth is likely. Here we find that there is contradictory evidence concerning the benefits of oMPAs in terms of protecting pelagic habitats, providing refuge for highly mobile species, and potential fisheries benefits. We discover a mismatch between oMPA management objectives focusing on protection of pelagic habitats and biodiversity, and scientific research focusing on fisheries benefits. We suggest that the solution is to harness emerging technologies to monitor inside and outside oMPAs.

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In 2010, the introduction of other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) into international policy caused a paradigm shift in area-based conservation, which included consideration of areas outside formal protected areas and places where biodiversity conservation may not be a management objective for the site. Despite the importance of this shift for global conservation, conservation science and policy have been slow to engage with the concept of OECMs. As the world moves toward protecting 30% of the Earth by 2030, it is imperative to develop evidence-based guidance for how to identify effective conservation measures, especially tools to help evaluate and monitor the biodiversity outcomes associated with potential OECMs. To understand the current progress in developing the concept of OECMs, I evaluated the peer-reviewed literature to consolidate and synthesize current knowledge. I conducted a thematic analysis of papers to identify the types of challenges and opportunities being discussed and lessons from studies evaluating the effectiveness of OECMs. Only 105 studies mentioned OECMs, and those that did rarely move beyond superficial mention of OECMs as part of area-based conservation. Around one-half of studies listed potential risks or benefits of OECMs but none provided evidence these issues have materialized. Twenty-three studies attempted to identify potential OECMs, although specific case studies were rare. The 7 studies that evaluated existing OECMs were highly critical of how they had been implemented to date. Studies that evaluated conservation outcomes were extremely rare, and suggested effectiveness must be judged on a case-by-case basis. The current literature not only leaves many gaps in the science required to operationalize the concept of OECMs, but also often raises additional questions that need to be addressed. If these gaps are not filled by robust science, the promised benefits for biodiversity from OECMs may never be realized.

Progreso en el desarrollo del concepto de otras medidas efectivas de conservación basadas en el área Resumen En 2010, la introducción de otras medidas eficaces de conservación basadas en zonas geográficas específicas (OECM) en la política internacional provocó un cambio de paradigma en la conservación basada en el área, que incluyó la consideración de zonas situadas fuera de las áreas protegidas formales y lugares donde la conservación de la biodiversidad puede no ser un objetivo de gestión para el sitio. A pesar de la importancia de este cambio para la conservación mundial, la ciencia y la política de la conservación han tardado en comprometerse con el concepto de OECM. A medida que el mundo avanza hacia la protección del 30% de la Tierra para 2030, es imperativo desarrollar orientaciones basadas en pruebas sobre cómo identificar medidas de conservación eficaces, especialmente herramientas que ayuden a evaluar y supervisar los resultados de biodiversidad asociados a posibles OECM. Para comprender los avances actuales en el desarrollo del concepto de OECM, evalué la bibliografía revisada por pares para consolidar y sintetizar los conocimientos actuales. Realicé un análisis temático de los artículos para identificar los tipos de retos y oportunidades que se debatían y las lecciones extraídas de los estudios que evaluaban la eficacia de las OECM. Sólo 105 estudios mencionaron las OECM, y los que lo hicieron rara vez iban más allá de la mención superficial de las OECM como parte de la conservación basada en el área. Aproximadamente la mitad de los estudios mencionaron los riesgos o beneficios potenciales de las OECM, pero ninguno aportó pruebas de que estos problemas se hubieran materializado. Veintitrés estudios intentaron identificar OECM potenciales, aunque los estudios de casos fueron escasos. Los siete estudios que evaluaron las OECM existentes fueron muy críticos con la forma en que se habían aplicado hasta la fecha. Los estudios que evaluaban los resultados de la conservación eran muy escasos y sugerían que la eficacia debía juzgarse caso por caso. La bibliografía actual no sólo deja muchos vacíos en la ciencia necesaria para hacer operativo el concepto de OECM, sino que a menudo plantea cuestiones adicionales que deben abordarse. Si estos vacíos no se cubren con una ciencia sólida, es posible que los beneficios prometidos de las OECM para la biodiversidad nunca lleguen a materializarse.

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Objective: This study examined the longitudinal association of perceived stress, ikigai, and having someone one can count on in middle age with the advanced-level functional competency in older age, which is crucial for the maintenance of independent life among older adults. The issue is especially relevant in super-aged countries like contemporary Japan, where more and more older people live in a household consisting only of older people. Methods: Data were collected in 2019 from a total of 1692 retirees of the Aichi Workers' Cohort Study participants in which baseline survey including psychological factors was conducted during their employment in 2002. Japan Science and Technology Agency Index of Competence (JST-IC) was used to measure the advanced-level functional competency. Multivariable-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were obtained for having low JST-IC in later life by the degrees of psychological factors reported in the middle age adjusting for the presence of depressive mood in 2019. Results: Those who were not sure about ikigai (OR: 2.02, 95 % CI: 1.33 to 3.08) and who have no one to count on (OR: 2.19, 95 % CI: 1.52 to 3.16) in the middle age were significantly associated with low JST-IC after retirement. Having much stress was significantly inversely associated with a low JST-IC (OR: 0.69, 95 % CI: 0.50 to 0.97). Conclusion: Having ikigai and someone reliable, and stress during middle age might play a role in preventing impaired advanced-level functional competency. Improved ikigai and increased social interaction and support might improve functional competency. Further research might explore avenues for improving ikigai.

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A single-arm study was conducted with 10 children aged 2-12 years with severe cow's milk allergy (CMA) requiring complete allergen elimination. Subjects were administered kestose, a prebiotic, at 1 or 2 g/day for 12 weeks. Results of a subsequent oral food challenge (OFC) showed a statistically significant increase in the total dose of cow's milk ingestion (1.6 ml vs. 2.7 ml, p = 0.041). However, the overall evaluation of the OFC results, TS/Pro (total score of Anaphylaxis Scoring Aichi (ASCA)/cumulative dose of protein), showed no statistically significant improvement, although the values were nominally improved in seven out of 10 subjects. The 16S rDNA analysis of fecal samples collected from the subjects revealed a statistically significant increase in the proportion of Faecalibacterium spp. (3.8 % vs. 6.8%, p = 0.013), a type of intestinal bacterium that has been reported to be associated with food allergy. However, no statistically significant correlation was found between Faecalibacterium spp. abundance and the results of the OFC.

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The number of sequenced viral genomes has surged recently, presenting an opportunity to understand viral diversity and uncover unknown regulatory mechanisms. Here, we conducted a screening of 30,367 viral segments from 143 species representing 96 genera and 37 families. Using a library of viral segments in 3' UTR, we identified hundreds of elements impacting RNA abundance, translation, and nucleocytoplasmic distribution. To illustrate the power of this approach, we investigated K5, an element conserved in kobuviruses, and found its potent ability to enhance mRNA stability and translation in various contexts, including adeno-associated viral vectors and synthetic mRNAs. Moreover, we identified a previously uncharacterized protein, ZCCHC2, as a critical host factor for K5. ZCCHC2 recruits the terminal nucleotidyl transferase TENT4 to elongate poly(A) tails with mixed sequences, delaying deadenylation. This study provides a unique resource for virus and RNA research and highlights the potential of the virosphere for biological discoveries.

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BACKGROUND: Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) was used to assess patients with primary or secondary immune deficiencies (PIDs and SIDs) who presented with immunopathological conditions related to immunodysregulation. METHODS: Thirty patients with PIDs or SIDs who presented with symptoms related to immunodysregulation and 59 asymptomatic patients with similar PIDs or SIDs were enrolled. mNGS was performed on organ biopsy. Specific Aichi virus (AiV) reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to confirm AiV infection and screen the other patients. In situ hybridization (ISH) assay was done on AiV-infected organs to identify infected cells. Virus genotype was determined by phylogenetic analysis. RESULTS: AiV sequences were detected using mNGS in tissue samples of 5 patients and by RT-PCR in peripheral samples of another patient, all of whom presented with PID and long-lasting multiorgan involvement, including hepatitis, splenomegaly, and nephritis in 4 patients. CD8+ T-cell infiltration was a hallmark of the disease. RT-PCR detected intermittent low viral loads in urine and plasma from infected patients but not from uninfected patients. Viral detection stopped after immune reconstitution obtained by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. ISH demonstrated the presence of AiV RNA in hepatocytes (n = 1) and spleen tissue (n = 2). AiV belonged to genotype A (n = 2) or B (n = 3). CONCLUSIONS: The similarity of the clinical presentation, the detection of AiV in a subgroup of patients suffering from immunodysregulation, the absence of AiV in asymptomatic patients, the detection of viral genome in infected organs by ISH, and the reversibility of symptoms after treatment argue for AiV causality.

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The first target of the Convention for Biological Diversity (Aichi target 1) was to increase public awareness of the values of biodiversity and actions needed to conserve it-a key prerequisite for other conservation targets. Monitoring success in achieving this target at a global scale has been difficult; however, increased digitization of human life in recent decades has made it easier to measure people's interests at an unprecedented scale and allows for a more comprehensive evaluation of Aichi target 1 than previously attempted. We used Google search volume data for over a thousand search terms related to different aspects of biodiversity and conservation to evaluate global interest in biodiversity and its conservation. We also investigated the correlation of interest in biodiversity and conservation across countries to variables related to biodiversity, economy, demography, research, education, internet use, and presence of environmental organizations. From 2013 to 2020, global searches for biodiversity components increased, driven mostly by searches for charismatic fauna (59% of searches were for mammal species). Searches for conservation actions, driven mostly by searches for national parks, decreased since 2019, likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Economic inequality was negatively correlated with interest in biodiversity and conservation, whereas purchasing power was indirectly positively correlated with higher levels of education and research. Our results suggest partial success toward achieving Aichi target 1 in that interest in biodiversity increased widely, but not for conservation. We suggest that increased outreach and education efforts aimed at neglected aspects of biodiversity and conservation are still needed. Popular topics in biodiversity and conservation could be leveraged to increase awareness of other topics with attention to local socioeconomic contexts.

Evaluación del interés mundial en la biodiversidad y la conservación Resumen La primera meta del Convenio sobre la Diversidad Biológica (Meta 1 de Aichi) era aumentar la conciencia pública sobre los valores de la biodiversidad y las acciones necesarias para conservarla, un requisito previo clave para otras metas de conservación. Ha sido difícil monitorear el éxito en la obtención de esta meta a escala mundial; sin embargo, la creciente digitalización de la vida humana en las últimas décadas ha facilitado la medición de los intereses de la gente a una escala sin precedentes y permite una evaluación más exhaustiva de la Meta 1 de Aichi que la que se había intentado previamente. Utilizamos datos sobre el volumen de búsquedas en Google de más de mil términos relacionados con distintos aspectos de la biodiversidad y la conservación para evaluar el interés mundial en la biodiversidad y su conservación. También investigamos la correlación del interés por la biodiversidad y la conservación en los distintos países con variables relacionadas a la biodiversidad, la economía, la demografía, la investigación, la educación, el uso del internet y la presencia de organizaciones ambientalistas. Las búsquedas mundiales sobre los componentes de la biodiversidad aumentaron de 2013 a 2020, impulsadas sobre todo por búsquedas de especies carismática (el 59% de las búsquedas correspondían a especies de mamíferos). Las búsquedas de acciones de conservación, impulsadas principalmente por búsquedas de parques nacionales, han disminuido desde 2019, probablemente debido a la pandemia de COVID-19. La desigualdad económica se correlacionó negativamente con el interés en la biodiversidad y la conservación, mientras que el poder adquisitivo se correlacionó indirectamente de manera positiva con niveles más altos de educación e investigación. Nuestros resultados sugieren un éxito parcial en la obtención de la Meta 1 de Aichi en el sentido de que aumentó ampliamente el interés por la biodiversidad, pero no por la conservación. Sugerimos que se necesitan mayores esfuerzos de divulgación y educación dirigidos a aspectos desatendidos de la biodiversidad y la conservación. Los temas populares de biodiversidad y conservación podrían aprovecharse para aumentar la conciencia sobre otros temas si se presta atención a los contextos socioeconómicos locales.

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BACKGROUND: The objectives of this paper were to determine the overall number of diseases, deaths, and Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) caused by viral foodborne diseases (FBDs). An extensive search scheme was performed using several search terms; disease burden, foodborne disease, and foodborne viruses. METHODS: The obtained results were subsequently screened based on title, abstract, and, finally, full text. Relevant evidence on human food-borne virus diseases (prevalence, morbidity, and mortality) was selected. Of all viral foodborne diseases, norovirus was the most predominant one. RESULTS: The incidence rates of norovirus foodborne diseases ranged from 11 to 2,643 cases in Asia and from 418 to 9,200,000 in the USA and Europe. Norovirus had a high burden of disease Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) compared with other foodborne diseases. North America was reported as a country with a high burden of disease (DALYs = 9900) and illness costs. DISCUSSION: High variability of prevalence and incidence were observed in different regions and countries. Food-borne viruses pose a considerable burden on poor health throughout the world. CONCLUSION: We suggest the addition of foodborne viruses to the global burden of disease, and relevant evidence can be used to improve public health.

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To combat biodiversity loss, there is increasing interest in safeguarding habitat by expanding protected areas. Given limited resources in conservation, organizations must invest in places that will add the greatest amount of value in species protection. To determine the added conservation value of protection, one needs to consider the level of human disturbance in areas that would result if they were left unprotected. In recent years, data resources have become available that reveal the spatial heterogeneity in human disturbance over large spatial extents worldwide. We investigated how accounting for heterogeneity in future disturbance in unprotected areas affects prioritization of protected areas by determining the added value offered by protection of different areas. We applied a complementarity-based framework for protected area prioritization to select protected areas in the coterminous United States under different assumptions about the heterogeneity of future disturbance in unprotected areas. Prioritizing protected areas while incorrectly assuming spatially homogeneous disturbance in unprotected areas, a common assumption, led to a loss of 76% of possible conservation gain for a given budget. The conservation return on investment from protecting candidate areas was positively correlated (0.44) to future human disturbance in that area if it was left unprotected. Our results show that the ability to identify cost-effective protected area networks depends on how one accounts for the ecological contribution of private lands that remain unprotected.

Existe un creciente interés por salvaguardar los hábitats mediante la expansión de áreas protegidas para combatir la pérdida de la biodiversidad. Debido a los recursos limitados para la conservación, las organizaciones deben invertir en localidades que adicionarán la mayor cantidad de valor a la protección de las especies. Para determinar el valor de conservación adicionado por la protección se necesita considerar el nivel de perturbación humana en las áreas que ocurriría si se les dejara desprotegidas. En años recientes, han quedado disponibles recursos informativos que revelan la heterogeneidad espacial en la perturbación humana a lo largo de grandes extensiones espaciales a nivel mundial. Investigamos cómo considerar esta heterogeneidad en las futuras perturbaciones de las áreas desprotegidas afecta la priorización de las áreas protegidas mediante la determinación del valor adicionado que ofrece la protección de diferentes áreas. Aplicamos un marco de trabajo basado en la complementariedad para la priorización de áreas protegidas para seleccionar estas áreas en los estados colindantes de los Estados Unidos bajo diferentes suposiciones sobre la heterogeneidad de las perturbaciones futuras en las áreas desprotegidas. La priorización de las áreas protegidas mientras se asumía incorrectamente la perturbación espacial homogénea en las áreas desprotegidas, una suposición común, resultó en una pérdida del 76% de la posible ganancia de conservación para un presupuesto dado. El rendimiento de la conservación en la inversión a partir de la protección de las áreas candidatas estuvo correlacionado positivamente (0.44) con las perturbaciones humanas en el futuro si el área permanece desprotegida. Nuestros resultados muestran que la capacidad de identificar las redes rentables de áreas protegidas depende de cómo se consideran las contribuciones ecológicas de las tierras privadas que permanecen desprotegidas.

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Kobuviruses are an unusual and poorly characterized genus within the picornavirus family and can cause gastrointestinal enteric disease in humans, livestock, and pets. The human kobuvirus Aichi virus (AiV) can cause severe gastroenteritis and deaths in children below the age of 5 years; however, this is a very rare occurrence. During the assembly of most picornaviruses (e.g., poliovirus, rhinovirus, and foot-and-mouth disease virus), the capsid precursor protein VP0 is cleaved into VP4 and VP2. However, kobuviruses retain an uncleaved VP0. From studies with other picornaviruses, it is known that VP4 performs the essential function of pore formation in membranes, which facilitates transfer of the viral genome across the endosomal membrane and into the cytoplasm for replication. Here, we employ genome exposure and membrane interaction assays to demonstrate that pH plays a critical role in AiV uncoating and membrane interactions. We demonstrate that incubation at low pH alters the exposure of hydrophobic residues within the capsid, enhances genome exposure, and enhances permeabilization of model membranes. Furthermore, using peptides we demonstrate that the N terminus of VP0 mediates membrane pore formation in model membranes, indicating that this plays an analogous function to VP4. IMPORTANCE To initiate infection, viruses must enter a host cell and deliver their genome into the appropriate location. The picornavirus family of small nonenveloped RNA viruses includes significant human and animal pathogens and is also a model to understand the process of cell entry. Most picornavirus capsids contain the internal protein VP4, generated from cleavage of a VP0 precursor. During entry, VP4 is released from the capsid. In enteroviruses this forms a membrane pore, which facilitates genome release into the cytoplasm. Due to high levels of sequence similarity, it is expected to play the same role for other picornaviruses. Some picornaviruses, such as Aichi virus, retain an intact VP0, and it is unknown how these viruses rearrange their capsids and induce membrane permeability in the absence of VP4. Here, we have used Aichi virus as a model VP0 virus to test for conservation of function between VP0 and VP4. This could enhance understanding of pore function and lead to development of novel therapeutic agents that block entry.

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Both the number and the extent of protected areas have grown considerably in recent years, but evaluations of their effectiveness remain partial and are hard to compare across cases. To overcome this situation, first, we suggest reserving the term effectiveness solely for assessing protected area outcomes, to clearly distinguish this from management assessments (e.g., sound planning). Second, we propose a multidimensional conceptual framework, rooted in social-ecological theory, to assess effectiveness along three complementary dimensions: ecological outcomes (e.g., biodiversity), social outcomes (e.g., well-being), and social-ecological interactions (e.g., reduced human pressures). Effectiveness indicators can subsequently be evaluated against contextual and management elements (e.g., design and planning) to shed light on management performance (e.g., cost-effectiveness). We summarize steps to operationalize our framework to foster more holistic effectiveness assessments while improving comparability across protected areas. All of this can ensure that protected areas make real contributions toward conservation and sustainability goals.

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International agreements commit nations to control or eradicate invasive alien species. The scale of this challenge exceeds available resources and so it is essential to prioritise the management of invasive alien species. Species prioritisation for management typically involves a hierarchy of processes that consider the likelihood and scale of impact (risk assessment) and the feasibility, costs and effectiveness of management (risk management). Risk assessment processes are widely used, risk management less so, but are a crucial component of resource decision making. To assess the cost-effectiveness of prioritisation, we considered 26 high-risk species considered for eradication from Great Britain (GB) with pre-existing risk assessment and risk management outputs. We extracted scores to reflect the overall risk to GB posed by the species, together with the estimated cost and the overall feasibility of eradication. We used these to consider the relative reduction in risk per unit cost when managing prioritised species based on different criteria. We showed that the cost-effectiveness of prioritisation within our sample using risk assessment scores alone, performed no better than a random ranking of the species. In contrast, prioritisation including management feasibility produced nearly two orders of magnitude improvement compared to random. We conclude that basing management actions on priorities based solely on risk assessment without considering management feasibility risks the inefficient use of limited resources. In this study, the cost-effectiveness of species prioritisation for action was greatly increased by the inclusion of risk management assessment.

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Treatment of wastewater for potable reuse is increasingly becoming a suitable alternative water source to meet the growing urban water needs worldwide. Potable reuse requires reduction of enteric viruses to levels at which they do not pose a risk to human health. Advanced water treatment trains (e.g., microfiltration (MF), ultrafiltration (UF), reverse osmosis (RO), and ultraviolet light and advanced oxidation process (UV/AOP)) provide significant protection and reduce virus loads in highly treated final product waters. Even though viruses are a principal concern, the performance of virus removal by membrane processes is not easily determined. The objective of this study was to evaluate the applicability of Aichi virus (AiV), pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV), cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV), and cross-assembly phage (crAssphage) removal as possible process indicators for MF, UF, and RO. Virus log reduction values (LRVs) based on gene copies measured using molecular methods were determined for MF and UF. The median LRVs of all viruses obtained after MF and UF were 2.9 and 3.1, respectively. The LRVs of the proposed indicators were lower than those of human enteric viruses. The morphological and physicochemical difference among indicators was not found to affect LRVs. Therefore, all proposed indicator viruses were determined to be suitable candidates as process indicators for MF and UF. Regarding RO, most of the viruses measured in this study were undetectable in permeate. Only PMMoV and CGMMV were detected showing median LRVs of 2.8 and 2.5, respectively. PMMoV and CGMMV are recommended as good process indicators of physical virus removal for the overall water treatment process.

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Protected areas are key instruments for conserving biodiversity and landscapes. Yet, conservation initiatives are still often struggling to accommodate people's needs, provoking conflicts, and lacking support from local communities. Our study combines environmental justice and ecosystem services approaches to provide a critical understanding of trade-offs between people's interests and conservation goals in the case study of Circeo National Park (Italy). Applying a qualitative content analysis of different materials and using a survey of local residents, we focus on three main objectives: analysing the implementation of the ecosystem services framework in policy documents and exploring how different people value benefits from nature; investigating the decision-making process in terms of participation, information and communication strategies; and identifying how conservation policies generated different allocations of benefits, burdens and inequalities among social groups. The integrated approach applied in our study highlights ways to systematically uncover perceived injustices and identifies potential conflict lines. In the long run, this approach might help to increase the public acceptance of protected areas by fostering sustainability also in its often-overlooked social dimension.

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Aichi virus (AiV) belongs to the genus Kobuvirus of the family Picornaviridae; it is a single-stranded positive-sense RNA virus without an envelope. AiV causes acute gastroenteritis, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and fever. Low incidence and high seroprevalence of AiV infections have been reported in several regions of the world; however, little was known on the prevalence of AiV infections in Taiwan. This study described the first two cases of AiV infection and analyzed AiV seroprevalence in Taiwan. A total of 700 sera were collected from a single hospital in southern Taiwan. The neutralization assay was employed to assess AiV neutralization antibodies in the serum. The test identified 48 positive cases, with a seroprevalence of 6.86%. Results also showed a gradual increase in AiV seroprevalence rate with age. Compared with other countries, Taiwan had a relatively low AiV seroprevalence, suggesting a low incidence of or sporadic AiV infections.

RESUMEN

Aichi virus (AiV) that results in gastroenteritis worldwide, is spread through contaminated shellfish and water. The resistance/tolerance of AiV to common inactivation processes along with the absence of commercially available vaccines makes it necessary to study its thermal inactivation kinetics. This research evaluated the heat inactivation of AiV in cell-culture media using 2-ml sterile glass vials by the linear and Weibull models. Heat treatments of AiV titers of 7 log plaque forming units (PFU)/ml were conducted thrice in a water-bath at 50, 54, and 58 °C for up to 90 min. Plaque assays for each dilution in duplicate were used to determine infectious virus titers. Linear model D-values for AiV at 50 ± 1 °C (± = standard error) (come-up time = 68 s), 54 ± 0.7 °C (130 s), and 58 ± 0.6°C (251 s) were 43.3 ± 4.23 (R2 = 0.40, RMSE = 0.56), 5.69 ± 0.28 (R2 = 0.80, RMSE = 0.43), and 1.20 ± 0.63 min (R2 = 0.69, RMSE = 0.39), respectively, and the linear model z-value was 5.14 ± 0.39°C (R2 = 0.99, RMSE = 0.08). For the same temperatures, the Weibull model td = 1 values were 20.98 ± 8.8 (R2 = 0.62, RMSE = 0.46, α (scale parameter) = 2.30, ß (shape parameter) = 0.38), 3.84 ± 0.69 (R2 = 0.85, RMSE = 0.38, α = 1.08, ß = 0.66), and 0.87 ± 0.10 min (R2 = 0.80, RMSE = 0.32, α = 0.22, ß = 0.61), respectively and the z-value (using Td = 1 ) was 5.79 ± 0.22 °C (R2 = 1.0, RMSE = 0.03). A better fit was obtained with the Weibull model for log reductions versus time with higher R2 and lower RMSE values. Application of AiV inactivation parameters can help reduce the risk of AiV outbreaks.

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