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Topic Review
Impact of Human Activities on Zoonotic Infection Transmissions
As humans expand their territories across more and more regions of the planet, activities such as deforestation, urbanization, tourism, wildlife exploitation, and climate change can have drastic consequences for animal movements and animal–human interactions. These events, especially climate change, can also affect the arthropod vectors that are associated with the animals in these scenarios. As the COVID-19 pandemic and other various significant outbreaks throughout the centuries have demonstrated, when animal patterns and human interactions change, so does the exposure of humans to zoonotic pathogens potentially carried by wildlife.
  • 959
  • 24 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Gut Microbiota in Anabolic Resistance
The gut microbiota refers to the collective of bacteria, archaea, viruses, and eukaryotic microbes that reside in the gastrointestinal tract.
  • 958
  • 10 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Glacial Water
Microbial communities and nutrient dynamics in glaciers and ice sheets continuously change as the hydrological conditions within and on the ice change. Glaciers and ice sheets can be considered bioreactors as microbiomes transform nutrients that enter these icy systems and alter the meltwater chemistry. Global warming is increasing meltwater discharge, affecting nutrient and cell export, and altering proglacial systems.
  • 957
  • 15 May 2023
Topic Review
Meningococcal Vaccines and Mucosal Immunity
Neisseria meningitidis causes a devastating invasive disease but is also a normal colonizer of the human nasopharynx. Due to the rapid progression of disease, the best tool to protect individuals against meningococcal infections is immunization. Clinical experience with polysaccharide conjugate vaccines has revealed that an ideal meningococcal vaccine must prevent both invasive disease and nasal colonization, which confers herd immunity. However, not all meningococcal vaccines are equal in their ability to prevent nasal colonization, for unknown reasons. 
  • 956
  • 23 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Helminthophagous Fungi
Helminthophagous fungi can be divided into five groups: nematode-trapping/predatorial, opportunistic or ovicidal, endoparasitic, toxin-producing, and producers of special attack devices. The fungi of the first and second groups produce modified hyphae called traps, with which, by a mechanical/enzymatic process, they bind and digest nematode larvae, eggs, cysts, and nematode females. Thus, they are the ones that best act in the predation of animal parasites. Supplied orally, after passing through the gastrointestinal tract of animals, fungal structures such as conidia, mycelium, and chlamidospores germinate in the feces, forming a network of hyphae with the ability to capture and destroy infective forms of animal parasitic helminths.
  • 955
  • 30 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Equine Herpesvirus 1
Equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) is a virus of the family Herpesviridae that causes abortion, respiratory disease and occasionally neonatal mortality in horses. Initial spread of EHV-1 by a newly introduced horse through direct and indirect contact can lead to abortion and perinatal infection in up to 70 percent of a previously unexposed herd. Abortion usually occurs in the last four months of gestation, two to four weeks after infection of the mare. Perinatal (around the time of birth) infection can lead to pneumonia and death. Encephalitis can occur in affected animals, leading to ataxia, paralysis, and death. There is a vaccine available (ATCvet code QI05AA11 (WHO)), however its efficacy is questionable.The virus varies in severity from sub-clinical to very severe. Most horses have been infected with EHV-1 but the virus can become latent and show no signs and never be an issue. In 2006, an outbreak of EHV-1 among stables in Florida resulted in the institution of various quarantine measures. The outbreak was determined to have originated with several horses imported from Europe via New York, and then shipped to Florida.
  • 955
  • 04 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Bioresources Use in Organic Farming
Over the years, the practice of agriculture has transformed from the era of traditional to that of intensive agriculture in the bid to boost the production index that will satisfy the food needs of the globally growing population. However, the continuous and exaggerated use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has resulted in major adverse impacts on food and environmental safety, whereas most traditional techniques for the reclamation of natural soil nutrients, including shifting cultivation and polyculture, are no longer attractive measures of land rejuvenation. There is, therefore, the need for urgent evaluation and adoption of innovative methods of replenishing the agricultural soils that conform to the current agricultural systems without exerting undesirable effects on the ecosystem. We elucidated the use of key bioresources, such as organic fertilizers, biofertilizers, and biopesticides, as alternatives to chemical-based products in attaining a safe and sustainable agricultural system. Bioresources are naturally available, safe, and easily accessible products. The potential of these biological products in fostering soil microbial growth, plants’ productivity, and induced host immunity to diseases, alongside the promotion of healthy soil–microbe–plant relationships and preservation of the ecosystem processes without disruption, are aspects that were also explored. Therefore, the productive use of bioresources is considered strategic as it pertains to attaining safe and sustainable food production. 
  • 955
  • 02 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Varicella-Zoster Virus Prevalence among Pregnant Women
Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is a human-specific α-herpes virus responsible for chickenpox and herpes zoster. VZV is a virus with a lipid-rich envelope acquired from cellular membranes, where viral glycoproteins are inserted. Inside the envelope, a tegument layer formed by regulatory proteins surrounds an icosahedral nucleocapsid core containing the linear double-stranded DNA genome.
  • 954
  • 10 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Biofilm in Endodontics
Sonic, ultrasonic and Er:Yag laser agitation, in general, offer better biofilm removal when compared to conventional irrigation methods delivered by syringe and needle. The choice of the right irrigation solution is an important factor for removal of the endodontic biofilm, with water and saline being less effective compared to NaOCl and CHX. However, due to heterogeneity in methodologies, it is difficult to compare adjuvant endodontic techniques with one another and give recommendations for the most efficient method in biofilm removal.
  • 952
  • 07 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Viable but Non-Culturable Listeria monocytogenes
The detection, enumeration, and virulence potential of viable but non-culturable (VBNC) pathogens continues to be a topic of discussion. While there is a lack of definitive evidence that VBNC Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) pose a public health risk, recent studies suggest that Lm in its VBNC state remains virulent. VBNC bacteria cannot be enumerated by traditional plating methods, so the results from routine Lm testing may not demonstrate a sample’s true hazard to public health. We suggest that supplementing routine Lm testing methods with methods designed to enumerate VBNC cells may more accurately represent the true level of risk.
  • 952
  • 13 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Water Age and Plumbing Pathogens
One of the most important characteristics that can affect the growth and proliferation of opportunistic pathogens in premise plumbing systems is water age. Water age is a term that represents the average time taken for water to reach its point-of-use from its point-of-entry within a distribution system. It is more precisely defined as a summation of residence time from the treatment facility to the water meter of a building (i.e., mains distribution) and residence time from the water meter to the point of use (i.e., premise plumbing distribution). Water age can be described primarily as a function of water demand, system design, and system operation. As demand increases, the time that water is resident in a system decreases.
  • 951
  • 08 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Enteric Fever Diagnosis
Enteric fever, referring to typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever, is a common bacterial disease with high morbidity and mortality rates in low- to middle-income countries in Asia, Africa, and South America, associated with limited proper sanitation and safe drinking water supply.
  • 950
  • 05 May 2021
Topic Review
A Mycobacteriophage-Based Vaccine Platform for SARS-CoV-2
Bacteriophage-based vaccines can generate a protective immune response by safely introducing foreign antigens displayed on, encapsidated within, or genetically encoded by phage. Here authors describe recombinants of mycobacteriophage Bxb1 (a phage infecting Mycobacterium smegmatis) that covalently display and express antigenic peptides of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein. Several of these vaccine candidates produced Spike-specific antibodies in immunized mice, but the responses were not neutralizing. This mycobacteriophage-based vaccine platform can likely be improved if delivery of larger antigens is achieved. 
  • 949
  • 06 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Antimicrobial Resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii
Acinetobacter baumannii is a Gram-negative bacillus that causes multiple infections that can become severe, mainly in hospitalized patients. Its high ability to persist on abiotic surfaces and to resist stressors, together with its high genomic plasticity, make it a remarkable pathogen. The isolation of strains with high antimicrobial resistance profiles has gained relevance, which complicates patient treatment and prognosis. This resistance capacity is generated by various mechanisms, including the modification of the target site where antimicrobial action is directed. This mechanism is mainly generated by genetic mutations and contributes to resistance against a wide variety of antimicrobials, such as β-lactams, macrolides, fluoroquinolones, aminoglycosides, among others, including polymyxin resistance, which includes colistin, a rescue antimicrobial used in the treatment of multidrug-resistant strains of A. baumannii and other Gram-negative bacteria.
  • 949
  • 27 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Human Milk Oligosaccharides
Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are a family of free oligosaccharides which are diverse in structure and unique to human milk. Their diversity enables multiple paths of interference against viral entry, which include norovirus, rotavirus and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). 
  • 947
  • 23 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Bacterial Polyhydroalkanoate in a Sustainable Future
Environmental challenges related to the mismanagement of plastic waste became even more evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. The need for new solutions regarding the use of plastics came to the forefront again. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) have demonstrated their ability to replace conventional plastics, especially in packaging. Its biodegradability and biocompatibility makes this material a sustainable solution. The cost of PHA production and some weak physical properties compared to synthetic polymers remain as the main barriers to its implementation in the industry. The scientific community has been trying to solve these disadvantages associated with PHA.
  • 947
  • 20 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Signaling Molecules in Endophytic Bacteria and Medicinal Plants
Signaling molecules act as the links and bridges between endophytes and host plants. The recognition of endophytes and host plants, the regulation of host plant growth and development, and the synthesis of secondary metabolites are not separated by the participation of signaling molecules.
  • 947
  • 20 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Mycobacteria and Cancer
Although the therapeutic effect of mycobacteria as antitumor agents has been known for decades, recent epidemiological and experimental studies have revealed that mycobacterium-related chronic inflammation may be a possible mechanism of cancer pathogenesis. Mycobacterium tuberculosis and non-tuberculous Mycobacterium avium complex infections have been implicated as potentially contributing to the etiology of lung cancer, whereas Mycobacterium ulcerans has been correlated with skin carcinogenesis. The risk of tumor development with chronic mycobacterial infections is thought to be a result of many host effector mechanisms acting at different stages of oncogenesis.
  • 946
  • 28 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome–Related Coronavirus
Severe acute respiratory syndrome–related coronavirus (SARSr-CoV or SARS-CoV)[note 1] is a species of virus consisting of many known strains phylogenetically related to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 1 (SARS-CoV-1) that have been shown to possess the capability to infect humans, bats, and certain other mammals. These enveloped, positive-sense single-stranded RNA viruses enter host cells by binding to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor. The SARSr-CoV species is a member of the genus Betacoronavirus and of the subgenus Sarbecovirus (SARS Betacoronavirus). Two strains of the virus have caused outbreaks of severe respiratory diseases in humans: severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 1 (SARS-CoV or SARS-CoV-1), which caused the 2002–2004 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which is causing the ongoing pandemic of COVID-19. There are hundreds of other strains of SARSr-CoV, which are only known to infect non-human species: bats are a major reservoir of many strains of SARSr-CoV; several strains have been identified in palm civets, which were likely ancestors of SARS-CoV-1. The SARS-related coronavirus was one of several viruses identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2016 as a likely cause of a future epidemic in a new plan developed after the Ebola epidemic for urgent research and development before and during an epidemic towards diagnostic tests, vaccines and medicines. This prediction came to pass with the COVID-19 pandemic. Such development, if incorporating "nucleic acids coding for SARS-CoV virulence factors," which is listed on the Federal Select Agents and Toxins List, is expressly illegal in the United States per U.S. Federal Code 7 CFR Part 331, U.S. Federal Code 9 CFR Part 121, U.S. Federal Code 42 CFR Part 73, and 18 U.S. Code Section 178. The Statutes provide a legal remedy of 99 years in federal prison and up to $100,000,000 penalty per felony count. On March 3, 2022 a federal case was filed in the State of Utah seeking clarification of the legal status of Covid-19 gene therapies under these existing statutes, and the case is currently pending.
  • 944
  • 07 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Antimicrobials and Food-Related Stresses
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation uses physical energy, and it is a non-thermal and non-chemical technology used by the food industry for liquid and solid surface decontamination, to control foodborne pathogens and spoilage microorganisms, as well as viruses and protozoa. UV radiations at short wavelengths, in the range of from 220 to 280 nm, result in physical damage to the nucleic acids and inhibit bacterial replication by induction of the formation of cyclobutene pyrimidine dimers, which blocks DNA replication and transcription, leading to cell death . However, the repair mechanism of UV damage, especially by photoreactivation, is a major disadvantage of UV disinfection .
  • 943
  • 10 Jun 2021
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