Refsgaardgaines2060

Cases of acute haemorrhagic conjunctivitis (AHC) caused by a coxsackie virus A24 variant (CV-A24v) in Mexico have been reported since 1987; however, no molecular data on the causative strains have been available. Here, we report the identification of the etiological agent responsible for the most recent AHC outbreak in southeastern Mexico (at the end of 2017) as well as the complete genome sequences of seven isolates, using next-generation sequencing (NGS). Phylogenomic analysis of the CV-A24v sequences reported here showed similarity to contemporary strains causing AHC outbreaks in French Guiana and Uganda, forming a novel clade related to genotype IV. Moreover, a specific mutational pattern in the non-structural proteins was identified in the 2017 isolates. This is the first report of genetic characterization of CV-A24v isolates obtained in Mexico.Malaria is an infectious disease with an immense global health burden. Plasmodium vivax is the most geographically widespread species of malaria. Relapsing infections, caused by the activation of liver-stage parasites known as hypnozoites, are a critical feature of the epidemiology of Plasmodium vivax. Hypnozoites remain dormant in the liver for weeks or months after inoculation, but cause relapsing infections upon activation. Here, we introduce a dynamic probability model of the activation-clearance process governing both potential relapses and the size of the hypnozoite reservoir. We begin by modelling activation-clearance dynamics for a single hypnozoite using a continuous-time Markov chain. 740YPDGFR We then extend our analysis to consider activation-clearance dynamics for a single mosquito bite, which can simultaneously establish multiple hypnozoites, under the assumption of independent hypnozoite behaviour. We derive analytic expressions for the time to first relapse and the time to hypnozoite clearance for mosquito bites establishing variable numbers of hypnozoites, both of which are quantities of epidemiological significance. Our results extend those in the literature, which were limited due to an assumption of collective dormancy. Our within-host model can be embedded readily in multiscale models and epidemiological frameworks, with analytic solutions increasing the tractability of statistical inference and analysis. Our work therefore provides a foundation for further work on immune development and epidemiological-scale analysis, both of which are important for achieving the goal of malaria elimination.Association of trace metal concentrations in water is problematic; however, its information is scarce and sometimes contradicted. This work presents variations in dissolved major constituents and trace element concentrations along the quaternary aquifers located in middle Upper Egypt (Minia and Assiut governorates). A total of 205 groundwater samples from these aquifers were collected. Auxiliary parameters (pH, alkalinity, and conductivity), major cations (Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, and K+), dominant anions (HCO3-, SO42-, Cl-, and NO3-), and trace element (B, Fe, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Cd, and Cr) concentrations were measured in all samples. Univariate (correlation coefficient and scatter matrix) analysis was employed combined with multivariate (principal coordinates analysis) analysis to identify the chemical characteristics of groundwater that are responsible for generating most of the variability within the dataset. Also, hierarchical cluster analysis was applied to classify the geochemical origin of the groundwater constituents. The results indicate that the groundwater pollution is mainly due to water-rock interactions, including aquifer matrix dissolution, redox reaction of trace metals, input from wastewater, and agricultural fertilizers.An electrochemical aptasensor for thrombin is introduced that makes use of a nanohybrid composed of silver nanoparticles and graphite-like carbon nitride (Ag-g-C3N4). The material has a large surface and good biocompatibility. AgNPs are modified directly on the surface of g-C3N4 via chemical reduction. A glass carbon electrode (GCE) modified with Ag-g-C3N4 can immobilize a large number of amino-terminated thrombin binding aptamers (NH2-TBA) through strong Ag-N bonds. The electrochemical impedance signal of the aptasensor increases in the presence of thrombin. Under the optimal conditions and by using [Fe(CN)6]3-/4- as an electrochemical probe, the aptasensor shows a wide linear range of 100 fM - 20 nM with a lower detection limit of 38 fM. The method was applied to the determination of thrombin in spiked human plasma and the recoveries fluctuated from 97.2% to 103%. Graphical abstractSchematic representation of an electrochemical aptasensor using graphite-like carbon nitride (C3N4) modified with silver nanoparticles as electrode substrate for thrombin (TB) detection.INTRODUCTION Standardized commercial kits enable targeted metabolomics analysis and may thus provide an attractive complement to the more explorative approaches. The kits are typically developed for triple quadrupole mass spectrometers using serum and plasma. OBJECTIVES Here we measure the concentrations of preselected metabolites in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) using a kit developed for high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). Secondarily, the study aimed to investigate metabolite alterations in patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) compared to controls. METHODS We performed targeted metabolomics in human CSF on twelve SPMS patients and twelve age and sex-matched healthy controls using the Absolute IDQ-p400 kit (Biocrates Life Sciences AG) developed for HRMS. The extracts were analysed using two methods; liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) and flow injection analysis-MS (FIA-HRMS). RESULTS Out of 408 targeted metabolites, 196 (48%) were detected above limit of detection and 35 were absolutely quantified. Metabolites analyzed using LC-HRMS had a median coefficient of variation (CV) of 3% and 2.5% between reinjections the same day and after prolonged storage, respectively. The corresponding results for the FIA-HRMS were a median CV of 27% and 21%, respectively. We found significantly (p  less then  0.05) elevated levels of glycine, asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), glycerophospholipid PC-O (340) and sum of hexoses in SPMS patients compared to controls. CONCLUSION The Absolute IDQ-p400 kit could successfully be used for quantifying targeted metabolites in the CSF. Metabolites quantified using LC-HRMS showed superior reproducibility compared to FIA-HRMS.