Novel human coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2): A lesson from animal coronaviruses

The recent pandemic caused by the novel human coronavirus, referrred to as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), not only is having a great impact on the health care systems and economies in all continents but it is also causing radical changes of common habits and life styles. The novel coronavirus (CoV) recognises, with high probability, a zoonotic origin but the role of animals in the SARS-CoV-2 epidemiology is still largely unknown. However, CoVs have been known in animals since several decades, so that veterinary coronavirologists have a great expertise on how to face CoV infections in animals, which could represent a model for SARS-CoV-2 infection in humans. In the present paper, we provide an up-to-date review of the literature currently available on animal CoVs, focusing on the molecular mechanisms that are responsible for the emergence of novel CoV strains with different antigenic, biologic and/or pathogenetic features. A full comprehension of the mechanisms driving the evolution of animal CoVs will help better understand the emergence, spreading, and evolution of SARS-CoV-2

Transplacental transmission of field and rescued strains of BTV-2 and BTV-8 in experimentally infected sheep

Transplacental transmission of bluetongue virus has been shown previously for the North European strain of serotype 8 (BTV-8) and for tissue culture or chicken egg-adapted vaccine strains but not for field strains of other serotypes. In this study, pregnant ewes (6 per group) were inoculated with either field or rescued strains of BTV-2 and BTV-8 in order to determine the ability of these viruses to cross the placental barrier. The field BTV-2 and BTV-8 strains was passaged once in Culicoides KC cells and once in mammalian cells. All virus inoculated sheep became infected and seroconverted against the different BTV strains used in this study. BTV RNA was detectable in the blood of all but two ewes for over 28 days but infectious virus could only be detected in the blood for a much shorter period. Interestingly, transplacental transmission of BTV-2 (both field and rescued strains) was demonstrated at high efficiency (6 out of 13 lambs born to BTV-2 infected ewes) while only 1 lamb of 12 born to BTV-8 infected ewes showed evidence of in utero infection. In addition, evidence for horizontal transmission of BTV-2 between ewes was observed. As expected, the parental BTV-2 and BTV-8 viruses and the viruses rescued by reverse genetics showed very similar properties to each other. This study showed, for the first time, that transplacental transmission of BTV-2, which had been minimally passaged in cell culture, can occur; hence such transmission might be more frequent than previously thought

Sars‐cov‐2 pandemic: Not the first, not the last

The common trait among the betacoronaviruses that emerged during the past two decades (the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus—SARS‐CoV, the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus—MERS‐CoV, and the recent SARS coronavirus 2—SARS‐CoV‐2) is their probable animal origin, all deriving from viruses present in bat species. Bats have arisen the attention of the scientific community as reservoir of emerging viruses, given their wide geographical distribution, their biological diversity (around 1,400 species, 21 different families and over 200 genera), and their peculiar ecological and physiological characteristics which seem to facilitate them in harbouring a high viral diversity. Several human activities may enable the viral spill‐over from bats to humans, such as deforestation, land‐use changes, increased livestock grazing or intensive production of vegetal cultures. In addition, the globalization of trade and high global human mobility allow these viruses to be disseminated in few hours in many parts of the World. In order to avoid the emergence of new pandemic threats in the future we need to substantially change our global models of social and economic development, posing the conservation of biodiversity and the preservation of natural ecosystems as a pillar for the protection of global human health

Erasing the Invisible Line to Empower the Pandemic Response

A challenging debate has arisen on the role of veterinary expertise in facing the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. It seems totally unreasonable that in most countries, veterinary diagnostic and tracing forces were not deployed at the start to perform strategic tasks, which could have mitigated the outcome of this dramatic health emergency. Erasing the invisible line between human and veterinary virology will empower the response to future pandemics

The impact of COVID-19 on the scientific production spread: A five-month bibliometric report of the worldwide research community

Introduction: The recent COVID-19 pandemic has gained recently a deep increasing of research interest in all fields of the human knowledge due to prevention of the Sars-Cov-2 infection and disease treatment The present investigation evaluated the topic publications and the citation network analysis during the early phases of COVID-19 pandemic spread. Methods: the Boolean search was performed according to the Pubmed Mesh terms by by Scopus Elsevier database. The papers, co-authors, number of citations obtained and scientific journals were recorded. Results: a total of 164 scientific journals were assessed in the present research with a mean impact factor value of 4.612±8.705 (range: 70.67-0; median: 2,687, Q1: 0,701; Q3: 4,928). Conclusions: The studies selected showed The bibliometric research showed an early representation of the research orientation of the research activity about COVID 19. The most represented scientific fields concerned with healthcare and medicine, while for the social and economic fields are gaining interests due to the pandemic spread

Large adiabatic temperature and magnetic entropy changes in EuTiO3

We have investigated the magnetocaloric effect in single and polycrystalline samples of quantum paraelectric EuTiO3 by magnetization and heat capacity measurements. Single crystalline EuTiO3 shows antiferromagnetic ordering due to Eu2+ magnetic moments below TN = 5.6 K. This compound shows a giant magnetocaloric effect around its Neel temperature. The isothermal magnetic entropy change is 49 Jkg-1K-1, the adiabatic temperature change is 21 K and the refrigeration capacity is 500 JKg-1 for a field change of 7 T at TN. The single crystal and polycrystalline samples show similar values of the magnetic entropy change and adiabatic temperature changes. The large magnetocaloric effect is due to suppression of the spin entropy associated with localized 4f moment of Eu2+ ions. The giant magnetocaloric effect together with negligible hysteresis, suggest that EuTiO3 could be a potential material for magnetic refrigeration below 20 K.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figure

Post-test simulations for the NACIE-UP benchmark by STH codes

This paper illustrates the results obtained in the last phase of the NACIE-UP benchmark activity foreseen inside the EU SESAME Project. The purpose of this research activity, performed by system thermal–hydraulic (STH) codes, is finalized to the improvement, development and validation of existing STH codes for Heavy Liquid Metal (HLM) systems. All the participants improved their modelling of the NACIE-UP facility, respect to the initial blind simulation phase, adopting the actual experimental boundary conditions and reducing as much as possible sources of uncertainty in their numerical model. Four different STH codes were employed by the participants to the benchmark to model the NACIE-UP facility, namely: CATHARE for ENEA, ATHLET for GRS, RELAP5-3D© for the “Sapienza” University of Rome and RELAP5/Mod3.3(modified) for the University of Pisa. Three reference tests foreseen in the NACIE-UP benchmark and carried out at ENEA Brasimone Research Centre were analysed from four participants. The data from the post-test analyses, performed independently by the participant using different STH codes, were compared together and with the available experimental results and critically discussed

Large adiabatic temperature and magnetic entropy changes in EuTiO3

Under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution license.-- et al.We have investigated the magnetocaloric effect in single and polycrystalline samples of quantum paraelectric EuTiO3 by magnetization and heat capacity measurements. Single crystalline EuTiO3 shows antiferromagnetic ordering due to Eu2+ magnetic moments below TN=5.6K. This compound shows a giant magnetocaloric effect around its Néel temperature. The isothermal magnetic entropy change is 49Jkg-1K-1, the adiabatic temperature change is 21 K, and the refrigeration capacity is 500Jkg-1 for a field change of 7 T at TN. The single crystal and polycrystalline samples show similar values of the magnetic entropy and adiabatic temperature changes. The large magnetocaloric effect is due to suppression of the spin entropy associated with the localized 4f moment of Eu2+ ions. The giant magnetocaloric effect, together with negligible hysteresis, suggest that EuTiO3 could be a potential material for magnetic refrigeration below 40 K.R.M. acknowledges the support of MOE Tier 1 Grant No. R144-000-308-112. J.-S.W. acknowledges the support of MOE Tier 2 Grant No. R144-000-349-112. M.E. acknowledges financial support from MINECO through Grant No. FEDER-MAT2012-38318-C03-01.Peer Reviewe

LA GESTIONE DEL RISCHIO NEL SETTORE DEI BENI CULTURALI: MUSEI, BIBLIOTECHE, ARCHIVI

contenuti del volume “La gestione del rischio nel settore dei beni culturali: musei, biblioteche, archivi”, secondo della Collana “La Formazione e la Ricerca nel settore dei Beni Culturali e Ambientali”, sono riconducibili preliminarmente ad un excursus storico sulla situazione normativa in materia di sicurezza dei beni culturali in Italia e a livello internazionale con la conseguente trattazione di procedure di valutazione e prevenzione, linee guida e sistemi di sicurezza, in particolare, negli ambienti confinati. Si rivolge, quindi, l’attenzione alle varie tipologie di rischio e alle corrispondenti metodologie scientifiche in un confronto di percorsi metodologici e monitoraggi stabiliti anche da Organizzazioni Internazionali, affrontando alcuni casi di studio che, nell’ambito del Laboratorio Diagnostico per i Beni Culturali del Dipartimento di Beni Culturali dell’Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, sono stati oggetto di studio e applicazione