Una.Resin_WP1_T1.11._1.12._Pilots_20240131

In order to achieve the objectives of each work package, the Una.Resin project followed a common methodology across work packages: Development of shared strategies, agendas and policies following definition of scope, mapping of policies and assets, stakeholder consultation and identification of barriers and enablers of R&I cooperation Development of an action plan to implement shared priorities Initial implementation via pilot actions Evaluation of pilot actions This dataset relates to phases 3 and 4: “Initial implementation via pilot actions” and “Evaluation of pilot actions”. The pilots were planned considering the learnings of the benchmarking phase described in the dataset “Una.Resin_WP1_T1.2_benchmarking‐questionnaire_20240125” and the co‐creation workshops described in the dataset “Una.Resin_WP1_co_creation workshops_20240129 “. Even if common methodology across work packages was a guideline for us, we did not follow it fully chronologically, but the tasks were overlapping enabling that we could consider the key learnings from the pilots in the Una Europa R&I strategy and roadmap development. Concerning specifically the work done in WP1, the main major tasks of the benchmarking phase were: R&I Strategy Benchmarking including the benchmarking questionnaire and benchmarking of the publicly available strategies of the Una Europa universities; on‐line R&I Strategy Workshop involving academics from all partner universities; One Health SSC Workshop involving academics from the Una Europa One Health focus area; Online Consultation of the Una Europa Community done using Viima platform and done in collaboration with the Una Europa 2030 Strategy process and answers of the eight strategic questions for targeted to the Una Europa partners institutions done also as part of the Una Europa 2030 strategy. All these activities have been described in the Una.Resin WP1 Deliverable 1.1. “Benchmarking R&I Strategies and Priorities for a Joint Una Europa Strategy”. WP1 was working closely with the clusters of research professionals, especially the Research coordination cluster chaired by UH and the Cluster for Public, Private and Third Sector Collaboration (PPTSC) chaired by FUB to understand the relevant structures and processes to build sustainable support for Una Europa research‐collaboration. We also collected insights from the Una Europa focus area self‐steering committees. The pilot 1 was planned and carried out together with the One Health SSC. All the eight Una.Resin project Partner universities were involved either in planning and/or in the implementation of these pilots: University of Edinburgh; University of Helsinki; University of Bologna; Complutense University of Madrid; Freie University Berlin; Katholieke Universiteit Leuven; Jagiellonian University; Université Paris 1 Panthéon‐Sorbonne. Horizon 2020 Una.Resin project Work Package 1 Pilot 1 “Developing a format for supporting systematic collaboration on the Una Europa priority global challenges” (T1.11) Under this pilot we had two separate actions: 1) Una Europa R&I strategy workshop and 2) Piloting a process Horizon Europe Pillar II Call matchmaking. The first part is described in the dataset “Una.Resin_WP1_co_creation workshops_20240129”. In this dataset we provide the key documents of the part “Piloting a process Horizon Europe Pillar II Call matchmaking”. According to the Una.Resin WP1 benchmarking phase and as outcome of the co‐creation workshops and the discussions with the Un Europa focus area self‐steering committees, there is a major interest and unused potential in our alliance regarding European funding, particularly Horizon Europe Pillar II funding. There are existing support service structures at most partner universities, thus there is potential to build systematic and sustainable support for the calls also on Una Europa level and to share each other´s best practices. In this pilot process we identified the enabling and hindering structures, processes, and cultures at the partner universities and at the alliance level. We also shared best practises and tools to create an ideal process. The pilot action was designed and facilitated in close collaboration with the Una Europa Research Coordination Cluster, the Self‐steering committee of the One Health focus area as well as the Una Europa Vzw external funding manager. We also had an honour to have an EC keynote speaker at the first of our two workshop, Research Policy Officer Jean‐Charles Cavitte. He familiarized the participants with EC policy and EU funded research linked to One Health. The whole process from first planning meetings to the evaluation phase lasted from February 2022 until September 2023. The pilot included the following steps: 1) Collecting expressions of interest on‐line using Lyyti platform (https://www.lyyti.com/en/); 2) Identification and briefing of the potential coordinators; 3) On‐line workshop including i) common session highlighting the European goals and the call particularities as well as ii) facilitated group discussion aiming to draft the core idea of the proposal and appointing the core group for the proposal preparation. We used the template created in the R&I strategy workshop (Zoom as a meeting platform and Google Slides for the on‐line canvases); 4) Hybrid (on‐line and on‐site) workshop for the groups of researchers who engaged with proposal preparation (Teams). In this workshop the participants had a change i) to learn about the call particularities and proposal writing in the plenary sessions, ii) get support for the proposal drafting and iii) to participate Una Europa One Health networking event. The workshop was organised in connection to the Una Europa General Assembly; 5) Proposal preparation phase; 6) On‐line evaluation questionnaire after the process (Lyyti platform). In this dataset we provide the key documents to understand the process and to take the learning to future use. Horizon 2020 Una.Resin project Work Package 1 Pilot 2 “Developing a concept for an Una Europa collaboration platform” (Task 1.12) The task was aimed at collecting insights on what a joint platform for collaboration between Una Europa researchers and non‐academic partners should consist of. To develop this concept, a series of consultations and workshops were organized, and a preliminary mapping exercise took place. The key workshops contributing to this task have been presented in the dataset: “Una.Resin_WP1_co_creation workshops_20240129”. In addition, insights were collected from the Una.Resin WPs, Una.Resin Cluster chairs and the self‐steering committees of the Una Europa focus areas. The Research coordination cluster contributed to the concept development in several stages and in particular in RCC workshop in Paris in 2022 and in discussions in Edinburgh in September 2022

Factors in the environment, viruses and host responses affecting the epidemiolgy of tick-borne encephalitis virus in northern Europe

Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) circulates mainly in the Ixodes ricinus and Ixodes persulcatus tick species, which serve both as hosts and vectors for the virus. Wild rodents are considered as bridges for non-viremic transmission between the ticks, which is the most important maintenance factor for TBEV. The fragile maintenance cycle of the virus is affected by climates and availability of biotic factors thus, TBEV is found in restricted foci. TBEV is transmitted to humans when bitten by an infected tick or when consuming contaminated milk. Infection may lead to a clinical disease, tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). In studies included in this thesis, we targeted both maintenance factors of TBEV in Finland, a country lying in the boreal region at the northernmost range endemic for the virus and surveyed the geographical distribution of all human TBE cases during years 2007-2013. In addition, we surveyed the determinants for development of TBE incidence. Apodemus flavicollis (yellow-necked mouse) has been considered as the main host species for maintenance of TBEV, at least in Central-Europe. However, in this study, the rodent species found in the studied TBEV foci in Finland were Myodes glareolus (bank vole) and Microtus agrestis (field vole). TBEV-RNA could be shown in wild rodents both in absence and presence of antibodies and was detected in wild voles in winter, several months after tick-feeding season. Furthermore, virus persisted in Myodes glareolus up to 168 days post infection also in an experimental setting. TBEV was highly neurotropic in voles both in wild and in an experimental infection study, thus we suggest, that brain is the best target organ for detecting TBEV in voles. Myodes glareolus provides an excellent and resistant model for studies on TBE - even if acute encephalitis was confirmed by histopathological examination, no significant clinical symptoms could be seen. Between years 2007-2013, 233 TBE cases were reported to the Finnish National Institute of Health and Welfare. New geographical places with confirmed patient cases are emerging in Finland. The incidence is increasing and shifting from Åland, where a national vaccination program is running, to the south-western archipelago and to mainland of Finland. In some areas, however, increase in case numbers may be due to the increased clinical alertness rather than or in addition to the changes in climate, ecological factors or human behavior as number of diagnostic samples sent to clinical laboratories did double during the study period. There are three subtypes of TBEV: European, Siberian and Far-Eastern, of which the two latter are mainly carried by I. persulcatus and the European by I.Ricinus. Both tick species and Siberian and European subtypes of TBEV have been found in Finland. In Simo, in Southern Lapland, TBEV was circulating both in Myodes glareolus and in ticks. This is so far the northernmost established TBEV focus known in the world. Furthermore the hosting tick species was found to be I.persulcatus, but unexpectedly the TBEV subtype was European. We suggest, that in the mixing zone of the two main host tick species and the virus subtypes the tick species in an area does not restrict the formation of a TBEV focus regardless of the presented virus subtype.Puutiaisaivokuumevirus tarttuu ihmiseen puutiaisen pureman välityksellä tai infektoituneen eläimen pastöroimattomasta maidosta. Viruksen aiheuttama sairaus, puutiaisaivokuume (TBE, Kumlingen tauti), on yleensä lievä. Vakavissa tapauksissa sairaus voi kuitenkin edetä keskushermostoinfektioksi ja jättää elämänlaatua heikentäviä jälkioireita. Saamastaan mediahuomiosta huolimatta, sairaus on Suomessa harvinainen: tutkittuina vuosina 2007-2013 233 henkilön raportoitiin saaneet tartunnan. Tapausmäärät näyttäisivät olevan jonkin verran kasvussa. Lääkärit osaavat myös yhä useammin epäillä TBEV-tartuntaa ja tilaavat laboratoriotutkimuksen. Tapausten maantieteellinen painopiste on siirtynyt Turun saaristoon ja uusille alueille kohti Manner-Suomea, kun perinteisesti pahimpana riskialueena on pidetty Ahvenanmaata. Ahvenanmaalaisille on vuodesta 2006 tarjottu TBE-rokote. Puutiaisaivokuumeviruksen säilymisen kannalta ihminen on hyödytön päätepiste, sillä virus ei voi levitä ihmisestä toiseen. Virus kiertää luonnossa puutiaisissa ja niiden selkärankaisisännissä, erityisesti jyrsijöissä. Monitekijäisten isäntä-, ilmasto- ja kasvillisuusvaatimustensa vuoksi puutiaisaivokuumevirusta esiintyy hyvin paikallisesti, usein vesistöjen äärellä eristyksiin jäävissä niemissä tai saarissa. Väitöskirjatyössä osoitettiin, että toisin kuin Keski-Euroopassa, jossa pääasiallisena viruksen säilymistä tukevana jyrsijäisäntänä pidetään metsähiirtä, Suomessa tutkituilla viruksen esiintymisalueilla esiintyy metsämyyriä tai peltomyyriä. Myyrien todettiin kantavat viruksen perimäainesta RNA:ta elimistössään, yleisimmin aivoissa, jopa keskellä talvea. Myös metsämyyrillä tehdyssä kokeellisessa infektiossa osoitimme, että virus hakeutuu aivoihin ja säilyy siellä ainakin 168 päivää infektiosta. Sitä, voiko virus aktivoitua keväällä myyrien elimistössä ja näin ollen infektoida jyrsijöiden iholla ruokailevia puutiaisia, ei tiedetä. Puutiaisaivokuumevirus ei aiheuttanut kokeellisessa infektiossa metsämyyrille oireita, vaikka infektio oli osoitettavissa usealla menetelmällä. On oletettavaa, etteivät myöskään villijyrsijät olisi selvinneet pitkälle talveen, jos infektio aiheuttaisi niille vakavaa toimintakyvyn alenemista. Tämä viittaa metsämyyrän ja viruksen keskinäiseen sopeutumiseen. Myyrät, joista aiempi infektio voitiin osoittaa molekyylibiologisin menetelmin, eivät aina olleet positiivisia puutiaisaivokuumevirusta neutraloivia vasta-aineita mitattaessa. Puutiaisaivokuumeviruksesta tunnetaan kolmea alatyyppiä: eurooppalainen, siperialainen ja kaukoitäinen, joista ensimmäistä kantavat yleensä I.Ricinus (puutiainen) ja kahta jälkimmäistä I.Persulcatus (taigapuutiainen). Alatyyppien ja viruskantojen on raportoitu eroavan taudinaiheuttamiskyvyltään. Tutkimuksessamme kuitenkaan ei havaittu merkittäviä eroja alatyyppien välillä villeissä metsämyyrissä, eikä kokeellisessa infektiossa, joskin kaukoitäinen tyyppi säilyi veressä kauemmin. Suomi sijaitsee molempien puutiaislajien esiintymisalueen reunamilla ja Suomesta on löydetty eurooppalaisen ja siperialaisen tyypin puutiaisaivokuumeviruksia. Tässä väitöstutkimuksessa Simossa kuvailtiin alue, jossa taigapuutiaisen kantama viruksen alatyyppi oli vastoin oletusta eurooppalainen. Tästä voidaan päätellä, että sekoittumisvyöhykkeellä esimerkiksi muuttolintuun kiinnittyneen puutiaisen mukana kulkeutunut virus voi asettua alueelle, jos ilmasto, kasvillisuus ja eläinlajit asettumista tukevat riippumatta puutiaislajista, joka alueella jo esiintyy

Una.Resin_WP1_T1.6._1.10._RI strategy and implementation actions_20240131

In order to achieve the objectives of each work package, the Una.Resin project followed a common methodology across work packages: •Development of shared strategies, agendas and policies following definition of scope, mapping ofpolicies and assets, stakeholder consultation and identification of barriers and enablers of R&Icooperation •Development of an action plan to implement shared priorities •Initial implementation via pilot actions •Evaluation of pilot actions In the phase 1 WP1 aimed to understand the relevant policies of the different institutions, providing WPs with essential information to develop shared strategies. The main methods used in this phase were: (1) benchmarking of the strategies and policies including questionnaires, targeted at policy makers, research administration professionals and relevant academics; (2) co-creation workshops for the academic community, targeted mainly at the research professionals and the academic leaders and other researchers in the Una Europa focus areas. These are described in the datasets “Una.Resin_WP1_T1.2_benchmarking-questionnaire_20240125" and “Una.Resin_WP1_co_creation workshops_20240129”. In the second half of the project, the WP1 main tasks were carrying on two pilots described in the dataset “Una.Resin_WP1_T1.11._1.12._Pilots_20240131” and in the end, writing the R&I strategy, the Una Europa R&I Investment Pathway (Annex 1 of the strategy) and the Roadmap to Implementation (Straetgy Annex 2). The strategy writing process included several consultations with the Una Europa leading bodies RSG and BoD, the Una.Resin WPs, Una Europa Vzw, Una.Futura project management as well as consultations with the self-steering groups of the Una Europa focus areas. In addition, the WP1 was working closely with the clusters of research professionals, especially the Research coordination cluster chaired by UH and the Cluster for Public, Private and Third Sector Collaboration (PPTSC) chaired by FUB to understand the relevant structures and processes to build sustainable support for Una Europa research-collaboration. WP1 also consulted the Una Europa Diversity council for diversity in the R&I strategy based on their analysis of the D1.1 in 2022. The council chair also presented the messages to the RSG as part of the R&I strategy preparation process. The Una Europa R&I strategy was developed in close connection to the Una Europa 2030 strategy process and considering the simultaneously accumulated lessons learned from the 1Europe project. In addition, the aims of the Una.Futura project that kicked off in December 2022 were considered in the strategy development. We also discussed with the self-steering committees of the Una Europa focus areas to make sure that the strategies and action plans of them are considered and in line with the Una Europa R&I strategy preparation. Una Europa R&I strategy is not an umbrella strategy for all existing or future R&I strategies of Una Europa partner universities. We outlined that because the Una Europa priority setting had been done already in the Una Europa 2030 process, in the Una Europa R&I strategy we further developed priorities and activities to implement these aims and present in the strategy “strategic areas of actions” referring to the areas, where actions should be implemented to support the research collaboration in Una Europa in the most optimal and effective way. In order to identify these areas, we identified individual actions. Besides the activities identified in the co-creation workshops and WP1 deliverable D1.1. and in the discussions with the Una Europa focus area self-steering committees, we carried out a strategic questionnaire of 16 questions targeted to Una.Resin WP 2-4 leads and co-leads, Una Europa professional cluster chairs and the Una Europa Vzw. In the questionnaire, we asked the colleagues to identify 2-4 themes and individual activities which should be set as strategic priorities when developing services and allocating resources for supporting researcher and/or for institutional or professional development. The answers were based on the Una.Resin aims, outcomes and insights. The questions addressed the priority strategic themes and key stakeholders, processes, actions and resources required to reach the aim. We also asked about the communication and matchmaking needs and the cluster learnings and aims. The roadmap to implementation of the strategic areas of actions aims to establish sustainable links between individual actions driving the R&I collaboration in our Alliance and the ongoing Una.Futura project. Furthermore, the roadmap process aims to identify essential activities where the Alliance has ambition, but which go beyond the ongoing project frameworks. Roadmap phases: Phase I, Identification: Identifying concrete actions that could be taken to achieve our strategic aims as well as a process of structuring these actions in detail according to their level of ambition and required resourcing. This part was carried out by Una.Resin WP1 in a process described above. The next phases: Phase II, Prioritisation and the Phase III, Implementation will take place beyond the duration of Una.Resin. Prioritisation of actions (matrix exercise) at the alliance's highest decision-making level is on-going in early 2024. It sets the frame to Phase three that foresees the implementation of those activities selected as priorities in the previous phase. Actions will be taken either in the framework of Una.Futura through the SSC strategies and action plans or, depending on the nature of action, as a project-independent all-Alliance activity guided by the Una Europa R&I Strategy and the Una Europa 2030 Strategy

Dark chocolate and reduced snack consumption in mildly hypertensive adults : an intervention study

Background: Several studies have shown that cocoa and cocoa-containing foods have the potential to lower blood pressure and improve endothelial function. Most of the studies reporting the beneficial effects of dark chocolate on blood pressure have been short ( Design: This was a randomized, controlled, cross-over trial involving 22 adults (8 women, 14 men), aged 33-64 y, BMI 27.7 +/- 3.7 kg/m(2) with mild hypertension. During the intervention period (8-wks) the participants reduced the intake of habitual snacks and replaced them with dark chocolate (49 g/day). In the control period, they only reduced the snacks without any added chocolate. Data (blood lipid profile, glucose, insulin, 24 h blood pressure) was collected in the beginning and end of both periods (intervention and control), and some variables also in the run-in and run-out periods (weight, body fat percentage, blood pressure, arterial stiffness index, diet and physical activity). Results: Daily consumption of dark chocolate had no effects on 24 h blood pressure, resting blood pressure (mean +/- SD, pre 142 +/- 11.5/89 +/- 4 mmHg vs. post 142 +/- 14.2/88 +/- 9.4 mmHg in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, respectively) or arterial stiffness (mean +/- SD, pre 7.68 +/- 0.88 vs. post 7.76 +/- 0.89). Weight was reduced by 1.0 +/- 2.2 kg during the control (reduced snack only) period, but was unchanged while eating chocolate (p <0.027 between the treatments). Conclusion: The data collected in this study indicates that inclusion of dark chocolate daily in the diet had no significant effects on blood pressure or other cardiovascular risk factors during a reduced snack period.Peer reviewe

Identifying and Separating the Processes Underlying Boreal Forest Understory Community Assembly

Identifying the ecological processes underlying community assembly remains an elusive goal in community ecology. We formalize assembly hypotheses as alternative models and apply each to predict 1,918 out-of-sample boreal forest understory communities to identify and separate the processes driving community assembly. Models are specified within a Bayesian joint species distribution framework that allows for the inclusion and separation of stochastic processes, environmental filtering, and two different species dependence structures. We found clear evidence that study communities are structured by both environmental filtering and compositional dependence highlighting the importance of selection in community assembly. The relative importance of environmental filtering was greater than compositional dependence in predicting both understory communities and the abundance of constituent species across broad suc-cessional and bioclimatic gradients. Contrary to ecological expectations, the inclusion of a flexible residual species dependence structure (accounting for more than compositional dependence) did not improve model predictions after accounting for the strong role of environmental filtering. Our results provide novel inference on the processes underlying community assembly facilitated by applying empirical approximations of alternative assembly processes to predict communities across a range of environmental conditions

Serological evidence of tick-borne encephalitis virus infection in moose and deer in Finland : sentinels for virus circulation

Background: The incidence of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) in humans has increased in Finland, and the disease has emerged in new foci. These foci have been investigated to determine the circulating virus subtype, the tick host species and the ecological parameters, but countrywide epidemiological information on the distribution of TBEV has been limited. Methods: In this study, we screened sera from hunter-harvested wild cervids for the presence of antibodies against tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) with a hemagglutination inhibition test. The positive results were confirmed by a neutralisation assay. Results: Nine (0.74 %) of 1213 moose, one (0.74 %) of 135 white-tailed deer, and none of the 17 roe deer were found seropositive for TBEV. A close geographical congruence between seropositive cervids and recently reported human TBE cases was observed: nine of the ten seropositive animals were from known endemic areas. Conclusions: Our results confirm the local circulation of TBEV in several known endemic areas. One seropositive moose had been shot in an area where human TBE cases have not been reported, suggesting a possible new focus. Moose appear to be a useful sentinel animal for the presence of TBEV in the taiga region.Peer reviewe

The Three Subtypes of Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus Induce Encephalitis in a Natural Host, the Bank Vole (Myodes glareolus)

Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) infects bank voles (Myodes glareolus) in nature, but the relevance of rodents for TBEV transmission and maintenance is unclear. We infected colonized bank voles subcutaneously to study and compare the infection kinetics, acute infection, and potential viral persistence of the three known TBEV subtypes: European (TBEV-Eur), Siberian (TBEV-Sib) and Far Eastern (TBEV-FE). All strains representing the three subtypes were infective and highly neurotropic. They induced (meningo)encephalitis in some of the animals, however most of the cases did not present with apparent clinical symptoms. TBEV-RNA was cleared significantly slower from the brain as compared to other organs studied. Supporting our earlier findings in natural rodent populations, TBEV-RNA could be detected in the brain for up to 168 days post infection, but we could not demonstrate infectivity by cell culture isolation. Throughout all time points post infection, RNA of the TBEV-FE was detected significantly more often than RNA of the other two strains in all organs studied. TBEV-FE also induced prolonged viremia, indicating distinctive kinetics in rodents in comparison to the other two subtypes. This study shows that bank voles can develop a neuroinvasive TBEV infection with persistence of viral RNA in brain, and mount an anti-TBEV IgG response. The findings also provide further evidence that bank voles can serve as sentinels for TBEV endemicity.Peer reviewe

Recent establishment of tick-borne encephalitis foci with distinct viral lineages in the Helsinki area, Finland

Number of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) cases has increased and new foci have emerged in Finland during the last decade. We evaluated risk for locally acquired TBE in the capital region inhabited by 1.2 million people. We screened ticks and small mammals from probable places of TBE virus (TBEV) transmission and places without reported circulation. The TBEV positive samples were sequenced and subjected to phylogenetic analysis. Within the study period 2007-2017, there was a clear increase of both all TBE cases and locally acquired cases in the Helsinki area. The surveillance of ticks and small mammals for TBEV confirmed four distinct TBEV foci in the Helsinki area. All detected TBEV strains were of the European subtype. TBEV genome sequences indicated that distinct TBEV lineages circulate in each focus. Molecular clock analysis suggested that the virus lineages were introduced to these foci decades ago. In conclusion, TBE has emerged in the mainland of Helsinki area during the last decade, with at least four distinct virus lineages independently introduced into the region previously. Although the overall annual TBE incidence is below the threshold for recommending general vaccinations, the situation requires further surveillance to detect and prevent possible further emergence of local TBE clusters.Peer reviewe