Serosurveillance and Molecular Investigation of Wild Deer in Australia Reveals Seroprevalence of Pestivirus Infection

Since deer were introduced into Australia in the mid-1800s, their wild populations have increased in size and distribution, posing a potential risk to the livestock industry, through their role in pathogen transmission cycles. In comparison to livestock, there are limited data on viral infections in all wildlife, including deer. The aim of this study was to assess blood samples from wild Australian deer for serological evidence of exposure to relevant viral livestock diseases. Blood samples collected across eastern Australia were tested by ELISA to detect antigens and antibodies against Pestivirus and antibodies against bovine herpesvirus 1. A subset of samples was also assessed by RT-PCR for Pestivirus, Simbu serogroup, epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus and bovine ephemeral fever virus. Our findings demonstrated a very low seroprevalence (3%) for ruminant Pestivirus, and none of the other viruses tested were detected. These results suggest that wild deer may currently be an incidental spill-over host (rather than a reservoir host) for Pestivirus. However, deer could be a future source of viral infections for domestic animals in Australia. Further investigations are needed to monitor pathogen activity and quantify possible future infectious disease impacts of wild deer on the Australian livestock industry

Serosurveillance and Molecular Investigation of Wild Deer in Australia Reveals Seroprevalence of Pestivirus Infection

Since deer were introduced into Australia in the mid-1800s, their wild populations have increased in size and distribution, posing a potential risk to the livestock industry, through their role in pathogen transmission cycles. In comparison to livestock, there are limited data on viral infections in all wildlife, including deer. The aim of this study was to assess blood samples from wild Australian deer for serological evidence of exposure to relevant viral livestock diseases. Blood samples collected across eastern Australia were tested by ELISA to detect antigens and antibodies against Pestivirus and antibodies against bovine herpesvirus 1. A subset of samples was also assessed by RT-PCR for Pestivirus, Simbu serogroup, epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus and bovine ephemeral fever virus. Our findings demonstrated a very low seroprevalence (3%) for ruminant Pestivirus, and none of the other viruses tested were detected. These results suggest that wild deer may currently be an incidental spill-over host (rather than a reservoir host) for Pestivirus. However, deer could be a future source of viral infections for domestic animals in Australia. Further investigations are needed to monitor pathogen activity and quantify possible future infectious disease impacts of wild deer on the Australian livestock industry

Detection and Characterisation of an Endogenous Betaretrovirus in Australian Wild Deer

Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are the remnants of past retroviral infections that once invaded the host’s germline and were vertically transmitted. ERV sequences have been reported in mammals, but their distribution and diversity in cervids are unclear. Using next-generation sequencing, we identified a nearly complete genome of an endogenous betaretrovirus in fallow deer (Dama dama). Further genomic analysis showed that this provirus, tentatively named cervid endogenous betaretrovirus 1 (CERV β1), has typical betaretroviral genome features (gag-pro-pol-env) and the betaretrovirus-specific dUTPase domain. In addition, CERV β1 pol sequences were detected by PCR in the six non-native deer species with wild populations in Australia. Phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that CERV β1 sequences from subfamily Cervinae clustered as sister taxa to ERV-like sequences in species of subfamily Muntiacinae. These findings, therefore, suggest that CERV β1 endogenisation occurred after the split of these two subfamilies (between 3.3 and 5 million years ago). Our results provide important insights into the evolution of betaretroviruses in cervids

Geo-statistical methods to analyse changes in pre-Hispanic settlement patterns in the Río Ica catchment, Peru

Within arid regions allochthonous rivers as a main source of fresh water play a significant role in the spatial organisation of human occupation.This study aims at a comprehensive view on changes in the prehistoric occupation patterns within the Río Ica catchment on the southern coast of Peru. Results of different research projects are integrated. The heterogeneous character of the catchment allows us to define three sub-sections which differ greatly in terms of vegetation, relief and water regime.Based on quantitative geo-statistical methods we analyse spatio-temporal changes in human occupation from the Early Horizon (c. 1000–200 BC) through to the Inca Late Horizon (AD 1450–1532) in the context of environmental conditions, as well as socio-economic processes. Examining known archaeological sites we are able to assess the significance of environmental location factors for pre-Hispanic settlements. In addition, areas of high human interaction are identified on the basis of a classification of archaeological sites according to their function (craft/industry, cult, cooperation and trade). We thereby transfer the concept of central place theory to the spatial distribution of archaeological remains, introducing a novel approach to identifying central functions in a spatially explicit way.Our results crystallise the changing character of occupation in the study area over more than two millennia. They contribute to the ongoing debate on the decline of the Nasca culture, endorsing a complex combination of natural and socio-economic reasons. Furthermore, the results support the concept of a more widespread exchange and cooperation during ‘Horizon’ periods in the study area and likewise indicate that the disappearance of a supra-regional administrative polity during ‘Intermediate’ periods might have led to higher human activity in smaller scale societies, as reflected in a more diverse spatial organisation in terms of geomorphometric units and central areas

Molecular Epidemiology and Characterization of Picobirnavirus in Wild Deer and Cattle from Australia: Evidence of Genogroup I and II in the Upper Respiratory Tract

Picobirnaviruses (PBVs) have been detected in several species of animals worldwide; however, data pertaining to their presence in Australian wild and domestic animals are limited. Although PBVs are mostly found in faecal samples, their detection in blood and respiratory tract samples raises questions concerning their tropism and pathogenicity. We report here PBV detection in wild deer and cattle from southeastern Australia. Through metagenomics, the presence of PBV genogroups I (GI) and II (GII) were detected in deer serum and plasma. Molecular epidemiology studies targeting the partial RNA-dependent RNA polymerase gene were performed in a wide range of specimens (serum, faeces, spleen, lung, nasal swabs, and trachea) collected from wild deer and cattle, with PCR amplification obtained in all specimen types except lung and spleen. Our results reveal the predominance of GI and concomitant detection of both genogroups in wild deer and cattle. In concordance with other studies, the detected GI sequences displayed high genetic diversity, however in contrast, GII sequences clustered into three distinct clades. Detection of both genogroups in the upper respiratory tract (trachea and nasal swab) of deer in the present study gives more evidence about the respiratory tract tropism of PBV. Although much remains unknown about the epidemiology and tropism of PBVs, our study suggests a wide distribution of these viruses in southeastern Australia

Mutations in Transmembrane Domains 1, 4 and 9 of the Plasmodium falciparum Chloroquine Resistance Transporter Alter Susceptibility to Chloroquine, Quinine and Quinidine

Mutations in the Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine (CQ) resistance transporter (PfCRT) can result in verapamil-reversible CQ resistance and altered susceptibility to other antimalarials. PfCRT contains 10 membrane-spanning domains and is found in the digestive vacuole (DV) membrane of intraerythrocytic parasites. The mechanism by which PfCRT mediates CQ resistance is unclear although it is associated with decreased accumulation of drug within the DV. On the permissive background of the P. falciparum 106/1(K76) parasite line, we used single-step drug selection to generate isogenic clones containing unique pfcrt point mutations that resulted in amino acid changes in PfCRT transmembrane domains 1 (C72R, K76N, K76I and K76T) and 9 (Q352K, Q352R). The resulting changes of charge and hydropathy affected quantitative CQ susceptibility and accumulation as well as the stereospecific responses to quinine and quinidine. These results, together with a previously described S163R mutation in transmembrane domain 4, indicate that transmembrane segments 1, 4 and 9 of PfCRT provide important structural components of a substrate recognition and translocation domain. Charge-affecting mutations within these segments may affect the ability of PfCRT to bind different quinoline drugs and determine their net accumulation in the DV. © 2006 The Authors Journal compilation © 2006 Blackwell Publishing Lt

Re-evaluating the resource potential of lomas fog oasis environments for Preceramic hunter-gatherers under past ENSO modes on the south coast of Peru

Lomas – ephemeral seasonal oases sustained by ocean fogs – were critical to ancient human ecology on the desert Pacific coast of Peru: one of humanity’s few independent hearths of agriculture and “pristine” civilisation. The role of climate change since the Late Pleistocene in determining productivity and extent of past lomas ecosystems has been much debated. Here we reassess the resource potential of the poorly studied lomas of the south coast of Peru during the long Middle Pre-ceramic period (c. 8,000 – 4,500 BP): a period critical in the transition to agriculture, the onset of modern El Niño Southern Oscillation (‘ENSO’) conditions, and eustatic sea-level rise and stabilisation and beach progradation. Our method combines vegetation survey and herbarium collection with archaeological survey and excavation to make inferences about both Preceramic hunter-gatherer ecology and the changed palaeoenvironments in which it took place. Our analysis of newly discovered archaeological sites – and their resource context – show how lomas formations defined human ecology until the end of the Middle Preceramic Period, thereby corroborating recent reconstructions of ENSO history based on other data. Together, these suggest that a five millennia period of significantly colder seas on the south coast induced conditions of abundance and seasonal predictability in lomas and maritime ecosystems, that enabled Middle Preceramic hunter-gatherers to reduce mobility by settling in strategic locations at the confluence of multiple eco-zones at the river estuaries. Here the foundations of agriculture lay in a Broad Spectrum Revolution that unfolded, not through population pressure in deteriorating environments, but rather as an outcome of resource abundance.We thank the Ministerio de Cultural del Perú for granting permission for archaeological fieldwork (Resolución Directoral Nº 933-2012-DGPC-VMPCIC/MC, 19 December 2012 and Nº 386-2014-DGPA-VMPCIC/MC, 22 August 2014) and the export of samples for dating; Don Alberto Benavides Ganoza and the people of Samaca for facilitating fieldwork; the Leverhulme Trust (grant number RPG-117) and the late Don Alberto Benavides de la Quintana (grant number RG69428) and the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research for funding Cambridge University’s One River Archaeological Project, and the NERC Radiocarbon facility (grant number NF/2013/2/2) for funding radiocarbon dating. We also thank the Servicio Nacional Forestal y de Fauna Silvestre (SERFOR) and the Servicio Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas por el Estado (SERNANP), Peru for permits for the Proyecto Kew Perú to carry out botanical and ecological survey, and Delsy Trujillo, Eric Ramírez, Consuelo Borda and other participants of the Proyecto Kew Perú: Conservación, Restauración de Hábitats y Medios de Vida Útiles, Ica, Peru.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Elsevier via http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2015.10.02

Pengaruh Solvabilitas dan Ukuran Perusahaan terhadap Nilai Perusahaan pada Perusahaan Restaurant, Hotel & Tourism Yang terdaftar di Bursa Efek Indonesia Tahun 2015-2017

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh solvabilitas dan ukuran perusahaan terhadap nilai perusahaan, metodeyang digunakan penelitian sensus, yakni memasukkan semua perusahaan restaurant, hotel & tourism yang terdaftar di Bursa Efek Indonesia yang telah memenuhi kriteria ke dalam data pengamatan.Periode pengamatan data mulai tahun 2015 s.d 2017, berjumlah 66 perusahaan.Metode analisis data yang digunakan adalah regresi berganda linear.Hasil penelitian ini menyatakan bahwa solvabilitas dan ukuran perusahaan berpengaruh terhadap nilai perusahaan, baik secara individu (parsial) maupun bersama-sama (simultan)

Mechanisms of hepatocellular carcinoma progression

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary malignancy of the liver. It is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, with a very poor prognosis. In the United States, there has been only minimal improvement in the prognosis for HCC patients over the past 15 years. Details of the molecular mechanisms and other mechanisms of HCC progression remain unclear. Consequently, there is an urgent need for better understanding of these mechanisms. HCC is often diagnosed at advanced stages, and most patients will therefore need systemic therapy, with sorafenib being the most common at the present time. However, sorafenib therapy only minimally enhances patient survival. This review provides a summary of some of the known mechanisms that either cause HCC or contribute to its progression. Included in this review are the roles of viral hepatitis, non-viral hepatitis, chronic alcohol intake, genetic predisposition and congenital abnormalities, toxic exposures, and autoimmune diseases of the liver. Well-established molecular mechanisms of HCC progression such as epithelial-mesenchymal transition, tumor-stromal interactions and the tumor microenvironment, cancer stem cells, and senescence bypass are also discussed. Additionally, we discuss the roles of circulating tumor cells, immunomodulation, and neural regulation as potential new mechanisms of HCC progression. A better understanding of these mechanisms could have implications for the development of novel and more effective therapeutic and prognostic strategies, which are critically needed

Association between early sexual initiation and sexually transmitted infections among Peruvian reproductive-age women

BackgroundSexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a serious public health problem worldwide, especially among reproductive-age women. The early sexual onset of sexual intercourse (EOSI) has been suggested as a risk factor, although there is no data at the national level.ObjectiveTo evaluate the association between EOSI and STIs in Peruvian women of childbearing age.MethodsAnalytical cross-sectional study with secondary data analyzes of the Peruvian Demographic and Family Health Survey 2018. The outcome was the presence of STIs in the last 12 months and the exposure variable was EOSI (age < 15 years at the time of their first sexual experience). To evaluate the association of interest, crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) were calculated using generalized linear models with Poisson family and logarithmic link function.ResultsWe analyzed data from 31,028 women of childbearing age. The 11.3% reported having STIs in the last 12 months and 20.2% of the participants had an EOSI. After adjusting for potential confounders, we found that EOSI was associated with STIs (aPR: 1.27; 95% CI: 1.08–1.50; p = 0.005). When conducting stratified analysis by area of residence and number of sexual partners, this association was maintained in women living in urban areas (aPR: 1.36; 95% CI: 1.11–1.66; p = 0.003) those who did not report having a history of multiple sexual partners (aPR: 1.27; 95% CI: 1.08–1.51; p = 0.005), and those in the middle (aPR: 1.42; 95% CI: 1.03–1.97; p = 0.034) and highest (aPR: 2.12; 95% CI: 1.33–3.39; p = 0.002) wealth quintiles.ConclusionAmong reproductive-age women from Peru, EOSI was associated with STIs, especially in women living in urban areas, with no history of multiple sexual partners, and belonging to the middle to higher wealth index. The implementation of measures to prevent EOSI and fostering appropriate sexual health counseling for women with EOSI is advised