scholarly journals Diversity, Abundance and Host Preference of Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), Potential Vectors and Nuisance Insect in Zoo Park Košice, Slovakia

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zuzana Kasicova ◽  
Petronela Komorová ◽  
Patrik Pastorek ◽  
Andrea Schreiberová ◽  
Miroslava Friedman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Allergic Reaction ◽  
Central Europe ◽  
Host Preference ◽  
Bos Taurus ◽  
Homo Sapiens ◽  
Blood Feeding ◽  
Biting Midges ◽  
Culicoides Obsoletus ◽  
Wide Range

Biting midges of the genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) were captured in the course of three seasons (2017–2020) in the Zoo Košice. The total number of captured individuals was 5,667 biting midges, and 12 species of Culicoides were identified, while the most frequently captured and the most populous species were C. obsoletus/C. scoticus, C. furcillatus, and C. festivipennis. The most frequent hosts on which the biting midges were blood-feeding were humans (Homo sapiens), Burchell's zebra (Equus quagga burchellii), and domestic cow (Bos taurus). This is the first study to confirm a wide range of biting midges species in a zoo which are capable of using not only animals as their hosts, but also humans, in whom a bite may induce an allergic reaction. More than 80% of the fauna of biting midges in the Zoo Košice represented Culicoides obsoletus/C. scoticus, which are in the Central Europe regarded as the potential vectors of arboviruses, to which primarily ruminants are highly susceptible.

scholarly journals Diversity, Abundance and Host Preference of Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), Potential Vectors and Nuisance Insect in Zoo Park Košice, Slovakia

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zuzana Kasicova ◽  
Petronela Komorová ◽  
Patrik Pastorek ◽  
Andrea Schreiberová ◽  
Miroslava Friedman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Allergic Reaction ◽  
Central Europe ◽  
Host Preference ◽  
Bos Taurus ◽  
Homo Sapiens ◽  
Blood Feeding ◽  
Biting Midges ◽  
Culicoides Obsoletus ◽  
Wide Range

Biting midges of the genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) were captured in the course of three seasons (2017–2020) in the Zoo Košice. The total number of captured individuals was 5,667 biting midges, and 12 species of Culicoides were identified, while the most frequently captured and the most populous species were C. obsoletus/C. scoticus, C. furcillatus, and C. festivipennis. The most frequent hosts on which the biting midges were blood-feeding were humans (Homo sapiens), Burchell's zebra (Equus quagga burchellii), and domestic cow (Bos taurus). This is the first study to confirm a wide range of biting midges species in a zoo which are capable of using not only animals as their hosts, but also humans, in whom a bite may induce an allergic reaction. More than 80% of the fauna of biting midges in the Zoo Košice represented Culicoides obsoletus/C. scoticus, which are in the Central Europe regarded as the potential vectors of arboviruses, to which primarily ruminants are highly susceptible.

scholarly journals The connection between Trypanosoma cruzi transmission cycles by Triatoma brasiliensis brasiliensis: A threat to human health in an area susceptible to desertification in the Seridó, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. e0009919
Author(s):  
Vanessa Lima-Neiva ◽  
Helena Keiko Toma ◽  
Lúcia Maria Abrantes Aguiar ◽  
Catarina Macedo Lopes ◽  
Letícia Paschoaletto Dias ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Trypanosoma Cruzi ◽  
Bos Taurus ◽  
Homo Sapiens ◽  
Natural Infection ◽  
Rio Grande ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Natural Vector ◽  
Coii Gene ◽  
Blood Meals

An outbreak of Chagas disease, possibly involving its vector Triatoma brasiliensis brasiliensis, was identified in the state of Rio Grande do Norte (RN). Given the historical significance of this vector in public health, the study aimed to evaluate its role in the transmission dynamics of the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi in an area undergoing desertification in the Seridó region, RN, Brazil. We captured triatomines in sylvatic and anthropic ecotopes. Natural vector infection was determined using parasitological and molecular methods and we identified discrete typing units (DTUs) of T. cruzi by analyzing the COII gene of mtDNA, 24Sα rDNA, and mini-exon gene. Their blood meals sources were identified by amplification and sequencing of the mtDNA cytochrome b gene. A total of 952 T. b. brasiliensis were captured in peridomestic (69.9%) and sylvatic ecotopes (30.4%). A wide range of natural infection rates were observed in peridomestic (36.0% - 71.1%) and sylvatic populations (28.6% - 100.0%). We observed the circulation of TcI and TcII DTUs with a predominance of Tcl in sylvatic and peridomestic environments. Kerodon rupestris, rocky cavy (13/39), Homo sapiens, human (8/39), and Bos taurus, ox (6/39) were the most frequently detected blood meals sources. Thus, Triatoma b. brasiliensis is invading and colonizing the human dwellings. Furthermore, high levels of natural infection, coupled with the detection of TcI and TcII DTUs, and also the detection of K. rupestris and H. sapiens as blood meals sources of infected T. b. brasiliensis indicate a risk of T. cruzi transmission to human populations in areas undergoing desertification.

scholarly journals Morphometric and Molecular Analyses of Ostertagia leptospicularis Assadov, 1953 from Ruminants: Species Diversity or Host Influence?

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 182
Author(s):  
Anna Wyrobisz-Papiewska ◽  
Jerzy Kowal ◽  
Elżbieta Łopieńska-Biernat ◽  
Paweł Nosal ◽  
Iwona Polak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Host Species ◽  
Roe Deer ◽  
Bos Taurus ◽  
Capreolus Capreolus ◽  
Nematode Species ◽  
Molecular Techniques ◽  
Systematic Classification ◽  
Morphological Variations ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Induced Changes

Ostertagia leptospicularis Assadov, 1953 was formally described in roe deer Capreolus capreolus and has been reported in a wide range of ruminants, including other Cervidae, as well as Bovidae. Nematode specimens derived from various host species exhibit morphological similarity; however, some differences can be observed. It is unclear if this is due to the differential reaction of one nematode species in different host species (i.e., host-induced changes) or because of distinct nematode species in these hosts (i.e., species complex). This paper focuses on specimens resembling O. leptospicularis f. leptospicularis and its closely related species (Ostertagia ostertagi f. ostertagi) collected from various hosts. Morphometric and molecular techniques were applied to assess host-induced changes in nematode morphology and to clarify its systematic classification. There was an overall effect of host species on measurements of nematodes resembling O. leptospicularis (both males and females), but the distinctiveness of the specimens from cattle Bos taurus were highlighted. The results obtained may suggest that the specimens of O. leptospicularis from cattle in Germany and cervids in central Europe belong to different strains. Furthermore, nematodes from the cervid strain appear to circulate within particular host species, which can be seen in the stated morphological variations.

scholarly journals IMGT® Biocuration and Comparative Analysis of Bos taurus and Ovis aries TRA/TRD Loci

Genes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 30
Author(s):  
Perrine Pégorier ◽  
Morgane Bertignac ◽  
Viviane Nguefack Ngoune ◽  
Géraldine Folch ◽  
Joumana Jabado-Michaloud ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
T Cell ◽  
T Cell Receptors ◽  
Bos Taurus ◽  
Homo Sapiens ◽  
Adaptive Immune Response ◽  
Ovis Aries ◽  
Cell Receptors ◽  
Adaptive Immune

The adaptive immune response provides the vertebrate immune system with the ability to recognize and remember specific pathogens to generate immunity, and mount stronger attacks each time the pathogen is encountered. T cell receptors are the antigen receptors of the adaptive immune response expressed by T cells, which specifically recognize processed antigens, presented as peptides by the highly polymorphic major histocompatibility (MH) proteins. T cell receptors (TR) are divided into two groups, αβ and γδ, which express distinct TR containing either α and β, or γ and δ chains, respectively. The TRα locus (TRA) and TRδ locus (TRD) of bovine (Bos taurus) and the sheep (Ovis aries) have recently been described and annotated by IMGT® biocurators. The aim of the present study is to present the results of the biocuration and to compare the genes of the TRA/TRD loci among these ruminant species based on the Homo sapiens repertoire. The comparative analysis shows similarities but also differences, including the fact that these two species have a TRA/TRD locus about three times larger than that of humans and therefore have many more genes which may demonstrate duplications and/or deletions during evolution.

Catalytically active holo Homo sapiens adenosine deaminase I adopts a closed conformation

2022 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Minh Thu Ma ◽  
Maria Rain Jennings ◽  
John Blazeck ◽  
Raquel L. Lieberman
Keyword(s):  
Adenosine Deaminase ◽  
T Cell Activation ◽  
Cell Activation ◽  
Catalytic Mechanism ◽  
Biochemical Characterization ◽  
Bos Taurus ◽  
Homo Sapiens ◽  
Severe Combined Immunodeficiency ◽  
Closed Conformation ◽  
Catalytically Active

Homo sapiens adenosine deaminase 1 (HsADA1; UniProt P00813) is an immunologically relevant enzyme with roles in T-cell activation and modulation of adenosine metabolism and signaling. Patients with genetic deficiency in HsADA1 suffer from severe combined immunodeficiency, and HsADA1 is a therapeutic target in hairy cell leukemias. Historically, insights into the catalytic mechanism and the structural attributes of HsADA1 have been derived from studies of its homologs from Bos taurus (BtADA) and Mus musculus (MmADA). Here, the structure of holo HsADA1 is presented, as well as biochemical characterization that confirms its high activity and shows that it is active across a broad pH range. Structurally, holo HsADA1 adopts a closed conformation distinct from the open conformation of holo BtADA. Comparison of holo HsADA1 and MmADA reveals that MmADA also adopts a closed conformation. These findings challenge previous assumptions gleaned from BtADA regarding the conformation of HsADA1 that may be relevant to its immunological interactions, particularly its ability to bind adenosine receptors. From a broader perspective, the structural analysis of HsADA1 presents a cautionary tale for reliance on homologs to make structural inferences relevant to applications such as protein engineering or drug development.

Epigenetics and Applied Anthropology

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles H. Klein
Keyword(s):  
Social Inequalities ◽  
Homo Sapiens ◽  
Single Gene ◽  
Molecular Genetic ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Basic Research ◽  
Sufficient Information ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Noncoding Dna ◽  
Wide Range

Since Francis Crick and James D. Watson’s discovery of DNA in 1953, researchers, policymakers, and the general public have sought to understand the ways in which genetics shapes human lives. A milestone in these efforts was the completion of the Human Genome Project’s (HGP) sequencing of Homo sapiens’ nearly three million base pairs in 2003. Yet, despite the excitement surrounding the HGP and the discovery of the structural genetic underpinnings of several debilitating diseases, the vast majority of human health outcomes have not been linked to a single gene. Moreover, even when genes have been associated with particular diseases (e.g., breast and colon cancer), it is not well understood why certain genetically predisposed individuals become ill and others do not. Nor has the HGP’s map provided sufficient information to understand the actual functioning of the human genetic code, including the role of noncoding DNA (“junk DNA”) in regulating molecular genetic processes. In response, a growing number of scientists have shifted their attention from structural genetics to epigenetics, the study of how genes express themselves in particular situations and environments. Anthropologists play roles in these applications of epigenetics to real-world settings. Their new theoretical frameworks unsettle the nature-versus-nurture binary and support biocultural anthropological research demonstrating how race becomes biology and embodies social inequalities and health disparities across generations. Ethnographically grounded case studies further highlight the diverse epigenetic logics held by healthcare providers, researchers, and patient communities and how these translations of scientific knowledge shape medical practice and basic research. The growing field of environmental epigenetics also offers a wide range of options for students and practitioners interested in applying the anthropological toolkit in epigenetics-related work.

scholarly journals Poland and New Trends in Central European Regional Configuration

2021 ◽  
Vol 101 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-61
Author(s):  
Maria Rusakova ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Central Europe ◽  
Regional Integration ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Central European ◽  
Eastern Partnership ◽  
Carpathian Region ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
European Regional

The article examines Warsaw's attempts to expand its influence in Central Europe by initiating various regional integration projects: cooperation with the Baltic sea countries participation in the development of the Carpathian region the newest format – the Lublin Triangle. The content of the Lublin Declaration signed on July 28, 2020 by Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine is analyzed in detail. Having been convinced by the example of Ukraine that the Eastern Partnership policy does not allow for quick results, as well as in connection with the events in Belarus, Poland decided to create a regional initiative that can be considered as a continuation of the Eastern Partnership policy. The Lublin Declaration opens up a wide range of potential areas of cooperation, however it is still too early to say how successful this project will be. Initially it was planned that Belarus would also join the Lublin Initiative, but later Minsk refused to participate. This seriously limited the project, but does not exclude the possibility of future innovations in its format. The author concludes that the Lublin Triangle is one of the Warsaw's instruments to realize the idea of Intermarium

Latin American Connections: Recent Work on German Interactions with Latin America

2013 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 362-394 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Glenn Penny
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Sixteenth Century ◽  
South America ◽  
Early Modern ◽  
Central Europe ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Mining Operations ◽  
Almost Everywhere ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
German Speaking

German interactions with Latin America have a long history. Indeed, early modern historians have demonstrated that people from German-speaking central Europe took part in all aspects of the European conquest of Central and South America. They have shown that these people were critical to mining operations and publishing in sixteenth-century Mexico; they have found them among Portuguese and Spanish sailors and soldiers almost everywhere; and they have located them playing important roles in a wide range of professions from Mexico to the south of Chile.

Aterian

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena A.A. Garcea
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Plasticity ◽  
Homo Sapiens ◽  
Atlantic Coast ◽  
Modern Human ◽  
Middle Stone Age ◽  
Nile Valley ◽  
Mobility Patterns ◽  
North African ◽  
Behavioral Experiments ◽  
Wide Range

The Aterian is a North African late Middle Stone Age techno-complex. It is spread from the Atlantic coast in Morocco to the Middle Nile Valley in Sudan and from the Mediterranean hinterland to the Southern Sahara. Chronologically, it covers the period between c. 145,000 years bp and 29,000 bp, spanning across discontinuous, alternating dry (end of MIS 6 and MIS 4) and humid (MIS 5 and MIS 3) climatic phases. Few, but significant human remains indicate that the makers of the Aterian complex belong to early Homo sapiens. Their osteological features show affinities with the early anatomically modern human record in the Levant (Skhul and Qafzeh), suggesting that Aterian groups may have taken part in the initial dispersals out of Africa by Homo sapiens. Toolkits consist of a variety of implements not only made of stone but also of bone (points, spatulas, knives, and retouchers). They include tools that were lacking in earlier or other North African contemporary contexts, namely bifacial foliates, blades, perforators, burins, endscrapers, and particularly tanged pieces. Overemphasis on tanged tools often obscured the complexity of the Aterian, which instead displays a wide range of cultural and behavioral innovations. New mobility patterns and intra-site organization, as well as early symbolism with the use of Nassariidae shells and ochre, corroborate early fully complex behavior by these populations. Given the broad geographic and chronological extension of the Aterian, differences are evident at both local and regional scales. They suggest the development of a flexible and variable techno-complex mirroring considerable adaptive cognitive and behavioral plasticity derived from nonlinear processes. Such diversified behavioral experiments result from multiple and noncumulative trajectories due to different internal and external stimuli but are still part of a single cultural entity.

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