The Humanization of Nature and Half-Earth Socialism

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Drew Pendergrass ◽  
Troy Vettese
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Animal Husbandry ◽  
Philosophy Of History ◽  
Indigenous Populations ◽  
Eastern Africa ◽  
Human Pathogens ◽  
Recent Past ◽  
Human Species ◽  
Agricultural Revolution ◽  
Indigenous Nations

Edward Jenner took the long view. His 1798 treatise on vaccination, which reported a revolutionary new method of preventing smallpox, opened with a medical philosophy of history rather than a description of symptoms or a review of existing treatments. “The deviation of Man from the state in which he was originally placed by Nature seems to have proved to him a prolific source of Diseases,” he explained. By this he meant that infectious disease ultimately resulted from human and animal intermingling since the agricultural revolution, an insight anthropologists and epidemiologists have since confirmed. The majority of human pathogens are ultimately zoonoses, originating not at the dawn of the human species but in the relatively recent past. Measles likely evolved from the bovine disease rinderpest seven thousand years ago. Influenza may have started about forty-five hundred years ago with the domestication of waterfowl. Jenner's own specialty, smallpox, probably originated four thousand years ago in eastern Africa when a gerbil virus jumped to the newly domesticated camel and then to humans. The New World's Indigenous nations cultivated countless crops but practiced little animal husbandry, allowing them to live relatively free of disease before 1492. European conquest succeeded in a large part thanks to the invaders’ pathogenic armory of measles, typhus, tuberculosis, and smallpox, which decimated Indigenous populations by 90 percent over the succeeding centuries.

A brief review of diagnosis of small ruminants brucellosis

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingjing Ren ◽  
Qisheng Peng
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Economic Impact ◽  
False Positive ◽  
Brucella Melitensis ◽  
Small Ruminants ◽  
Animal Husbandry ◽  
Detection Methods ◽  
Immunological Tests

: Brucellosis caused by bacteria of the genus of Brucella remains a major zoonosis in the widely world, which is an infectious disease with a severe economic impact on animal husbandry and public health. The genus of Brucella includes ten species and the most prevalent is Brucella melitensis. The diagnosis of Brucella melitensis ruminant brucellosis is based on bacteriological and immunological tests. The use of vaccines and the false-positive serological reactions (FPSR) caused by other cross-reacting bacteria represent the immunological contexts. This complex context results in the development of the large number of diagnosis of Brucella melitensis brucellosis. The aim of this article is to briefly review the detection methods and compare the superiorities of different tests.

Treaties and re-setting the colonial relationship: Lessons for Australia from the Treaty of Waitangi

Ethnicities ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 146879682199986
Author(s):  
Dominic O'Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
Prime Minister ◽  
Mutual Recognition ◽  
Indigenous Populations ◽  
Truth Telling ◽  
Treaty Negotiations ◽  
Indigenous Nations ◽  
Australian State ◽  
Treaty Of Waitangi ◽  
First Peoples ◽  
Egalitarian Justice

Colonial hegemony distinguishes relationships between the Australian state and Indigenous nations. British government was violently established and there was no accommodation with the Indigenous populations to allow settlement to proceed, as occurred through treaties in Canada and New Zealand. Indigenous arguments for treaties in Australia are, however, well established. Notwithstanding some Commonwealth and state and territory governments considering such agreements over the past 40 years, none have been concluded, and more modest forms of recognition have been alternatively proposed. In 2015, following extensive Indigenous advocacy, the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition appointed a Referendum Council to consult on an amendment to the Commonwealth Constitution to recognise Australia’s first peoples. The recommendation of a Voice to Parliament and a Makarrata Commission to oversee truth telling and agreements to allow ‘coming together after a struggle’ suggested a transformative ambition beyond the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition’s expectations. Makarrata does not stipulate treaties as an ideal form of agreement, but in raising the possibility, the Council added to the concept’s political momentum. This article discusses the place of treaties in contemporary Australian discourse, including treaty negotiations that are in progress in Victoria, Queensland and the Northern Territory. It uses examples from New Zealand’s Treaty of Waitangi to discuss their possibilities and limits in Australia. From these examples, two overarching arguments are made. Firstly, that treaties are potentially transformative, not because they may settle historical grievances, but because their required mutual recognition of each party’s enduring political standing means that they define ongoing, just terms of association. Secondly, the substantively different political arrangements that they presume mean that they are not merely instruments of egalitarian justice and are instead concerned with the distribution of political authority – Indigenous authority over their affairs and through a distinctive and culturally contextualised state citizenship.

Species and Salvation: Theology of History in the Anthropocene?

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Henning Trüper
Keyword(s):  
Philosophy Of History ◽  
Karl Rahner ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Human Species ◽  
History Writing ◽  
Related Notion ◽  
History Of ◽  
Salvation Theology ◽  
Theology Of History ◽  
Historical Thought

In this article I will discuss various thoughts of a few recent representatives of the tradition of the philosophy of history—Heinz Dieter Kittsteiner, Ulrich Beck, and finally Karl Rahner—and bring them into a conversation with Dipesh Chakrabarty's work on the problems of human species history and the Anthropocene. The aim of this undertaking is to gain greater clarity on the question of the work that theology continues to do for historical thought. I argue that Rahner's notions about “inclusivism”—according to which the possibility of salvation is vested in the species history of humanity rather than in the history of Christian revelation—and his related notion of an irresolvable tension between “anonymous” and what one might then call “onomastic” histories signal the continuing significance of a theology of the baptismal sacrament for historical thought. Rereading Rahner's thought sheds light on certain quandaries of the Anthropocene discussion, regarding the way in which species history can be related to other kinds of history writing, and the novel opening for theodicy generated by the breakdown of the culture–nature divide.

scholarly journals PathoPhenoDB, linking human pathogens to their phenotypes in support of infectious disease research

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Şenay Kafkas ◽  
Marwa Abdelhakim ◽  
Yasmeen Hashish ◽  
Maxat Kulmanov ◽  
Marwa Abdellatif ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Human Pathogens ◽  
Disease Research ◽  
Infectious Disease Research

Infectious animal disease and its control

1985 ◽  
Vol 310 (1144) ◽  
pp. 259-274 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Infectious Agent ◽  
Animal Husbandry ◽  
Diagnostic Tools ◽  
Genetic Constitution ◽  
Infectious Agents ◽  
Local Farm ◽  
Technological Opportunities ◽  
Density Population ◽  
Methods Of Control

The control of infectious diseases in the main food-producing animals is considered and the main factors involved in the epizootiology of disease are presented. The properties of infectious agents and their natural history together with factors that influence the spread and development of disease are summarized. The factors in intensive animal husbandry that affect the occurrence of infectious disease and its control are considered. These include population density, population movement, management, hygiene and genetic constitution of the host. They encourage the appearance of new diseases, changes in the character of established diseases and the development of pathogenicity in infectious agents that were previously of no importance. Intensive animal husbandry has also increased the importance of multifactorial disease, which includes diseases that require more than one infectious agent or one or more infectious agents plus other factors for their cause. The methods of control of infectious disease currently available are described and the success and difficulties of their control on a global, national and local (farm or enterprise) basis are considered. Examples of diseases of global importance where national and world programmes of control and eradication have been of varying success are described. Examples of diseases that are enzootic throughout the world and the procedures used for their control are also described. The technological opportunities for the improvement of the control of infectious disease in the future are discussed. It is considered that developments in molecular biology and immunology will provide improvements in diagnostic tools and will revolutionize the development of animal resistance to disease and the production and use of vaccines.

The Iberian Peninsula

2019 ◽  
pp. 583-602
Author(s):  
José Luis López Castro
Keyword(s):  
Roman Empire ◽  
Iberian Peninsula ◽  
Ninth Century ◽  
Animal Husbandry ◽  
Indigenous Populations ◽  
Third Century ◽  
Julius Caesar ◽  
City States ◽  
Punic Wars ◽  
The City

The initial Phoenician presence in the Iberian Peninsula dates to the ninth century bce with the foundation of small settlements along the southern coast. During the eighth and seventh centuries bce, the number of colonial settlements along the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts of Iberia began to increase rapidly. Phoenicians traded with indigenous populations, exchanging high-quality artisanal products for metals from Iberia. In addition, colonial settlers exploited their surrounding territory for agriculture and animal husbandry. They also took advantage of marine resources such as fishing. The colonial population was socially stratified and included individuals of indigenous origin who worked in the various industries, as well as women who intermarried with foreigners. Around the beginning of the sixth century bce, the colonial population was restructured: the western Phoenicians organized themselves into city-states, a process that is recorded in the ancient written sources. They maintained commercial relations with the indigenous Iberians and with Carthaginians, Greeks, and Etruscans. In the final part of the third century bce, these cities allied with Carthage in the fight against Rome. Following Rome’s success in the Punic Wars and conquest of the Iberian Peninsula, the cities were required to pay tribute to Rome, except the city of Gades/Gadir (Cádiz), which maintained a foedus. The elite Phoenician citizens underwent a process of integration with the Roman Empire, eventually obtaining municipal status for their cities, some under Julius Caesar and others later during the Flavian period.

The highest altitude paleoecological record of early pastoralism in Africa

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graciela Gil-Romera ◽  
Lucas Bittner ◽  
David A. Grady ◽  
Laura S. Epp ◽  
Götz Ossendorf ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Change ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Animal Husbandry ◽  
Eastern Africa ◽  
General Context ◽  
Cultural Transition ◽  
Human Occupation ◽  
Population Movements ◽  
Climate And Environmental Change ◽  
African Highlands

<p><span>The advent of pastoralism in Eastern Africa is one of the most significant cultural transformations in the continent’s history. Traditionally, herding origins and its spreading routes have been studied in the lowlands and described as a complex and lengthy process that began before 4 ka BP and lasted until 1.3 ka BP. This cultural transition has long been argued to have been a process involving both environmental change and population movements. </span><span>Given the current patchy </span><span>archaeological data, most studies studies conclude that no single factor can be identified as a driver of the onset of herding in Eastern Africa, but almost all evidence is from lowland areas. The higher elevations of the Eastern African mountains are sensitive to climate and environmental change, so may be ideal for testing hypotheses of human-environmental relationships. However, the history of pastoralism in the African highlands, especially its connection with regional herding migrations and Holocene climate change, has thus far been poorly explored with few available records. </span></p><p><span> In this contribution, we provide evidence of early pastoral activities at high altitude in the Bale Mountains of southwest Ethiopia. We present a 4000-year multiproxy palaeoecological lacustrine sequence from Garba Guracha, a cirque lake at 3950 m asl, combining palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental proxies. Our record indicates the distinctive presence of faecal fungal spores (</span><span><em>Sporormiella, Cercospora, Podospora</em></span><span>) and the expansion of pollen and </span><span><em>seda</em></span><span>DNA from ruderal plants as early as 3.5 ka. To our knowledge, this is the highest altitude record of early animal husbandry traces on the continent. Coeval with the expansion of pastoralism indicators in Garba Guracha, we find important changes in the lake’s diatom community, as well as climate fluctuations reconstructed from biomarkers; these may be critical for understanding human occupation at high altitudes. However, archaeological studies conducted in the Garba Guracha basin have proved unfruitful in finding permanent settlements of herders, </span><span>suggesting</span><span> hypothes</span><span>es</span><span> of seasonal resource use. </span></p><p><span> We discuss different scenarios of pastoral expansion on the Eastern African highlands under changing local climates, as well as the general context of pastoralist migration across Eastern Africa. </span></p>

Bacterial Genomics in Infectious Disease and the Clinical Pathology Laboratory

2012 ◽  
Vol 136 (11) ◽  
pp. 1414-1422 ◽  
Author(s):  
Randall J. Olsen ◽  
S. Wesley Long ◽  
James M. Musser
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Clinical Pathology ◽  
Resistance Mechanisms ◽  
Human Pathogens ◽  
Medical Texts ◽  
Pathology Laboratory ◽  
Current State ◽  
Bacterial Genomics ◽  
Population Structures

Context.—Throughout history, technologic advancements have fueled the engine of innovation, which, in turn, has driven discovery. Accordingly, recent advancements in DNA sequencing technology are revolutionizing bacterial genomics. Objective.—To review important developments from the literature. The current state of bacterial genomics, with an emphasis on human pathogens and the clinical pathology laboratory, will be discussed. Data Sources.—A comprehensive review was performed of the relevant literature indexed in PubMed (National Library of Medicine) and referenced medical texts. Conclusions.—Many important discoveries bearing on infectious disease research and pathology laboratory practice have been achieved through whole-genome sequencing strategies. Bacterial genomics has improved our understanding of molecular pathogenesis, host-pathogen interactions, and antibiotic-resistance mechanisms. Bacterial genomics has also facilitated the study of population structures, epidemics and outbreaks, and newly identified pathogens. Many opportunities now exist for clinical pathologists to contribute to bacterial genomics, including in the design of new diagnostic tests, therapeutic agents, and vaccines.

scholarly journals Alternative approach to mastitis management – How to prevent and control mastitis without antibiotics?

2018 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. e137149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sofie Piepers ◽  
Sarne De Vliegher
Keyword(s):  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Dairy Industry ◽  
Dairy Farm ◽  
Animal Husbandry ◽  
Economic Loss ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Human Pathogens ◽  
Alternative Approach ◽  
Potential Link ◽  
And Control

Mastitis affects a high proportion of dairy cows throughout the world and is one of the greater problems faced by the dairy industry today. The disease is still a major cause of economic loss on a dairy farm. Mastitis poses not only negative consequences for the dairy farmer but also for the dairy industry as a number of issues threaten the reputation of milk as a healthy product from healthy animals. The use of antimicrobials is one of those concerns and threats. Antimicrobial usage on dairy farms is most often related to udder health as most medicines are used in prevention and control of mastitis. Antimicrobials remain vital for treatment of bacterial infections in dairy cattle, but in light of the upcoming debate instigated by the potential link between the use of antimicrobial products in animal husbandry and the development of antimicrobial resistance in both animal and human pathogens, there is an urgent need for innovation and alternatives to antibiotic therapy for mastitis treatment and control. Alternative approaches include vaccination, probiotics or beneficial microorganisms and inhibitory substances, immunomodulation, bacteriophages, homeopathy, and plant-derived inhibitory substances, yet only when scientifically-proven evidence is available indicating these alternatives are effective.

scholarly journals Next Generation Sequencing and Bioinformatics Methodologies for Infectious Disease Research and Public Health: Approaches, Applications, and Considerations for Development of Laboratory Capacity

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irina Maljkovic Berry ◽  
Melanie C Melendrez ◽  
Kimberly A Bishop-Lilly ◽  
Wiriya Rutvisuttinunt ◽  
Simon Pollett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Next Generation Sequencing ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
Human Pathogens ◽  
Sequencing Platform ◽  
Disease Research ◽  
Infectious Disease Research ◽  
Pathogen Discovery ◽  
Generation Sequencing

Abstract Next generation sequencing (NGS) combined with bioinformatics has successfully been used in a vast array of analyses for infectious disease research of public health relevance. For instance, NGS and bioinformatics approaches have been used to identify outbreak origins, track transmissions, investigate epidemic dynamics, determine etiological agents of a disease, and discover novel human pathogens. However, implementation of high-quality NGS and bioinformatics in research and public health laboratories can be challenging. These challenges mainly include the choice of the sequencing platform and the sequencing approach, the choice of bioinformatics methodologies, access to the appropriate computation and information technology infrastructure, and recruiting and retaining personnel with the specialized skills and experience in this field. In this review, we summarize the most common NGS and bioinformatics workflows in the context of infectious disease genomic surveillance and pathogen discovery, and highlight the main challenges and considerations for setting up an NGS and bioinformatics-focused infectious disease research public health laboratory. We describe the most commonly used sequencing platforms and review their strengths and weaknesses. We review sequencing approaches that have been used for various pathogens and study questions, as well as the most common difficulties associated with these approaches that should be considered when implementing in a public health or research setting. In addition, we provide a review of some common bioinformatics tools and procedures used for pathogen discovery and genome assembly, along with the most common challenges and solutions. Finally, we summarize the bioinformatics of advanced viral, bacterial, and parasite pathogen characterization, including types of study questions that can be answered when utilizing NGS and bioinformatics.

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