scholarly journals High viral loads: what drives fatal cases of COVID-19 in vaccinees? – an autopsy study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Klaus Hirschbühl ◽  
Tina Schaller ◽  
Bruno Märkl ◽  
Rainer Claus ◽  
Eva Sipos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immunosuppressive Drug ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Autopsy Study ◽  
Upper Airways ◽  
Viral Loads ◽  
Viral Spread ◽  
University Medicine ◽  
Food And Agriculture ◽  
Fatal Course ◽  
Agriculture And Food

AbstractBackgroundThe rate of SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infections in vaccinees is becoming an increasingly serious issue.ObjectiveTo determine the causes of death, histological organ alteration, and viral spread in relation to demographic, clinical-pathological, viral variants, and vaccine types.DesignComprehensive retrospective observational cohort study. Setting: Consecutive cases from four German academic medical centers.PatientsDeceased with proven SARS-CoV-2 infection after vaccination who died between January and November 2021. Collections of 29 vaccinees which were analyzed and compared to 141 nonvaccinated control cases.ResultsAutopsies were performed on 16 partially and 13 fully vaccinated individuals. Most patients were elderly and suffered from several relevant comorbidities. Real-time RT-PCR (RT-qPCR) identified a significantly increased rate of generalized viral dissemination within the organism in vaccinated cases versus nonvaccinated cases (45% vs. 16%, respectively; P = 0.008). Vaccinated cases also showed high viral loads, reaching Ct values below 10, especially in the upper airways and lungs. This was accompanied by high rates of pulmonal bacterial or mycotic superinfections and the occurrence of immunocompromising factors such as malignancies, immunosuppressive drug intake, or decreased immunoglobulin levels. All these findings were particularly accentuated in partially vaccinated patients compared to fully vaccinated individuals. A fatal course after vaccination occurred in only 14% of all COVID-19 deceased in Augsburg.LimitationsRestricted number of casesConclusionsFatal cases of COVID-19 in vaccinees were rare and often associated with severe comorbidities or other immunosuppressive conditions. Interestingly, we observed striking virus dissemination in our case study, which may indicate a decreased ability to eliminate the virus in patients with an impaired immune system. However, the potential role of antibody-dependent enhancement must also be ruled out in future studies.Funding sourceThis work was supported by the German Registry of COVID-19 Autopsies (www.DeRegCOVID.ukaachen.de) and funded by the Federal Ministry of Health (ZMVI1-2520COR201), the Federal Ministry of Education and Research within the framework of the network of university medicine (DEFEAT PANDEMICs, 01KX2021), and the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture through the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (project ZooSeq, grant number 2819114019).

scholarly journals 516. SARS-CoV-2 Exhibits Clade-specific Differences in Nasopharyngeal Viral Loads

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S324-S324
Author(s):  
Hannah Nam ◽  
Ramon Lorenzo-Redondo ◽  
Scott C Roberts ◽  
Lacy Simons ◽  
Chad Achenbach ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
Whole Genome Sequencing ◽  
Clinical Significance ◽  
Genome Sequencing ◽  
Whole Genome ◽  
Upper Airways ◽  
Viral Loads ◽  
Viral Spread ◽  
Clade 1 ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Background The rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has been accompanied by the emergence of distinct viral clades, although their clinical significance has yet to be fully elucidated. While whole genome sequencing efforts have identified viral diversity over time, less is known about the clinical significance of this diversity. This study assessed the nasopharyngeal viral loads within patients over time to determine if these changes affect clinical parameters. Methods Samples were collected from patients presenting to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, IL with a positive SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR from nasopharyngeal swabs. Cycle threshold (Ct) values less than 35 were considered positive, and whole genome sequencing was performed by reverse transcription, multiplex PCR, and Nanopore sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis was conducted on sequenced isolates and compared with publicly available global sequences. Sequence characteristics and viral loads were correlated with each clade. Results 177 samples were analyzed from March 14, 2020, through May 1, 2020. Most of the sequences (92.6%) clustered in three main clades [Figure 1]. Clade IDs were ordered by relative abundance as Clades 1 (n=122, 68.9%), 2 (n=34, 19.2%), and 3 (n=8, 4.5%). Over this time, Clade 1 viruses have been increasing in incidence across the USA and globally while Clade 2 viruses were uniquely predominant in Illinois with limited global distribution. Ct values were compared across clades [Figure 2]. Significantly lower average Ct values (higher viral loads) were observed in Clade 1 relative to both Clade 2 (p=0.0002) and Clade 3 (p=0.0011). These findings were independent of time from symptom onset to specimen collection. Phylogenetic Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 Isolates with Number of Clades and Clade Distribution Associations Between Viral Clade and Ct Value Conclusion These data suggest that SARS-CoV-2 genotype may impact viral load in the upper airways. It remains to be determined whether this difference in clades may impact transmission potential and overall viral spread. Further longitudinal studies with more specimens and associated clinical data are needed. Disclosures Michael G. Ison, MD MS, AlloVir (Consultant)

scholarly journals Shared socioeconomic pathways for climate change research in Finland: co-developing extended SSP narratives for agriculture

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Heikki S. Lehtonen ◽  
Jyrki Aakkula ◽  
Stefan Fronzek ◽  
Janne Helin ◽  
Mikael Hildén ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
National Level ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Change Scenario ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Climate Change Research ◽  
Food And Agriculture ◽  
Agriculture And Food ◽  
Farm Subsidies

AbstractShared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs), developed at global scale, comprise narrative descriptions and quantifications of future world developments that are intended for climate change scenario analysis. However, their extension to national and regional scales can be challenging. Here, we present SSP narratives co-developed with stakeholders for the agriculture and food sector in Finland. These are derived from intensive discussions at a workshop attended by approximately 39 participants offering a range of sectoral perspectives. Using general background descriptions of the SSPs for Europe, facilitated discussions were held in parallel for each of four SSPs reflecting very different contexts for the development of the sector up to 2050 and beyond. Discussions focused on five themes from the perspectives of consumers, producers and policy-makers, included a joint final session and allowed for post-workshop feedback. Results reflect careful sector-based, national-level interpretations of the global SSPs from which we have constructed consensus narratives. Our results also show important critical remarks and minority viewpoints. Interesting features of the Finnish narratives compared to the global SSP narratives include greater emphasis on environmental quality; significant land abandonment in SSPs with reduced livestock production and increased plant-based diets; continued need for some farm subsidies across all SSPs and opportunities for diversifying domestic production under scenarios of restricted trade. Our results can contribute to the development of more detailed national long-term scenarios for food and agriculture that are both relevant for local stakeholders and researchers as well as being consistent with global scenarios being applied internationally.

scholarly journals The role of citizen science in addressing grand challenges in food and agriculture research

2018 ◽  
Vol 285 (1891) ◽  
pp. 20181977 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. F. Ryan ◽  
N. L. Adamson ◽  
A. Aktipis ◽  
L. K. Andersen ◽  
R. Austin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Communities ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
The United States ◽  
Food Science ◽  
Grand Challenges ◽  
Food Research ◽  
Food And Agriculture ◽  
Science Projects ◽  
Agriculture And Food

The power of citizen science to contribute to both science and society is gaining increased recognition, particularly in physics and biology. Although there is a long history of public engagement in agriculture and food science, the term ‘citizen science’ has rarely been applied to these efforts. Similarly, in the emerging field of citizen science, most new citizen science projects do not focus on food or agriculture. Here, we convened thought leaders from a broad range of fields related to citizen science, agriculture, and food science to highlight key opportunities for bridging these overlapping yet disconnected communities/fields and identify ways to leverage their respective strengths. Specifically, we show that (i) citizen science projects are addressing many grand challenges facing our food systems, as outlined by the United States National Institute of Food and Agriculture, as well as broader Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations Development Programme, (ii) there exist emerging opportunities and unique challenges for citizen science in agriculture/food research, and (iii) the greatest opportunities for the development of citizen science projects in agriculture and food science will be gained by using the existing infrastructure and tools of Extension programmes and through the engagement of urban communities. Further, we argue there is no better time to foster greater collaboration between these fields given the trend of shrinking Extension programmes, the increasing need to apply innovative solutions to address rising demands on agricultural systems, and the exponential growth of the field of citizen science.

Agroecology

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juha Helenius ◽  
Alexander Wezel ◽  
Charles A. Francis
Keyword(s):  
Social Movements ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Sustainability Science ◽  
Social Systems ◽  
Environmental Research ◽  
Farming Practices ◽  
Food And Agriculture ◽  
Environmentally Sound ◽  
Agriculture And Food

Agroecology can be defined as scientific research on ecological sustainability of food systems. In addressing food production and consumption systems in their entirety, the focus of agroecology is on interactions and processes that are relevant for transitioning and maintaining ecological, economic, political, and social-cultural sustainability. As a field of sustainability science, agroecology explores agriculture and food with explicit linkages to two other widespread interpretations of the concept of agroecology: environmentally sound farming practices and social movements for food security and food sovereignty. In the study of agroecology as science, both farming practices and social movements emerge as integrated components of agroecological research and development. In the context of agroecology, the concept of ecology refers not only to the science of ecology as biological research but also to environmental and social sciences with research on social systems as integrated social and ecological systems. In agroecological theory, all these three are merged so that agroecology can broadly be defined as “human food ecology” or “the ecology of food systems.” Since the last decades of the 20th century many developments have led to an increased emphasis on agroecology in universities, nonprofit organizations, movements, government programs, and the United Nations. All of these have raised a growing attention to ecological, environmental, and social dimensions of farming and food, and to the question of how to make the transition to sustainable farming and food systems. One part of the foundation of agroecology was built during the 1960s when ecologically oriented environmental research on agriculture emerged as the era of optimism about component research began to erode. Largely, this took place as a reaction to unexpected and unwanted ecological and social consequences of the Green Revolution, a post–World War II scaling-up, chemicalization, and mechanization of agriculture. Another part of the foundation was a nongovernmental movement among thoughtful farmers wanting to develop sustainable and more ecological/organic ways of production and the demand by consumers for such food products. Finally, a greater societal acceptance, demand for research and education, and public funding for not only environmental ecology but also for wider sustainability in food and agriculture was ignited by an almost sudden high-level political awakening to the need for sustainable development by the end of 1980s. Agroecology as science evolved from early studies on agricultural ecosystems, from research agendas for environmentally sound farming practices, and from concerns about addressing wider sustainability; all these shared several forms of systems thinking. In universities and research institutions, agroecologists most often work in faculties of food and agriculture. They share resources and projects among scientists having disciplinary backgrounds in genetics (breeding of plants and animals), physiology (crop science, animal husbandry, human nutrition), microbiology or entomology (crop protection), chemistry and physics (soil science, agricultural and food chemistry, agricultural and food technology), economics (of agriculture and food systems), marketing, behavioral sciences (consumer studies), and policy research (agricultural and food policy). While agroecologists clearly have a mandate to address ecology of farmland, its biodiversity, and ecosystem services, one of the greatest added values from agroecology in research communities comes from its wider systems approach. Agroecologists complement reductionist research programs where scientists seek more detailed understanding of detail and mechanisms and put these into context by developing a broader appreciation of the whole. Those in agroecology integrate results from disciplinary research and increase relevance and adoption by introducing transdisciplinarity, co-creation of information and practices, together with other actors in the system. Agroecology is the field in sustainability science that is devoted to food system transformation and resilience. Agroecology uses the concept of “agroecosystem” in broad ecological and social terms and uses these at multiple scales, from fields to farms to farming landscapes and regions. Food systems depend on functioning agroecosystems as one of their subsystems, and all the subsystems of a food system interact through positive and negative feedbacks, in their complex biophysical, sociocultural, and economic dimensions. In embracing wholeness and connectivity, proponents of agroecology focus on the uniqueness of each place and food system, as well as solutions appropriate to their resources and constraints.

EEU, WTO pose problems to Kazakhstani agri-food sector

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Food Processing ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Food Sector ◽  
Social Unrest ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Food And Agriculture ◽  
Eurasian Economic Union ◽  
Economic Union ◽  
State Subsidies ◽  
Agriculture And Food

Subject Outlook for the food and agriculture sectors. Significance Speaking in Astana in June, Kazakhstani President Nursultan Nazarbayev said the country's agricultural sector was expected to benefit from 16 billion dollars in foreign direct investment (FDI) by 2021. This is foreseen in the 'Agribusiness-2020' strategic programme, which was adopted in February 2013. Agriculture and food processing remain key areas of Kazakhstan's economy, the former having traditionally absorbed a large amount of state subsidies. However, their future looks uncertain in light of Kazakhstan's accession to the WTO and its membership in the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). Impacts Flooding the Kazakhstani market with cheap imports may lead to mass bankruptcies in domestic agri-business and spark social unrest. Corruption remains a serious obstacle to the efficient use of government-allocated funds to support agriculture and food processing. Investor interest in Kazakhstan's agriculture will remain limited because of internal constraints.

scholarly journals A Unique Clade of SARS-CoV-2 Viruses is Associated with Lower Viral Loads in Patient Upper Airways

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramon Lorenzo-Redondo ◽  
Hannah H. Nam ◽  
Scott C. Roberts ◽  
Lacy M. Simons ◽  
Lawrence J. Jennings ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Rapid Expansion ◽  
Virus Genotype ◽  
Upper Airways ◽  
Viral Loads ◽  
Chicago Area ◽  
Research Award ◽  
Rapid Spread ◽  
The Us ◽  
Clade 1

ABSTRACTBackgroundThe rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID- 19), has been accompanied by the emergence of distinct viral clades, though their clinical significance remains unclear. Here, we aimed to investigate the phylogenetic characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 infections in Chicago, Illinois and assess their relationship to clinical parameters.MethodsWe performed whole-genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 isolates collected from COVID-19 patients in a Chicago healthcare system in mid-March, 2020. Using these and other publicly available sequences, we performed phylogenetic, phylogeographic, and phylodynamic analyses. Patient data was assessed for correlations between demographic or clinical characteristics and virologic features.FindingsThe 88 SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences in our study separated into three distinct phylogenetic clades. Clade 1 was most closely related to viral sequences from New York, and showed evidence of rapid expansion across the US, while Clade 3 was most closely related to those in Washington state. Clade 2 was localized primarily to the Chicago area with limited evidence of expansion elsewhere. At the time of diagnosis, patients infected with Clade 1 viruses had significantly higher average viral loads in their upper airways relative to patients infected with Clade 2 viruses, independent of time to symptom onset and disease severity.InterpretationThese results show that multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2 are circulating in the Chicago area that differ in their relative viral loads in patient upper airways. These data suggest that differences in virus genotype impact viral load and may in turn influence viral transmission and spread.FundingDixon Family Translational Research Award, Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (NUCATS), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

Food Regimes

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
André Magnan
Keyword(s):  
Food System ◽  
Sociological Theory ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
World Systems Theory ◽  
Social Actors ◽  
Food Regimes ◽  
Food And Agriculture ◽  
Agriculture And Food ◽  
Changing Role

A major challenge for food scholars is how they can explain the evolution of a global food system where distant social actors, ecologies, and places have complex, and often contradictory, relations. In particular, scholars face the difficult task of providing an account of food system change that is at once theoretically sophisticated, historically grounded, and holistic in its perspective. A leading example of this type of approach is food regimes analysis, which is anchored in historical political economy. The food regimes approach views agriculture and food in relation to the development of capitalism on a global scale, and argues that social change is brought about by struggles among social movements, capital, and states. The concept of food regimes was introduced by Harriet Friedmann and Philip McMichael in an article in which they addressed the changing role of food and agriculture in the development of global capitalism since 1870. Food regimes analysis combines two strands of macro-sociological theory: regulationism and world-systems theory. This article examines the theoretical, empirical, and methodological contributions of food regimes analysis, and looks at some of the latest developments in food regime theorizing and research.

Impacts of COVID-19 on agriculture and food security in developing countries: potential mitigation strategies.

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (016) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kehinde O. Erinle
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Food Availability ◽  
Agricultural Research ◽  
Food Prices ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Response Strategy ◽  
Response Strategies ◽  
Food And Agriculture ◽  
Agriculture And Food

Abstract Despite efforts to reduce global food insecurity, success has been limited in many developing countries due to numerous inherent problems. The challenges and vulnerabilities associated with food security in these countries have been exacerbated by the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. As a rapid response strategy to minimize the coronavirus' spread, countries have put in place different forms of movement restrictions, locally and globally, which have therefore affected agricultural production, food availability, and accessibility. Focusing on the four pillars of food security, this paper provides an overview of the pandemic's impacts on food availability, accessibility, utilization, and stability drawing examples from different developing countries. The report also suggests some response strategies that could be adopted or (where already in existence) strengthened to promote food security in developing countries, during and after a pandemic/crisis. The strategies of major concern to ensure continued availability and accessibility of food during and after a pandemic/crisis include (i) establishment of community-based food networks, (ii) food and agriculture data collection and maintenance, (iii) stabilizing food prices, (iv) infrastructural development for food security, (v) increasing investment in agricultural research and policies, (vi) adopting modern farming practices, and (vii) reduction and management of agricultural and food waste.

scholarly journals A Review on Block Chain Technology and Applications in Agriculture and Food Industry

2021 ◽  
pp. 92-99
Author(s):  
Ch. Lakshmi Kumari ◽  
J. Aruna Santhi
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
General Idea ◽  
Main Role ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
Food And Agriculture ◽  
Block Chain ◽  
Chain Organization ◽  
Agriculture And Food

Food holds a main role in human beings’ lives and in human civilization in universal across the globe. The food and agriculture division is careful to be a major manager at a worldwide level. The large number and heterogeneity of the stakeholders concerned from different sectors, such as farmers, distributors, retailers, consumers, etc., renders the undeveloped supply chain organization as one of the most composite and demanding tasks. It is the same vast difficulty of the agri products supply chain that limits the growth of global and efficient clearness and traceability solutions. The present paper provides an general idea of the application of block chain technologies for enabling traceability in the agri-food domain. Initially, the paper presents definitions, levels of acceptance, tools and advantages of traceability, accompanied with a brief impression of the functionality and advantages of blockchain technology. It then conducts an widespread literature re-examine on the addition of blockchain into traceability systems. It profits with discussing relevant existing for profit applications, importance the relevant challenges and future prediction of the application of block chain technologies in the agri-food supply chain.

scholarly journals One dose of COVID-19 nanoparticle vaccine REVC-128 provides protection against SARS-CoV-2 challenge at two weeks post immunization

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maggie Gu ◽  
Jonathan L. Torres ◽  
Jack Greenhouse ◽  
Shannon Wallace ◽  
Chi-I Chiang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Single Dose ◽  
Tissue Damage ◽  
Vaccine Candidate ◽  
In Vivo Model ◽  
Single Shot ◽  
Virus Challenge ◽  
Post Immunization ◽  
Viral Loads ◽  
Viral Spread

AbstractA COVID-19 vaccine with capability to induce early protection is needed to efficiently eliminate viral spread. Here, we demonstrate the development of a nanoparticle vaccine candidate, REVC-128, in which multiple trimeric spike ectodomain subunits with glycine (G) at position 614 were multimerized onto a nanoparticle. In-vitro characterization of this vaccine confirms its structural and antigenic integrity. In-vivo immunogenicity evaluation in mice indicates that a single dose of this vaccine induces potent serum neutralizing antibody titer at two weeks post immunization, which is significantly higher than titer induced by trimeric spike protein without nanoparticle presentation. The comparison of serum binding to spike subunits between animals immunized by spike with and without nanoparticle presentation indicates that nanoparticle prefers the display of spike RBD (Receptor-Binding Domain) over S2 subunit, likely resulting in a more neutralizing but less cross-reactive antibody response. Moreover, a Syrian golden hamster in-vivo model for SARS-CoV-2 virus challenge was implemented at two weeks post a single dose of REVC-128 immunization. The results show that vaccination protects hamsters against SARS-CoV-2 virus challenge with evidence of steady body weight, suppressed viral loads and alleviation of tissue damage (lung and nares) for protected animals, compared with ~10% weight loss, higher viral loads and tissue damage in unprotected animals. Furthermore, the data show that vaccine REVC-128 is thermostable at up to 37°C for at least 4 weeks. These findings, along with a long history of safety for protein vaccines, suggest that the REVC-128 is a safe, stable and efficacious single-shot vaccine candidate to induce the earliest protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

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