scholarly journals Virological Sampling of Inaccessible Wildlife with Drones

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jemma L. Geoghegan ◽  
Vanessa Pirotta ◽  
Erin Harvey ◽  
Alastair Smith ◽  
Jan P. Buchmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virus Disease ◽  
Mammalian Species ◽  
Initial Study ◽  
Exhaled Breath ◽  
Virus Species ◽  
Disease Emergence ◽  
Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Novel Virus ◽  
Winter Annual ◽  
First Time

There is growing interest in characterizing the viromes of diverse mammalian species, particularly in the context of disease emergence. However, little is known about virome diversity in aquatic mammals, in part due to difficulties in sampling. We characterized the virome of the exhaled breath (or blow) of the Eastern Australian humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae). To achieve an unbiased survey of virome diversity a meta-transcriptomic analysis was performed on 19 pooled whale blow samples collected via a purpose-built Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV, or drone) approximately 3km off the coast of Sydney, Australia during the 2017 winter annual northward migration from Antarctica to northern Australia. To our knowledge, this is the first time that UAVs have been used to sample viruses. Despite the relatively small number of animals surveyed in this initial study, we identified six novel virus species from five viral families. This work demonstrates the potential of UAVs in studies of virus disease, diversity, and evolution.

scholarly journals Virological Sampling of Inaccessible Wildlife with Drones

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jemma L. Geoghegan ◽  
Vanessa Pirotta ◽  
Erin Harvey ◽  
Alastair Smith ◽  
Jan P. Buchmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virus Disease ◽  
Mammalian Species ◽  
Virus Species ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Disease Emergence ◽  
Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Novel Virus ◽  
Winter Annual ◽  
Aquatic Mammals ◽  
Sydney Australia

There is growing interest in characterizing the viromes of diverse mammalian species, particularly in the context of disease emergence. However, little is known about virome diversity in aquatic mammals, in part due to difficulties in sampling. We characterized the respiratory virome of the Eastern Australian humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae). To achieve an unbiased survey of virome diversity a meta-transcriptomic analysis was performed on 19 pooled whale blow samples collected via a purpose-built Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV, or drone) approximately 3km off the coast of Sydney, Australia during the 2017 winter annual northward migration from Antarctica to northern Australia. Despite the relatively small number of animals surveyed, we identified six novel virus species from five viral families. This work demonstrates the potential of UAVs in studies of virus disease, diversity, and evolution.

scholarly journals A Novel Rubi-Like Virus in the Pacific Electric Ray (Tetronarce californica) Reveals the Complex Evolutionary History of the Matonaviridae

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 585
Author(s):  
Rebecca M. Grimwood ◽  
Edward C. Holmes ◽  
Jemma L. Geoghegan
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Mammalian Species ◽  
Virus Transmission ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Virus Species ◽  
Vast Number ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Positive Sense ◽  
History Of ◽  
Fish Viruses

Rubella virus (RuV) is the causative agent of rubella (“German measles”) and remains a global health concern. Until recently, RuV was the only known member of the genus Rubivirus and the only virus species classified within the Matonaviridae family of positive-sense RNA viruses. Recently, two new rubella-like matonaviruses, Rustrela virus and Ruhugu virus, have been identified in several mammalian species, along with more divergent viruses in fish and reptiles. To screen for the presence of additional novel rubella-like viruses, we mined published transcriptome data using genome sequences from Rubella, Rustrela, and Ruhugu viruses as baits. From this, we identified a novel rubella-like virus in a transcriptome of Tetronarce californica—order Torpediniformes (Pacific electric ray)—that is more closely related to mammalian Rustrela virus than to the divergent fish matonavirus and indicative of a complex pattern of cross-species virus transmission. Analysis of host reads confirmed that the sample analysed was indeed from a Pacific electric ray, and two other viruses identified in this animal, from the Arenaviridae and Reoviridae, grouped with other fish viruses. These findings indicate that the evolutionary history of the Matonaviridae is more complex than previously thought and highlights the vast number of viruses that remain undiscovered.

scholarly journals APOE Gene Associated with Cholesterol-Related Traits in the Hispanic Population

Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 1768
Author(s):  
Stephanie Lozano ◽  
Victoria Padilla ◽  
Manuel Lee Avila ◽  
Mario Gil ◽  
Gladys Maestre ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variants ◽  
Rio Grande Valley ◽  
Rio Grande ◽  
Initial Study ◽  
Apoe Gene ◽  
Hispanic Population ◽  
Apoe Ε4 ◽  
Ε4 Allele ◽  
Apoe Genotypes ◽  
First Time

Genetic variants in the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene are associated with lipid metabolism and lipid-related traits in the non-Hispanic population. There have been limited studies regarding the association between the APOE gene and hypercholesterolemia in the Hispanic population; therefore, our aim for this study is to examine the APOE gene’s associations with cholesterol level and its related phenotypes. The APOE gene consists of three different alleles, ε2, ε3, and ε4, with ε4 being associated with dementia and cardiovascular diseases. A total of 1,382 subjects were collected from the Texas Alzheimer’s Research and Care Consortium (TARCC, N = 1320) and the Initial Study of Longevity and Dementia from the Rio Grande Valley (ISLD-RGV, N = 62). Questionnaires on demographics, medical history, and blood/saliva samples were collected and APOE genotypes were performed. We observed allele frequencies of the APOE ε3 (96.7%), ε4 (22.6%) and ε2 (6.8%) alleles, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression revealed a significant association between the APOE ε4 allele and hypercholesteremia (p = 1.8 × 10−4) in our studied Hispanic population. We prove for the first time, that the APOE ε4 allele increases the risk for hypercholesterol in Hispanics. Further research is needed to confirm and supports our current findings.

scholarly journals Characterization of the Particle Emission from Ships Operating at Sea Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tommaso F. Villa ◽  
Reece Brown ◽  
E. Rohan Jayaratne ◽  
L. Felipe Gonzalez ◽  
Lidia Morawska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Co2 Concentration ◽  
Emission Factors ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Ship Emissions ◽  
Optimal Position ◽  
Exhaust Plume ◽  
Aerial Vehicle ◽  
First Time

Abstract. This research demonstrates the use of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to characterize the gaseous (CO2) and particle (10–500 nm) emissions of a ship at sea. The field study was part of the research voyage The Great Barrier Reef as a significant source of climatically relevant aerosol particles on-board the RV Investigator around the Australian Great Barrier Reef. Measurements of the RV Investigator exhaust plume were carried out while the ship was operating at sea, at a steady engine load of 30 %. The UAV system was flown autonomously using several different programmed paths. These incorporated different altitudes and distances behind the ship in order to investigate the optimal position to capture the ship plume. Five flights were performed, providing a total of 27 horizontal transects perpendicular to the ship exhaust plume. Results show that the most appropriate altitude and distance to effectively capture the plume was 25 m above sea level and 20 m downwind. Particle number (PN) emission factors (EF) were calculated in terms of number of particles emitted (#) per weight of fuel consumed (Kg fuel). Fuel consumption was calculated using the simultaneous measurements of plume CO2 concentration. Calculated EFPN were between 9.19 × 1014 and 5.15 × 1015 #∙(Kg fuel)−1. These values are in line with those reported in the literature for ship emissions ranging from 0.2 6.2 × 1016 #∙(Kg fuel)−1 to 6.2 × 1016 #∙(Kg fuel)−1. This UAV system successfully assessed ship emissions to derive emission factors (EFs) under real world conditions. This is significant as, for the first time, it provides a reliable, inexpensive and accessible way to assess and potentially regulate ship emissions.

scholarly journals A Novel Approach of CT Images Feature Analysis and Prediction to Screen for Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed Abdullah Farid ◽  
Gamal Ibrahim Selim ◽  
Hatem Awad A. Khater
Keyword(s):  
Feature Extraction ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Real Data ◽  
Ct Images ◽  
Learning Tools ◽  
Corona Virus ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Hybrid Classification ◽  
Hybrid Feature Extraction ◽  
First Time

The paper demonstrates the analysis of Corona Virus Disease based on a probabilistic model. It involves a technique for classification and prediction by recognizing typical and diagnostically most important CT images features relating to Corona Virus. The main contributions of the research include predicting the probability of recurrences in no recurrence (first time detection) cases at applying our proposed approach for feature extraction. The combination of the conventional statistical and machine learning tools is applied for feature extraction from CT images through four images filters in combination with proposed composite hybrid feature extraction (CHFS). The selected features were classified by the stack hybrid classification system(SHC). Experimental study with real data demonstrates the feasibility and potential of the proposed approach for the said cause.

scholarly journals Detection of isoprene traces in exhaled breath by using photonic crystals as a biomarker for chronic liver fibrosis disease

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed Mehaney ◽  
Hussein A. Elsayed ◽  
Ashour M. Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Liver Fibrosis ◽  
Photonic Crystals ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Dielectric Materials ◽  
Exhaled Breath ◽  
Air Cavity ◽  
One Dimensional ◽  
Sensor Structure ◽  
Volatile Organic ◽  
First Time

Abstract Detection of blood-carried volatile organic compounds (VOCs) existing in the exhaled breath of human is an attractive research point for noninvasive diagnosis of diseases. In this research, we introduce a novel application of photonic crystals (PCs) for the detection of isoprene traces in the exhaled breath as a biomarker for liver fibrosis. This idea is introduced for the first time according to the best of our knowledge. The proposed sensor structure is a one-dimensional (1D) PC constructed from a multilayer stack of two dielectric materials covered with an air cavity layer filled with the dry exhaled breath (DEB) and a thin metallic layer of Au is attached on the top surface. Hence, the proposed sensor is configured as, [prism/Au/air cavity/(GaN/SiO2)10]. The transfer matrix method and the Drude model are adopted to calculate the numerical simulations and reflection spectra of the design. The essential key for sensing isoprene levels is the resonant optical Tamm plasmon (TP) states within the photonic bandgap. The obtained numerical results are promising such as high sensitivity (S) of 0.321 nm/ppm or 278720 nm/RIU. This technique can be reducing the risk of infection during the taking of blood samples by syringe. Also, it can prevent the pain of patients. Finally, this work opens the door for the detection of many diseases by analyzing the breaths of patients based on photonic crystals.

scholarly journals Aerial physical interaction via IDA-PBC

2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 403-421 ◽  
Author(s):  
Burak Yüksel ◽  
Cristian Secchi ◽  
Heinrich H. Bülthoff ◽  
Antonio Franchi
Keyword(s):  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Control Method ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Surface Inspection ◽  
Physical Interaction ◽  
External Disturbances ◽  
Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Passivity Based Control ◽  
The Stability ◽  
First Time

This paper proposes the use of a novel control method based on interconnection and damping assignment–passivity-based control (IDA-PBC) in order to address the aerial physical interaction (APhI) problem for a quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The apparent physical properties of the quadrotor are reshaped in order to achieve better APhI performances, while ensuring the stability of the interaction through passivity preservation. The robustness of the IDA-PBC method with respect to sensor noise is also analyzed. The direct measurement of the external wrench, needed to implement the control method, is compared with the use of a nonlinear Lyapunov-based wrench observer and advantages/disadvantages of both methods are discussed. The validity and practicability of the proposed APhI method is evaluated through experiments, where for the first time in the literature, a lightweight all-in-one low-cost force/torque (F/T) sensor is used onboard of a quadrotor. Two main scenarios are shown: a quadrotor responding to external disturbances while hovering (physical human–quadrotor interaction), and the same quadrotor sliding with a rigid tool along an uneven ceiling surface (inspection/painting-like task).

scholarly journals Evolutionary Trajectory for the Emergence of Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2

Pathogens ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saif ur Rehman ◽  
Laiba Shafique ◽  
Awais Ihsan ◽  
Qingyou Liu
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Agent ◽  
Evolutionary Strategies ◽  
Human Society ◽  
Whole Genome Analysis ◽  
Evolutionary Trajectory ◽  
Emerging Virus ◽  
Novel Virus ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Genomic Regions ◽  
First Time

Over the last two decades, the world experienced three outbreaks of coronaviruses with elevated morbidity rates. Currently, the global community is facing emerging virus SARS-CoV-2 belonging to Betacoronavirus, which appears to be more transmissible but less deadly than SARS-CoV. The current study aimed to track the evolutionary ancestors and different evolutionary strategies that were genetically adapted by SARS-CoV-2. Our whole-genome analysis revealed that SARS-CoV-2 was the descendant of Bat SARS/SARS-like CoVs and bats served as a natural reservoir. SARS-CoV-2 used mutations and recombination as crucial strategies in different genomic regions including the envelop, membrane, nucleocapsid, and spike glycoproteins to become a novel infectious agent. We confirmed that mutations in different genomic regions of SARS-CoV-2 have specific influence on virus reproductive adaptability, allowing for genotype adjustment and adaptations in rapidly changing environments. Moreover, for the first time we identified nine putative recombination patterns in SARS-CoV-2, which encompass spike glycoprotein, RdRp, helicase and ORF3a. Six recombination regions were spotted in the S gene and are undoubtedly important for evolutionary survival, meanwhile this permitted the virus to modify superficial antigenicity to find a way from immune reconnaissance in animals and adapt to a human host. With these combined natural selected strategies, SARS-CoV-2 emerged as a novel virus in human society.

scholarly journals First detection of a Vssc allele V1016G conferring a high level of insecticide resistance in Aedes albopictus collected from Europe (Italy) and Asia (Vietnam), 2016: a new emerging threat to controlling arboviral diseases

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shinji Kasai ◽  
Beniamino Caputo ◽  
Takashi Tsunoda ◽  
Tran Chi Cuong ◽  
Yoshihide Maekawa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Insecticide Resistance ◽  
Aedes Albopictus ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Pyrethroid Resistance ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Mosquito Species ◽  
Geographical Regions ◽  
Arboviral Diseases ◽  
High Level ◽  
First Time

Introduction Aedes albopictus (Skuse) is an important vector of arboviral diseases, including dengue, chikungunya and Zika virus disease. Monitoring insecticide resistance and mechanisms by which the mosquito develops resistance is crucial to minimise disease transmission. Aim To determine insecticide resistance status and mechanisms in Ae. albopictus from different geographical regions. Methods We sampled 33 populations of Ae. albopictus from Asia, Europe and South America, and tested these for susceptibility to permethrin, a pyrethroid insecticide. In resistant populations, the target site for pyrethroids, a voltage-sensitive sodium channel (Vssc) was genotyped. Three resistant sub-strains, each harbouring a resistance allele homozygously, were established and susceptibilities to three different pyrethroids (with and without a cytochrome P450 inhibitor) were assayed. Results Most populations of Ae. albopictus tested were highly susceptible to permethrin but a few from Italy and Vietnam (4/33), exhibited high-level resistance. Genotyping studies detected a knockdown resistance (kdr) allele V1016G in Vssc for the first time in Ae. albopictus. Two previously reported kdr alleles, F1534C and F1534S, were also detected. The bioassays indicated that the strain homozygous for the V1016G allele showed much greater levels of pyrethroid resistance than other strains harbouring F1534C or F1534S. Conclusion The V1016G allele was detected in both Asian and Italian Ae. albopictus populations, thus a spread of this allele beyond Italy in Europe cannot be ruled out. This study emphasises the necessity to frequently and regularly monitor the V1016G allele in Ae. albopictus, particularly where this mosquito species is the main vector of arboviruses.

scholarly journals Mammals of the Saracá-Taquera National Forest, northwestern Pará, Brazil

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Analice Calaça ◽  
Michel Barros Faria ◽  
Diego Afonso Silva ◽  
Áquila Oliveira Fialho ◽  
Fabiano Rodrigues de Melo
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Geographic Distribution ◽  
Mammalian Species ◽  
National Forest ◽  
Large Mammals ◽  
Mammalian Fauna ◽  
The World ◽  
Amazonian Rainforest ◽  
Mammal Faunas ◽  
First Time

Abstract: The Amazonian rainforest harbors one of the most diverse mammal faunas found anywhere in the world, although this fauna is still poorly known. Inventories are essential for the understanding of the biology and ecology of species, and provide basic data for conservation. Over 15 years of sampling in the Saracá-Taquera National Forest, we recorded 72 species of small (nonvolant), medium, and large mammals belonging to 30 families in 10 orders. These taxa included 29 species endemic to the Amazon biome, and 14 classified as threatened with extinction. Overall, the mammalian species richness recorded in the present study was equal to or greater than that recorded in other Amazonian studies, reflecting high levels of diversity on a biogeographic scale. This reinforces the importance of this national forest for the maintenance of the region's mammalian fauna. Some of the species were recorded in the region for the first time, thus extending their known geographic distribution.

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