scholarly journals Alien Invasive Pathogens and Pests Harming Trees, Forests, and Plantations: Pathways, Global Consequences and Management

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 1364
Author(s):  
Tiziana Panzavolta ◽  
Matteo Bracalini ◽  
Alessandra Benigno ◽  
Salvatore Moricca
Keyword(s):  
Forest Health ◽  
Diagnostic Techniques ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Diagnostic Tools ◽  
Ecological Problem ◽  
Pest Species ◽  
The Past ◽  
Distribution Ranges ◽  
Natural Landscapes ◽  
Main Driver

Forest health worldwide is impacted by many invasive alien pathogens and pests (IAPPs) that cause significant harm, with severe economic losses and environmental alterations. Destructive tree pathogens and pests have in the past devastated our forests, natural landscapes and cityscapes and still continue to represent a serious threat. The main driver of pathogen and pest invasions is human activities, above all global trade, which allows these invasive species to overstep their natural distribution ranges. While natural transport occurs according to a regular, expected colonization pattern (based on the dispersive capacity of the organism), human-mediated transport takes place on a larger, unpredictable scale. In order for a pathogen or pest species to become invasive in a new territory it must overcome distinct stages (barriers) that strongly affect the outcome of the invasion. Early detection is crucial to enabling successful eradication and containment. Although sophisticated diagnostic techniques are now available for disease and pest surveillance and monitoring, few control and mitigation options are usable in forestry; of these, biological control is one of the most frequently adopted. Since invasion by pathogens and pests is an economic and ecological problem of supranational relevance, governments should endorse all necessary preventive and corrective actions. To this end, establishing and harmonizing measures among countries is essential, both for preventing new introductions and for diminishing the eventual range expansion of IAPPs present at a local scale. Research is fundamental for: (i) developing effective and rapid diagnostic tools; (ii) investigating the epidemiology and ecology of IAPPs in newly introduced areas; and (iii) supporting policymakers in the implementation of quarantine regulations.

scholarly journals Fingerprint of climate change in precipitation aggressiveness across the central Mediterranean (Italian) area

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nazzareno Diodato ◽  
Fredrik Charpentier Ljungqvist ◽  
Gianni Bellocchi
Keyword(s):  
Economic Losses ◽  
Rainfall Erosivity ◽  
Central Mediterranean ◽  
The Past ◽  
Recent Warming ◽  
Hydrological Extremes ◽  
Main Driver ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Long Term Trend

AbstractRainfall erosivity and its derivative, erosivity density (ED, i.e., the erosivity per unit of rain), is a main driver of considerable environmental damages and economic losses worldwide. This study is the first to investigate the interannual variability, and return periods, of both rainfall erosivity and ED over the Mediterranean for the period 1680–2019. By capturing the relationship between seasonal rainfall, its variability, and recorded hydrological extremes in documentary data consistent with a sample (1981–2015) of detailed Revised Universal Soil Loss Erosion-based data, we show a noticeable decreasing trend of rainfall erosivity since about 1838. However, the 30-year return period of ED values indicates a positive long-term trend, in tandem with the resurgence of very wet days (> 95th percentile) and the erosive activity of rains during the past two decades. A possible fingerprint of recent warming is the occurrence of prolonged wet spells in apparently more erratic and unexpected ways.

scholarly journals Towards Precise Interpretation of Oil Transformers via Novel Combined Techniques Based on DGA and Partial Discharge Sensors

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 2223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sayed A. Ward ◽  
Adel El-Faraskoury ◽  
Mohamed Badawi ◽  
Shimaa A. Ibrahim ◽  
Karar Mahmoud ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Power Transformer ◽  
Partial Discharge ◽  
Electrical Power ◽  
Diagnostic Techniques ◽  
Gas Analysis ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Dissolved Gas ◽  
Electricity Transmission ◽  
Dissolved Gas Analysis ◽  
Precise Interpretation

Power transformers are considered important and expensive items in electrical power networks. In this regard, the early discovery of potential faults in transformers considering datasets collected from diverse sensors can guarantee the continuous operation of electrical systems. Indeed, the discontinuity of these transformers is expensive and can lead to excessive economic losses for the power utilities. Dissolved gas analysis (DGA), as well as partial discharge (PD) tests considering different intelligent sensors for the measurement process, are used as diagnostic techniques for detecting the oil insulation level. This paper includes two parts; the first part is about the integration among the diagnosis results of recognized dissolved gas analysis techniques, in this part, the proposed techniques are classified into four techniques. The integration between the different DGA techniques not only improves the oil fault condition monitoring but also overcomes the individual weakness, and this positive feature is proved by using 532 samples from the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC). The second part overview the experimental setup for (66/11.86 kV–40 MVA) power transformer which exists in the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC), the first section in this part analyzes the dissolved gases concentricity for many samples, and the second section illustrates the measurement of PD particularly in this case study. The results demonstrate that precise interpretation of oil transformers can be provided to system operators, thanks to the combination of the most appropriate techniques.

scholarly journals Morphological Characteristics, Classifications and Difficulties in the Use of Diagnostic Criteria for Serrated Lesions of the Large Intestine

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cesar de Souza Bastos Junior ◽  
Vera Lucia Nunes Pannain ◽  
Adriana Caroli-Bottino
Keyword(s):  
Diagnostic Criteria ◽  
Morphological Characteristics ◽  
World Health ◽  
Diagnostic Tools ◽  
Serrated Adenoma ◽  
The Past ◽  
The World ◽  
Serrated Lesions ◽  
Health Organization

Abstract Introduction Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is the most common gastrointestinal neoplasm in the world, accounting for 15% of cancer-related deaths. This condition is related to different molecular pathways, among them the recently described serrated pathway, whose characteristic entities, serrated lesions, have undergone important changes in their names and diagnostic criteria in the past thirty years. The multiplicity of denominations and criteria over the last years may be responsible for the low interobserver concordance (IOC) described in the literature. Objectives The present study aims to describe the evolution in classification of serrated lesions, based on the last three publications of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the reproducibility of these criteria by pathologists, based on the evaluation of the IOC. Methods A search was conducted in the PubMed, ResearchGate and Portal Capes databases, with the following terms: sessile serrated lesion; serrated lesions; serrated adenoma; interobserver concordance; and reproducibility. Articles published since 1990 were researched. Results and Discussion The classification of serrated lesions in the past thirty years showed different denominations and diagnostic criteria. The reproducibility and IOC of these criteria in the literature, based on the kappa coefficient, varied in most studies, from very poor to moderate. Conclusions Interobserver concordance and the reproducibility of microscopic criteria may represent a limitation for the diagnosis and appropriate management of these lesions. It is necessary to investigate diagnostic tools to improve the performance of the pathologist's evaluation, for better concordance, and, consequently, adequate diagnosis and treatment.

scholarly journals Tick-borne zoonoses and commonly used diagnostic methods in human and veterinary medicine

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Springer ◽  
Antje Glass ◽  
Julia Probst ◽  
Christina Strube
Keyword(s):  
Veterinary Medicine ◽  
Diagnostic Tests ◽  
One Health ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Diagnostic Techniques ◽  
Diagnostic Methods ◽  
Diagnostic Tools ◽  
Zoonotic Pathogens ◽  
Health Concept ◽  
The One

AbstractAround the world, human health and animal health are closely linked in terms of the One Health concept by ticks acting as vectors for zoonotic pathogens. Animals do not only maintain tick cycles but can either be clinically affected by the same tick-borne pathogens as humans and/or play a role as reservoirs or sentinel pathogen hosts. However, the relevance of different tick-borne diseases (TBDs) may vary in human vs. veterinary medicine, which is consequently reflected by the availability of human vs. veterinary diagnostic tests. Yet, as TBDs gain importance in both fields and rare zoonotic pathogens, such as Babesia spp., are increasingly identified as causes of human disease, a One Health approach regarding development of new diagnostic tools may lead to synergistic benefits. This review gives an overview on zoonotic protozoan, bacterial and viral tick-borne pathogens worldwide, discusses commonly used diagnostic techniques for TBDs, and compares commercial availability of diagnostic tests for humans vs. domestic animals, using Germany as an example, with the aim of highlighting existing gaps and opportunities for collaboration in a One Health framework.

scholarly journals Heterogeneity of SARS-CoV-2 virus produced in cell culture revealed by shotgun proteomics and supported by genome sequencing

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabrice Gallais ◽  
Olivier Pible ◽  
Jean-Charles Gaillard ◽  
Stéphanie Debroas ◽  
Hélène Batina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Structure ◽  
Cell Culture ◽  
Shotgun Proteomics ◽  
Rapid Analysis ◽  
Diagnostic Tools ◽  
Tandem Mass ◽  
The Past ◽  
Viral Particles ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
The Subject

AbstractCOVID-19 is the most disturbing pandemic of the past hundred years. Its causative agent, the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has been the subject of an unprecedented investigation to characterize its molecular structure and intimate functioning. While markers for its detection have been proposed and several diagnostic methodologies developed, its propensity to evolve and evade diagnostic tools and the immune response is of great concern. The recent spread of new variants with increased infectivity requires even more attention. Here, we document how shotgun proteomics can be useful for rapidly monitoring the evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. We evaluated the heterogeneity of purified SARS-CoV-2 virus obtained after culturing in the Vero E6 cell line. We found that cell culture induces significant changes that are translated at the protein level, such changes being detectable by tandem mass spectrometry. Production of viral particles requires careful quality control which can be easily performed by shotgun proteomics. Although considered relatively stable so far, the SARS-CoV-2 genome turns out to be prone to frequent variations. Therefore, the sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 variants from patients reporting only the consensus genome after its amplification would deserve more attention and could benefit from more in-depth analysis of low level but crystal-clear signals, as well as complementary and rapid analysis by shotgun proteomics. Graphical abstract

scholarly journals Tree Vitality and Forest Health: Can Tree-Ring Stable Isotopes Be Used as Indicators?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paolo Cherubini ◽  
Giovanna Battipaglia ◽  
John L. Innes
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Stable Isotopes ◽  
Tree Ring ◽  
Forest Decline ◽  
Forest Health ◽  
Stress Factors ◽  
Tree Vitality ◽  
The Past ◽  
Physiological Processes

Abstract Purpose of Review Society is concerned about the long-term condition of the forests. Although a clear definition of forest health is still missing, to evaluate forest health, monitoring efforts in the past 40 years have concentrated on the assessment of tree vitality, trying to estimate tree photosynthesis rates and productivity. Used in monitoring forest decline in Central Europe since the 1980s, crown foliage transparency has been commonly believed to be the best indicator of tree condition in relation to air pollution, although annual variations appear more closely related to water stress. Although crown transparency is not a good indicator of tree photosynthesis rates, defoliation is still one of the most used indicators of tree vitality. Tree rings have been often used as indicators of past productivity. However, long-term tree growth trends are difficult to interpret because of sampling bias, and ring width patterns do not provide any information about tree physiological processes. Recent Findings In the past two decades, tree-ring stable isotopes have been used not only to reconstruct the impact of past climatic events, such as drought, but also in the study of forest decline induced by air pollution episodes, and other natural disturbances and environmental stress, such as pest outbreaks and wildfires. They have proven to be useful tools for understanding physiological processes and tree response to such stress factors. Summary Tree-ring stable isotopes integrate crown transpiration rates and photosynthesis rates and may enhance our understanding of tree vitality. They are promising indicators of tree vitality. We call for the use of tree-ring stable isotopes in future monitoring programmes.

scholarly journals Imaging Diagnosis of Right Ventricle Involvement in Chagas Cardiomyopathy

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minna M. D. Romano ◽  
Henrique T. Moreira ◽  
André Schmidt ◽  
Benedito Carlos Maciel ◽  
José Antônio Marin-Neto
Keyword(s):  
Right Ventricle ◽  
Tissue Characterization ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Diagnostic Techniques ◽  
Diagnostic Tools ◽  
Deformation Analysis ◽  
Geometrical Shape ◽  
Gold Standard Method ◽  
Chagas Cardiomyopathy ◽  
Health And Disease

Right ventricle (RV) is considered a neglected chamber in cardiology and knowledge about its role in cardiac function was mostly focused on ventricular interdependence. However, progress on the understanding of myocardium diseases primarily involving the RV led to a better comprehension of its role in health and disease. In Chagas disease (CD), there is direct evidence from both basic and clinical research of profound structural RV abnormalities. However, clinical detection of these abnormalities is hindered by technical limitations of imaging diagnostic tools. Echocardiography has been a widespread and low-cost option for the study of patients with CD but, when applied to the RV assessment, faces difficulties such as the absence of a geometrical shape to represent this cavity. More recently, the technique has evolved to a focused guided RV imaging and myocardial deformation analysis. Also, cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) has been introduced as a gold standard method to evaluate RV cavity volumes. CMR advantages include precise quantitative analyses of both LV and RV volumes and its ability to perform myocardium tissue characterization to identify areas of scar and edema. Evolution of these cardiac diagnostic techniques opened a new path to explore the pathophysiology of RV dysfunction in CD.

scholarly journals Moraxella catarrhalis: from Emerging to Established Pathogen

2002 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cees M. Verduin ◽  
Cees Hol ◽  
André Fleer ◽  
Hans van Dijk ◽  
Alex van Belkum
Keyword(s):  
Moraxella Catarrhalis ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Bacterial Pathogen ◽  
Diagnostic Techniques ◽  
Human Infection ◽  
Molecular Diagnostic ◽  
Molecular Diagnostic Techniques ◽  
Pathogenic Potential ◽  
The Past

SUMMARY Moraxella catarrhalis (formerly known as Branhamella catarrhalis) has emerged as a significant bacterial pathogen of humans over the past two decades. During this period, microbiological and molecular diagnostic techniques have been developed and improved for M. catarrhalis, allowing the adequate determination and taxonomic positioning of this pathogen. Over the same period, studies have revealed its involvement in respiratory (e.g., sinusitis, otitis media, bronchitis, and pneumonia) and ocular infections in children and in laryngitis, bronchitis, and pneumonia in adults. The development of (molecular) epidemiological tools has enabled the national and international distribution of M. catarrhalis strains to be established, and has allowed the monitoring of nosocomial infections and the dynamics of carriage. Indeed, such monitoring has revealed an increasing number of Β-lactamase-positive M. catarrhalis isolates (now well above 90%), underscoring the pathogenic potential of this organism. Although a number of putative M. catarrhalis virulence factors have been identified and described in detail, their relationship to actual bacterial adhesion, invasion, complement resistance, etc. (and ultimately their role in infection and immunity), has been established in a only few cases. In the past 10 years, various animal models for the study of M. catarrhalis pathogenicity have been described, although not all of these models are equally suitable for the study of human infection. Techniques involving the molecular manipulation of M. catarrhalis genes and antigens are also advancing our knowledge of the host response to and pathogenesis of this bacterial species in humans, as well as providing insights into possible vaccine candidates. This review aims to outline our current knowledge of M. catarrhalis, an organism that has evolved from an emerging to a well-established human pathogen.

Alpine sparsely vegetated areas in the eastern Qilian Mountains shrank with climate warming in the past 30 years

2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 415-430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Biao Zeng ◽  
Fuguang Zhang ◽  
Taibao Yang ◽  
Jiaguo Qi ◽  
Mihretab G Ghebrezgabher
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Warming ◽  
Vegetation Index ◽  
Normalized Difference Vegetation Index ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Qilian Mountains ◽  
Visual Interpretation ◽  
Hydrothermal Conditions ◽  
The Past ◽  
Distribution Ranges

Alpine sparsely vegetated areas (ASVAs) in mountains are sensitive to climate change and rarely studied. In this study, we focused on the response of ASVA distribution to climate change in the eastern Qilian Mountains (EQLM) from the 1990s to the 2010s. The ASVA distribution ranges in the EQLM during the past three decades were obtained from the Thematic Mapper remote sensing digital images by using the threshold of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and artificial visual interpretation. Results indicated that the ASVA shrank gradually in the EQLM and lost its area by approximately 11.4% from the 1990s to the 2010s. The shrunken ASVA with markedly more area than the expanded one was mainly located at altitudes from 3700 m to 4300 m, which were comparatively lower than the average altitude of the ASVA distribution ranges. This condition led to the low ASVA boundaries in the EQLM moving upwards at a significant velocity of 22 m/decade at the regional scale. This vertical zonal process was modulated by topography-induced differences in local hydrothermal conditions. Thus, the ASVA shrank mainly in its lower parts with mild and sunny slopes. Annual maximum NDVI in the transition zone increased significantly and showed a stronger positive correlation with significantly increasing temperature than insignificant precipitation variations during 1990–2015. The ASVA shrinkage and up-shifting of its boundary were attributed to climate warming, which facilitated the upper part of alpine meadow in the EQLM by releasing the low temperature limitation on vegetation growth.

scholarly journals Frequency of benzimidazole resistance inHaemonchus contortus populations isolated from buffalo, goat and sheep herds

2013 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 548-553 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronaldo Luiz Nunes ◽  
Livia Loiola dos Santos ◽  
Eduardo Bastianetto ◽  
Denise Aparecida Andrade de Oliveira ◽  
Bruno Santos Alves Figueiredo Brasil
Keyword(s):  
Haemonchus Contortus ◽  
Significant Variation ◽  
Genetic Basis ◽  
Anthelmintic Resistance ◽  
Allelic Frequency ◽  
Molecular Diagnostic ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Diagnostic Tools ◽  
Ruminant Species ◽  
Benzimidazole Resistance

Anthelmintic resistance is an increasing problem that threatens livestock production worldwide. Understanding of the genetic basis of benzimidazole resistance recently allowed the development of promising molecular diagnostic tools. In this study, isolates of Haemonchus contortus obtained from goats, sheep and buffaloes raised in Brazil were screened for presence of the polymorphism Phe200Tyr in the β-tubulin 1 gene, which confers resistance to benzimidazole. The allelic frequency of the mutation conferring resistance ranged from 7% to 43%, and indicated that resistance to benzimidazole could be found in nematodes isolated from all the ruminant species surveyed. Although significant variation in the frequency of the F200Y mutation was observed between different herds or host species, no significant variation could be found in populations isolated from animals within the same herd. These findings suggest that screening of samples from a few animals has the potential to provide information about the benzimidazole resistance status of the entire herd, which would enable a considerable reduction in the costs of diagnosis for the producer. Molecular diagnosis has practical advantages, since it can guide the choice of anthelmintic drug that will be used, before its application in the herd, thus reducing the economic losses driven by anthelmintic resistance.

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