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Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) is caused by a specific strain of the 6 types of human coronaviruses (HCoV). MERS-CoV has spread unchecked since it was first discovered in Saudi Arabia in 2012. The virus most likely spreads through nosocomial and zoonotic channels. Genetic analyses suggest that bats were the initial hosts and that the disease spread to camels. Person-to-person transmission occurs with varying frequency, being most prevalent in clinical settings and the least common among the general population and among close relatives. Due to the severity of the illness, high fatality rate, potential for epidemic spread, and lack of adequate medical countermeasures, the World Health Organization (WHO) continues to list MERS-CoV as a priority pathogen. While no specific antiviral medicines exist, a combination of antivirals has shown promise in recent clinical trials. Vaccines against MERS-CoV are critically needed and are currently being developed. Early diagnosis and implementing appropriate infection control measures are keys to preventing hospital-associated outbreaks. Preventive measures include avoiding raw or undercooked meats and other animal products, ensuring proper hand hygiene in healthcare settings and around dromedaries, educating the public and healthcare personnel about the disease, and adhering to other recommended practices. Countries with a high prevalence of MERS should adhere to regulations designed to limit the transmission of the virus. The recent spread of MERS-CoV highlights the importance of public awareness regarding the significance of reporting symptoms so that appropriate control measures can be adopted. The narrative review discusses the incidence of MERS, its clinical presentation, potential transmission routes, recent reports, preventative and control measures, and current therapeutic options.

Introduction Monkeypox (mpox) is an evolving infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV). On July 23, 2022, the WHO declared the recent mpox outbreaks a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), which terminated on May 11, 2023. As of July 11, 2023, 88,288 confirmed cases and 149 deaths have been reported from 112 countries and territories. Currently, mpox is not a PHEIC, as the outbreak and its impacts are nearly over. Nurses played significant roles during the mpox 2022 outbreak as frontline workers. Purpose In light of the impending mpox global outbreak in 2022, this brief report provides an update on the enormous difficulties faced by frontline nurses while playing a crucial role in handling the mpox outbreak and some potential solutions to these difficulties. The methodological framework employed in this narrative brief report involves conducting a comprehensive analysis and synthesis of relevant literature and hypothetical scenarios. The aim is to put forth practical strategies that can effectively tackle the difficulties encountered by frontline nurses in the context of the mpox outbreak. Additionally, the report seeks to envision a healthcare system that is more resilient in the face of future challenges. Conclusion It is important to understand the challenges the nurses face from their perspective. As frontline health care workers, the various health issues of nurses and their concerns must be taken care of appropriately by adopting optimum health service practices, adequate safety measures, recommended precautionary measures, and boosting them mentally while handling mpox patients. Counseling and the arrangement of workshops are required. Appropriate care should be taken to address the various health issues concerning nurses by adopting health service practices at optimum levels. Side by side, recommended safety and precautionary measures should be followed.

AbstractTularemia caused by Gram-negative, coccobacillus bacterium, Francisella tularensis, is a highly infectious zoonotic disease. Human cases have been reported mainly from the United States, Nordic countries like Sweden and Finland, and some European and Asian countries. Naturally, the disease occurs in several vertebrates, particularly lagomorphs. Type A (subspecies tularensis) is more virulent and causes disease mainly in North America; type B (subspecies holarctica) is widespread, while subspecies mediasiatica is present in central Asia. F. tularensis is a possible bioweapon due to its lethality, low infectious dosage, and aerosol transmission. Small mammals like rabbits, hares, and muskrats are primary sources of human infections, but true reservoir of F. tularensis is unknown. Vector-borne tularemia primarily involves ticks and mosquitoes. The bacterial subspecies involved and mode of transmission determine the clinical picture. Early signs are flu-like illnesses that may evolve into different clinical forms of tularemia that may or may not include lymphadenopathy. Ulcero-glandular and glandular forms are acquired by arthropod bite or handling of infected animals, oculo-glandular form as a result of conjunctival infection, and oro-pharyngeal form by intake of contaminated food or water. Pulmonary form appears after inhalation of bacteria. Typhoidal form may occur after infection via different routes. Human-to-human transmission has not been known. Diagnosis can be achieved by serology, bacterial culture, and molecular methods. Treatment for tularemia typically entails use of quinolones, tetracyclines, or aminoglycosides. Preventive measures are necessary to avoid infection although difficult to implement. Research is underway for the development of effective live attenuated and subunit vaccines.

Introduction:Different homeostatic models for the assessment of beta cell function in patients with insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes mellitus suggest that Dipeptidyl Peptidase (DPP-4) inhibitors cause less beta cell stress. Aims: The present study aimed to compare and contrast insulin resistance in two groups of patients taking oral hypoglycemic agents, DPP-4 plus metformin and glimepiride plus metformin, on the basis of fasting and postprandial c-peptide and insulin resistance estimated by homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Methods: This preliminary descriptive observational study was conducted from 2018 to 2019 in the service Laboratory of the Department of Biochemistry, in collaboration with the Endocrinology Department, Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata. Serum C-peptide, serum insulin, and plasma glucose levels were measured in both fasting and post-prandial states along with glycated hemoglobin. Result: In the fasting and fed state, the secretagogue effect of glimepiride-metformin combination was significantly higher (p = 0.017) than that of the linagliptin-metformin combination. Conclusion: Patients treated with glimepiride showed high post prandial insulin levels and high post prandial glucose excursion. This finding can be explained by the probable increase in insulin resistance, which is reflected in their post-prandial C peptide level. However, in the case of linagliptin, one mechanism of decreased post-prandial glucose is believed to be the inhibition of α-cell glucagon release, thereby relieving β-cell stress

Abstract Introduction Workers in the healthcare industry form the backbone of health systems everywhere. In the face of global health crises like the current monkeypox (mpox) outbreak, healthcare workers like doctors, dentists, pharmacists, nurses, midwives, paramedics, administrators, support staff, laboratory technicians, and community health workers all play crucial roles in providing care and containing the spread of the disease. Aim Therefore, in the wake of concerns about mpox recurrence, we seek to shed light on the occupational transmission of mpox infection and the possible risk to healthcare personnel. Results Contamination of the environment of the household of cases of mpox and environment of the patient care units with the viral DNA has been reported besides asymptomatic cases and detection of viral DNA in air samples; therefore, more research on non-lesion-based testing for human mpox infection for screening asymptomatic people, particularly among populations at high risk of infection, in the event of asymptomatic transmission and potential transmission via aerosols is necessary. Monitoring efforts can be aided by incorporating mpox testing into locations where people are more likely to contract illnesses and seek medical attention. We must take a precautionary infection control approach to control the spread of the virus while completing urgent research to understand better the human-to-human mpox transmission process. Conclusions In this minireview, we discuss the potential routes of mpox transmission to healthcare and preventative strategies and measures that should be taken and considered. Graphical Abstract

Abstract Background Asthma is the most common chronic disease in children with an increasing prevalence. Its development is caused by genetic and environmental factors and allergic sensitization is a known trigger. Dog allergens affect up to 30% of all children and dog dander‐sensitized children show increased expression of cystatin‐1 (CST1) and eotaxin‐3 (CCL26) in nasal epithelium. The aim of our study was to investigate the functional mechanism of CST1 and CCL26 in the alveolar basal epithelial cell line A549. Methods A549 cells were transfected with individual overexpression vectors for CST1 and CCL26 and RNA sequencing was performed to examine the transcriptomics. edgeR was used to identify differentially expressed genes (= DEG, |log2FC | ≥ 2, FDR

Abstract Background Preschool wheeze is a risk factor for asthma development. However, the molecular mechanism behind a wheezing episode is not well understood. Objective Our aims were to assess the association of plasma proteins with acute preschool wheeze and to study the proteins with differential expression at the acute phase at revisit after 3 months. Additionally, to investigate the relationship between protein expression and clinical parameters. Method We measured 92 inflammatory proteins in plasma and clinical parameters from 145 children during an episode of preschool wheeze (PW) and at the revisit after 3 months (PW‐R, n = 113/145) and 101 healthy controls (HC) aged 6–48 months in the GEWAC cohort using the antibody‐mediated proximity extension‐based assay (Olink Proteomics, Uppsala). Results Of the 74 analysed proteins, 52 were differentially expressed between PW and HC. The expression profiles of the top 10 proteins, Oncostatin M (OSM), IL‐10, IL‐6, Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), AXIN1, CXCL10, SIRT2, TNFSF11, Tumour necrosis factor β (TNF‐β) and CASP8, could almost entirely separate PW from HC. Five out of 10 proteins were associated with intake of oral corticosteroids (OCS) 24 h preceding blood sampling (OSM, CASP8, IL‐10, TNF‐β and CXCL10). No differences in protein expression were seen between PWs with or without OCS in comparison to HC. At the revisit after 3 months, differential protein expressions were still seen between PW‐R and HC for three (IL‐10, SIRT2 and FGF21) of the 10 proteins. Conclusion Our results contribute to unravelling potential immunopathological pathways shared between preschool wheeze and asthma.

The surge in severe neonatal sepsis cases caused by a novel variant of Echovirus 11 (E-11) in France and several European countries has sparked concern. The affected infants, mostly premature and twins, displayed rapid clinical decline within days after birth, presenting symptoms akin to septic shock with hepatic impairment and multi-organ failure. Laboratory findings revealed profound coagulopathy, low platelet counts, and acute renal failure, indicating severe disease progression. Genetic analysis identified a distinct recombinant E-11 lineage, previously unseen in France before July 2022. Despite its novelty, the exact pathogenicity remains uncertain. Although the World Health Organization downplaying immediate public health risks, the absence of a robust global surveillance program hinders accurate prevalence assessment. To mitigate the impact of this novel E-11 variant, establishing robust surveillance, refining diagnostic capabilities, and exploring therapeutic interventions such as intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) and pocapavir are imperative for effective management and prevention strategies.

A 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Turkey and Syria, followed by a 7.6-magnitude earthquake, caused over 50 000 deaths and over 100 000 injuries. The immediate physical injuries were severe, but the health repercussions, including the strain on healthcare services and the possibility of disease outbreaks, were equally concerning. Infections due to multidrug resistant microbes were also a matter of concern. Earthquake has caused not only loss of property and physical damage but also has a great negative impact on the mental health of the people. It is associated with serious psychological trauma. Moreover, the risk of malnutrition also became evident. Food aid and nutritional supplements can reduce the risk of malnutrition, but they are not a long-term solution. Establishment of sustainable food systems and restoration of agricultural productions are essential. Other demanding issues like derth of access to essential services related to health care, chances of child birth related complications following earthquake also need to be addressed. Emerging crises and disasters (conflicts, pandemics, epidemics), in addition to pre-existing conditions (collapsed health facilities, cold winter conditions, destruction of lifeline infrastructures, overcrowding in emergency shelters, poor sanitation, and unfavorable socio-economic conditions), may further exacerbate the already precarious public health situation and significantly delay the recovery process. The early warning and protection against the development of infectious diseases in earthquake-affected areas depend on good disease surveillance at the local and regional levels, which has been proposed as one of several techniques for prevention and management of infectious diseases in these areas. Our article outlines high-level approaches to reduce the risk of health issues among victims of Turkey and Syria.

Newly emerging variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are continuously posing high global public health concerns and panic resulting in waves of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Depending on the extent of genomic variations, mutations and adaptation, few of the variants gain the ability to spread quickly across many countries, acquire higher virulency and ability to cause severe disease, morbidity and mortality. These variants have been implicated in lessening the efficacy of the current COVID-19 vaccines and immunotherapies resulting in break-through viral infections in vaccinated individuals and recovered patients. Altogether, these could hinder the protective herd immunity to be achieved through the ongoing progressive COVID-19 vaccination. Currently, the only variant of interest of SARS-CoV-2 is Omicron that was first identified in South Africa. In this review, we present the overview on the emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants with a special focus on the Omicron variant, its lineages and hybrid variants. We discuss the hypotheses of the origin, genetic change and underlying molecular mechanism behind higher transmissibility and immune escape of Omicron variant. Major concerns related to Omicron including the efficacy of the current available immunotherapeutics and vaccines, transmissibility, disease severity, and mortality are discussed. In the last part, challenges and strategies to counter Omicron variant, its lineages and hybrid variants amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic are presented.

The ability of resistive memory (ReRAM) to naturally conduct vector–matrix multiplication (VMM), which is the primary operation carried out during the training and inference of neural networks, has caught the interest of researchers. The memristor crossbar is one of the desirable architectures to perform VMM because it offers various benefits over other memory technologies, including in-memory computing, low power, and high density. Direct downloading and chip-on-the-loop approaches are typically used to train ReRAM-based neural networks. In these methods, all weight computations are carried out by a host machine, and the computed weights are downloaded in the crossbar. It has been seen that the network does not deliver the same precision as promised by the host system once the weights have been downloaded. This is because crossbars contain a significant number of faulty memristors and suffer from cell resistance variations because of immature manufacturing technologies. As a result, a cell may not be able to take the exact weight values that the host system generates, and may lead to incorrect inferences. Existing techniques for fault-tolerant mapping either involve network retraining or employ a graph-matching strategy that comes with hardware, power, and latency overheads. In this paper, we propose a mapping method to tolerate the effect of defective memristors. In order to lessen the impact of faulty memristors, the mapping is done in a way that allows network weights to cover up faulty memristors. Further, this work prioritizes the different faults based on the frequency of occurrence. The mapping efficiency is found to increase significantly with low power, area and latency overheads in the proposed approach. Experimental analyses show considerable improvement as compared to state-of-the-art works.

Intelligent transportation systems (ITSs) have become increasingly popular because they support effective coordination in connected vehicles. ITSs present an integrated approach for exchanging relevant information in order to improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of road transportation systems. A variant of mobile ad-hoc networks (MANETs) called vehicular ad-hoc networks (VANETs) are an integral component of ITSs. VANETs consist of interconnected vehicles with sensing abilities that exchange information related to traffic, positioning, weather, and emergency services. In general, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) refers to communications between any entity and a vehicle, where the entity may be a vehicle, a cloud-based network, a pedestrian, or equipment installed along a road. One of the crucial challenges in V2X is the reliable and timely circulation of information among vehicular nodes to allow drivers to make decisions that increase road safety. In this context, efficient V2X routing protocols play a key role in supporting reliability and safety, and enhancing the overall quality of service (QoS) in VANETs. However, VANETs have distinct characteristics, such as high vehicular node mobility, unsteady connectivity, rapid changes in network topology, and unbounded network size, that can significantly affect routing in the network. Various routing protocols for V2X communication exist in the open technical literature. In this survey, we categorize the routing mechanisms as non-learning- and learning-based approaches, and discuss existing V2X routing protocols and their contributions to and impacts on VANET performance. Here, the learning-based approach implies the use of machine learning algorithms. This survey also summarizes open challenges in designing effective V2X routing protocols and future research directions to consider when developing smart routing mechanisms for next-generation intelligent VANET technologies.

Context: There is scarcity of data on thyroid function abnormality in COVID-19 patients in world literature. Aims: The objective of this study was to assess thyroid function tests in hospitalized patients of COVID-19. Settings and Design: Sixty (60) patients with COVID-19 detected by RT-PCR admitted in General Medicine isolation ward and COVID block of a tertiary care teaching hospital were selected by semi-purposive sampling. Materials and Methods: These patients were assessed for thyroid function tests, including total T3, free T3, total T4, free T4, TSH and anti-TPO antibody along with other baseline investigations. Patients with pre-existing thyroid–related ailments, those on levothyroxine or anti-thyroid drugs or other drugs known to interfere with the results were excluded. Results: There were 43.3% patients in mild, 26.7% in moderate, and 30% in severe category, according to local COVID-19 severity classification protocol. 35% patients had one or more abnormality in the thyroid function, low TSH being the most common (18.33%). 9.1% patients had characteristic pattern of thyroiditis. In most of the others thyroid function did not match any typical pattern. There was no significant difference in any of the parameters of the thyroid function test between mild, moderate, and severe groups. Conclusion: Thyroid function may be abnormal in all categories of patients during COVID-19 infection, even in absence of pre-existing thyroid ailments. Although low TSH is the commonest abnormality and typical pattern of thyroiditis can be seen in a subsection of patients, in majority of the patients, thyroid function abnormality does not follow any characteristic pattern and likely represents a combination of thyroiditis and sick euthyroid syndrome in different points of its spectrum.

Emerging antibiotic resistance among mycoplasma microorganisms is of major concern in present times as they cause various diseases in both animals and humans. Mycoplasmoses, infections caused by mycoplasma microorganisms have become common in recent past and have gained importance both due to inability to diagnose and difficulty to treat. Respiratory tract infection, mastitis, arthritis, and septicemia caused by Mycoplasma in livestock are responsible for causing heavy economic losses. These diseases are frequently reported from countries of Africa and Asia, including India. Antimycoplasma antibiotics are frequently being used as therapeutic agents for the treatment of mycoplasmoses infection in livestock. They include macrolides, tetracyclines, fluoroquinolones, and aminoglycosides which are the main antibiotic classes commonly used against mycoplasma globally. Oxytetracyclines are the commonest antibiotics used for decades followed by enrofloxacin, tylosin, and streptomycin. Danofloxacin, lincomycin, spiramycin, erythromycin, gamithromycin, azithromycin, clarithromycin, gentamicin, doxycycline, and tulathromycin are also used occasionally. Continuous and unregulated use of these antibiotics over prolonged period can lead to menace of antibiotic resistance which is aided by inappropriate doses and uncontrolled use. Resistance to some antibiotics is already emerging. Mycoplasmas have devised different resistance mechanisms for combating antimicrobial action of these drugs. Common mechanisms noted are acquisitions of proteins affecting ribosomal subunits, inhibition of antibiotic efflux, structural changes in the ribosomal subunit, target mutations, expression or production of enzymes. Additional novel mechanisms of resistance still need to be investigated. Strategies for prevention and encountering of this antibiotic resistance are being devised by alternating antibiotics in application, using antimycoplasma antibiotic sensitivity tests, along with evaluation of specific doses and exploration of novel mycoplasma specific class of antibiotics. Novel targets based on various cell structures including cell membrane, organelles, proteins, enzymes or metabolites are being explored for antimycoplasma therapy. These all will help in effective therapeutic management of mycoplasmoses with minimal side effects.

Nipah (Nee-pa) viral disease is a zoonotic infection caused by Nipah virus (NiV), a paramyxovirus belonging to the genus Henipavirus of the family Paramyxoviridae. It is a biosafety level-4 pathogen, which is transmitted by specific types of fruit bats, mainly Pteropus spp. which are natural reservoir host. The disease was reported for the first time from the Kampung Sungai Nipah village of Malaysia in 1998. Human-to-human transmission also occurs. Outbreaks have been reported also from other countries in South and Southeast Asia. Phylogenetic analysis affirmed the circulation of two major clades of NiV as based on currently available complete N and G gene sequences. NiV isolates from Malaysia and Cambodia clustered together in NiV-MY clade, whereas isolates from Bangladesh and India clusterered within NiV-BD clade. NiV isolates from Thailand harboured mixed population of sequences. In humans, the virus is responsible for causing rapidly progressing severe illness which might be characterized by severe respiratory illness and/or deadly encephalitis. In pigs below six months of age, respiratory illness along with nervous symptoms may develop. Different types of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays along with molecular methods based on polymerase chain reaction have been developed for diagnostic purposes. Due to the expensive nature of the antibody drugs, identification of broad-spectrum antivirals is essential along with focusing on small interfering RNAs (siRNAs). High pathogenicity of NiV in humans, and lack of vaccines or therapeutics to counter this disease have attracted attention of researchers worldwide for developing effective NiV vaccine and treatment regimens.

Mastitis, an inflammation of the udder, is a challenging problem in dairy animals accounting for high economic losses. Disease complexity, degree of economic losses and increasing importance of the dairy industries along with public health concerns envisages devising appropriate diagnostics of mastitis, which can offer rapid, accurate and confirmatory diagnosis. The various diagnostic tests of mastitis have been divided into general or phenotypic and specific or genotypic tests. General or phenotypic tests are those that identify general alterations, which are not specific to any pathogen. Genotypic tests are specific, hence confirmatory for diagnosis of mastitis and include specific culture, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and its various versions (e.g. qRT-PCR), loop-mediated isothermal amplification, lateral flow assays, nucleotide sequencing, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and other molecular diagnostic methods. However, for highly specific and confirmatory diagnosis, pure cultures still provide raw materials for more sophisticated diagnostic technological interventions like PCR and nucleotide sequencing. Diagnostic ability of like infra-red thermography (IRT) has been shown to be similar to California mastitis test and also differentiates clinical mastitis from subclinical mastitis cases. As such, IRT can become a convenient and portable diagnostic tool. Of note, magnetic nanoparticles-based colorimetric biosensor assay was developed by using for instance proteolytic activity of plasmin or anti-S. aureus antibody. Last but not least, microRNAs have been suggested to be potential biomarkers for diagnosing bovine mastitis. This review summarizes the various diagnostic tests available for detection of mastitis including diagnosis through general and specific technological interventions and advances.

Various internal and external factors negatively affect the homeostatic equilibrium of organisms at the molecular to the whole-body level, inducing the so-called state of stress. Stress affects an organism's welfare status and induces energy-consuming mechanisms to combat the subsequent ill effects; thus, the individual may be immunocompromised, making them vulnerable to pathogens. The information presented here has been extensively reviewed, compiled, and analyzed from authenticated published resources available on Medline, PubMed, PubMed Central, Science Direct, and other scientific databases. Stress levels can be monitored by the quantitative and qualitative measurement of biomarkers. Potential markers of stress include thermal stress markers, such as heat shock proteins (HSPs), innate immune markers, such as Acute Phase Proteins (APPs), oxidative stress markers, and chemical secretions in the saliva and urine. In addition, stress biomarkers also play critical roles in the prognosis of stress-related diseases and disorders, and therapy guidance. Moreover, different components have been identified as potent mediators of cardiovascular, central nervous system, hepatic, and nephrological disorders, which can also be employed to evaluate these conditions precisely, but with stringent validation and specificity. Considerable scientific advances have been made in the detection, quantitation, and application of these biomarkers. The present review describes the current progress of identifying biomarkers, their prognostic, and therapeutic values.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a viral infection with skin-to-skin based transmission mode. HPV annually caused over 500,000 cancer cases including cervical, anogenital and oropharyngeal cancer among others. HPV vaccination has become a public-health concern, worldwide, to prevent the cases of HPV infections including precancerous lesions, cervical cancers, and genital warts especially in adolescent female and male population by launching national programs with international alliances. Currently, available prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines are expensive to be used in developing countries for vaccination programs. The recent progress in immunotherapy, biotechnology, recombinant DNA technology and molecular biology along with alternative and complementary medicinal systems have paved novel ways and valuable opportunities to design and develop effective prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines, drugs and treatment approach to counter HPV effectively. Exploration and more researches on such advances could result in the gradual reduction in the incidences of HPV cases across the world. The present review presents a current global scenario and futuristic prospects of the advanced prophylactic and therapeutic approaches against HPV along with recent patents coverage of the progress and advances in drugs, vaccines and therapeutic regimens to effectively combat HPV infections and its cancerous conditions.

Among all the emerging and re-emerging animal diseases, influenza group is the prototype member associated with severe respiratory infections in wide host species. Wherein, Equine influenza (EI) is the main cause of respiratory illness in equines across globe and is caused by equine influenza A virus (EIV-A) which has impacted the equine industry internationally due to high morbidity and marginal morality. The virus transmits easily by direct contact and inhalation making its spread global and leaving only limited areas untouched. Hitherto reports confirm that this virus crosses the species barriers and found to affect canines and few other animal species (cat and camel). EIV is continuously evolving with changes at the amino acid level wreaking the control program a tedious task. Until now, no natural EI origin infections have been reported explicitly in humans. Recent advances in the diagnostics have led to efficient surveillance and rapid detection of EIV infections at the onset of outbreaks. Incessant surveillance programs will aid in opting a better control strategy for this virus by updating the circulating vaccine strains. Recurrent vaccination failures against this virus due to antigenic drift and shift have been disappointing, however better understanding of the virus pathogenesis would make it easier to design effective vaccines predominantly targeting the conserved epitopes (HA glycoprotein). Additionally, the cold adapted and canarypox vectored vaccines are proving effective in ceasing the severity of disease. Furthermore, better understanding of its genetics and molecular biology will help in estimating the rate of evolution and occurrence of pandemics in future. Here, we highlight the advances occurred in understanding the etiology, epidemiology and pathobiology of EIV and a special focus is on designing and developing effective diagnostics, vaccines and control strategies for mitigating the emerging menace by EIV.

Ebola virus (EBOV), a member of the family Filoviridae, is responsible for causing Ebola virus disease (EVD) (formerly named Ebola hemorrhagic fever). This is a severe, often fatal illness with mortality rates varying from 50 to 90% in humans. Although the virus and associated disease has been recognized since 1976, it was only when the recent outbreak of EBOV in 2014–2016 highlighted the danger and global impact of this virus, necessitating the need for coming up with the effective vaccines and drugs to counter its pandemic threat. Albeit no commercial vaccine is available so far against EBOV, a few vaccine candidates are under evaluation and clinical trials to assess their prophylactic efficacy. These include recombinant viral vector (recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus vector, chimpanzee adenovirus type 3-vector, and modified vaccinia Ankara virus), Ebola virus-like particles, virus-like replicon particles, DNA, and plant-based vaccines. Due to improvement in the field of genomics and proteomics, epitope-targeted vaccines have gained top priority. Correspondingly, several therapies have also been developed, including immunoglobulins against specific viral structures small cell-penetrating antibody fragments that target intracellular EBOV proteins. Small interfering RNAs and oligomer-mediated inhibition have also been verified for EVD treatment. Other treatment options include viral entry inhibitors, transfusion of convalescent blood/serum, neutralizing antibodies, and gene expression inhibitors. Repurposed drugs, which have proven safety profiles, can be adapted after high-throughput screening for efficacy and potency for EVD treatment. Herbal and other natural products are also being explored for EVD treatment. Further studies to better understand the pathogenesis and antigenic structures of the virus can help in developing an effective vaccine and identifying appropriate antiviral targets. This review presents the recent advances in designing and developing vaccines, drugs, and therapies to counter the EBOV threat.

Zika virus (ZIKV) is the most recent intruder that acquired the status of global threat creating panic and frightening situation to public owing to its rapid spread, attaining higher virulence and causing complex clinical manifestations including microcephaly in newborns and Guillain Barré Syndrome. Alike other flaviviruses, the principal mode of ZIKV transmission is by mosquitoes. Advances in research have provided reliable diagnostics for detecting ZIKV infection, while several drug/therapeutic targets and vaccine candidates have been identified recently. Despite these progresses, currently there is neither any effective drug nor any vaccine available against ZIKV. Under such circumstances and to tackle the problem at large, control measures of which mosquito population control need to be strengthened following appropriate mechanical, chemical, biological and genetic control measures. Apart from this, several other known modes of ZIKV transmission which have gained importance in recent past such as intrauterine, sexual intercourse, and blood-borne spread need to be checked and kept under control by adopting appropriate precautions and utmost care during sexual intercourse, blood transfusion and organ transplantation. The virus inactivation by pasteurization, detergents, chemicals, and filtration can effectively reduce viral load in plasma-derived medicinal products. Added to this, strengthening of the surveillance and monitoring of ZIKV as well as avoiding travel to Zika infected areas would aid in keeping viral infection under check. Here, we discuss the salient advances in the prevention and control strategies to combat ZIKV with a focus on highlighting various intervention approaches against the vector mosquitoes of this viral pathogen along with presenting an overview regarding human intervention measures to counter other modes of ZIKV transmission and spread. Additionally, owing to the success of vaccines for a number of infections globally, a separate section dealing with advances in ZIKV vaccines and transmission blocking vaccines has also been included.

Sperm of humans, non-human primates, and other mammalian subjects is considered to be antigenic. The effect of changes in autoimmunity on reproductive cells such as spermatozoa and oocytes play a critical but indistinct role in fertility. Antisperm antibodies (ASAs) are invariably present in both females and males. However, the degree of ASA occurrence may vary according to individual and gender. Although the extent of infertility due to ASAs alone is yet to be determined, it has been found in almost 9−12% of patients who are infertile due to different causes. Postcoital presence of spermatozoa in the reproductive tract of women is not a contributory factor in ASA generation. However, ASA generation may be induced by trauma to the vaginal mucosa, or by anal or oral sex resulting in the deposition of sperm inside the digestive tract. It is strongly believed that, in humans and other species, at least some antibodies may bind to sperm antigens, causing infertility. This form of infertility is termed as immunological infertility, which may be accompanied by impairment of fertility, even in individuals with normozoospermia. Researchers target ASAs for two major reasons: (i) to elucidate the association between ASAs and infertility, the reason ASAs causes infertility, and the mechanism underlying ASA-mediated infertility; and (ii) to assess the potential of ASAs as a contraceptive in humans in case ASAs influences infertility. Therefore, this review explores the potential application of ASAs in the development of anti-spermatozoa vaccines for contraceptive purposes. The usefulness of ASAs for diagnosing obstructive azoospermia, salpingitis, and oligoasthenoteratozoospermia has been reviewed extensively. Important patents pertaining to potential candidates for spermatozoa-derived vaccines that may be utilized as contraceptives are discussed in depth. Antifertility vaccines, as well as treatments for ASA-related infertility, are also highlighted. This review will address many unresolved issues regarding mechanisms involving ASAs in the diagnosis, as well as prognoses, of male infertility. More documented scientific reports are cited to support the mechanisms underlying the potential role of ASA in infertility. The usefulness of sperm antigens or ASAs (recombinant) in human and wild or captive animal contraceptive vaccines has been revealed through research but is yet to be validated via clinical testing.

Classical Swine Fever Virus (CSFV) is the cause of an economically important and contagious disease in all age groups of pigs. Advances in molecular methods have facilitated genetic typing of this virus which is useful for classification, to trace patterns of virus spread and exposing the weaknesses in control strategies. Moreover, the genetic comparison of the isolates obtained from a series of outbreaks with known linkages can be used to validate and to interpret the genetic typing to determine the rate of virus mutation in the field. The CSF viruses are grouped into three groups under which there are ten subgroups. This review highlights the works on phylogenetic analysis carried out by different workers from time to time in different parts of the world including India to have better understanding of the diversified genogrouping of this virus. [Vet. World 2012; 5(7.000): 437-442]

Irrespective of aetiology, infectious respiratory diseases of sheep and goats contribute to 5.6 percent of the total diseases of small ruminants. These infectious respiratory disorders are divided into two groups: the diseases of upper respiratory tract, namely, nasal myiasis and enzootic nasal tumors, and diseases of lower respiratory tract, namely, peste des petits ruminants (PPR), parainfluenza, Pasteurellosis, Ovine progressive pneumonia, mycoplasmosis, caprine arthritis encephalitis virus, caseous lymphadenitis, verminous pneumonia, and many others. Depending upon aetiology, many of them are acute and fatal in nature. Early, rapid, and specific diagnosis of such diseases holds great importance to reduce the losses. The advanced enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) for the detection of antigen as well as antibodies directly from the samples and molecular diagnostic assays along with microsatellites comprehensively assist in diagnosis as well as treatment and epidemiological studies. The present review discusses the advancements made in the diagnosis of common infectious respiratory diseases of sheep and goats. It would update the knowledge and help in adapting and implementing appropriate, timely, and confirmatory diagnostic procedures. Moreover, it would assist in designing appropriate prevention protocols and devising suitable control strategies to overcome respiratory diseases and alleviate the economic losses.

Mycoplasma agalactiae is one of the causal agents of classical contagious agalactia (CA), a serious, economically important but neglected enzootic disease of small ruminants. It occurs in many parts of the world and most notably in the Mediterranean Basin. Following the infection common complications are septicaemia, mastitis, arthritis, pleurisy, pneumonia, and keratoconjunctivitis. Primary or tentative diagnosis of the organism is based upon clinical signs. Various serological tests, namely, growth precipitation, immunofluorescence, complement fixation test, haemagglutination inhibition, agglutination, immunodiffusion, enzyme immunoassays, immunoelectrophoresis, blotting techniques, and others, are available. Molecular tools seem to be much more sensitive, specific, and faster and help to differentiate various strains. The real-time PCR, multiplex PCR, quantitative PCR, PCR-RFLP, MLST, and gene probes, complementary to segments of chromosomal DNA or 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA), have strengthened the diagnosis of M. agalactiae. Both live attenuated and adjuvant (alum precipitated or saponified) inactivated vaccines are available with greater use of inactivated ones due to lack of side effects. The present review discusses the etiology, epidemiology, pathogenesis, and clinical signs of contagious agalactia in small ruminants along with trends and advances in its diagnosis, treatment, vaccination, prevention, and control strategies that will help in countering this disease.

In today's networks, the widespread use of real-time traffic such as video and audio applications demand special service guarantee in terms of throughput, delay, and jitter, thus making quality of service (QoS) a key problem. IEEE 802.16 mesh networks are likely to be the basis of next-generation last mile network connectivity. So, providing QoS is one of the major designing goals in IEEE 802.16 mesh network. While the standard defines five service classes for PMP mode, no standard defined service classes exist for mesh mode. In this paper, we describe a differentiated service (DiffServ) architecture for QoS support in IEEE 802.16 mesh network by considering a basic requirement for QoS guarantee—delay. A new cross-layer routing metric is proposed, namely, expected scheduler delay (ESD). An efficient distributed scheme is proposed to calculate ESD and route the packets using source routing mechanism. This scheme is capable of differentiating between delay sensitive and best-effort traffic and route packets accordingly. Finally, the results of the proposed scheme are compared with the standard schemes that take hop count as a routing metric.

Background: Reliable and valid written tests of higher cognitive function are difficult to produce, particularly for assessment of clinical problem solving. The present study utilized a test instrument MCQs and the objective was to statistically validate the designed MCQs and to assess whether MCQ may be utilized for assessing higher levels of cognitive learning. Methodology: This study was conducted at Department of Biochemistry, Medical College Kolkata, India, in 2009. Undergraduate medical students of second semester were selected for study. MCQs were constructed after addressing the three principal areas viz. preparing preset educational objectives, defining the levels of learning for each objective and writing effective MCQs to test the learning. All questions were pre-validated by peer review and segregated into three classes based on their ability to test the three levels of cognitive learning. Thirty-five items were included, 20 on Recall, 10 on data interpretation and 5 on problem solving. Results: Item analysis measured the difficulty index, discrimination index and distracter effectiveness for each MCQ. The average percentage of correct response for MCQs on Recall, Data interpretation and Problem solving was 56.59, 47.81 and 42.25 respectively. Chi square test showed that these differences were statistically insignificant. This finding justifies that the items were effective in testing higher levels of cognitive skills including problem solving. Conclusion: Well-constructed, peer-reviewed multiple choice questions meet the educational requirements and are advocated for assessing medical students.