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Cellular Microbiology Nov 2019Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is a parasitic protist that can infect nearly all nucleated cell types and tissues of warm-blooded vertebrate hosts. T. gondii utilises a... (Review)
Review
Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is a parasitic protist that can infect nearly all nucleated cell types and tissues of warm-blooded vertebrate hosts. T. gondii utilises a unique form of gliding motility to cross cellular barriers, enter tissues, and penetrate host cells, thus enhancing spread within an infected host. However, T. gondii also disseminates by hijacking the migratory abilities of infected leukocytes. Traditionally, this process has been viewed as a route to cross biological barriers such as the blood-brain barrier. Here, we review recent findings that challenge this view by showing that infection of monocytes downregulates the program of transendothelial migration. Instead, infection by T. gondii enhances Rho-dependent interstitial migration of monocytes and macrophages, which enhances dissemination within tissues. Collectively, the available evidence indicates that T. gondii parasites use multiple means to disseminate within the host, including enhanced motility in tissues and translocation across biological barriers.
Topics: Animals; Blood-Brain Barrier; Cell Movement; Central Nervous System Infections; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Humans; Integrins; Leukocytes; Macrophages; Monocytes; Toxoplasma; Toxoplasmosis; Transendothelial and Transepithelial Migration
PubMed: 31219666
DOI: 10.1111/cmi.13070 -
MBio May 2017The field of microbiology has experienced significant growth due to transformative advances in technology and the influx of scientists driven by a curiosity to...
The field of microbiology has experienced significant growth due to transformative advances in technology and the influx of scientists driven by a curiosity to understand how microbes sustain myriad biochemical processes that maintain Earth. With this explosion in scientific output, a significant bottleneck has been the ability to rapidly disseminate new knowledge to peers and the public. Preprints have emerged as a tool that a growing number of microbiologists are using to overcome this bottleneck. Posting preprints can help to transparently recruit a more diverse pool of reviewers prior to submitting to a journal for formal peer review. Although the use of preprints is still limited in the biological sciences, early indications are that preprints are a robust tool that can complement and enhance peer-reviewed publications. As publishing moves to embrace advances in Internet technology, there are many opportunities for preprints and peer-reviewed journals to coexist in the same ecosystem.
Topics: Information Dissemination; Microbiology; Publishing
PubMed: 28536284
DOI: 10.1128/mBio.00438-17 -
International Braz J Urol : Official... Jul 2020Never before in human history has it been possible to communicate so quickly during a pandemic, social media platforms have been a key piece for the dissemination of... (Review)
Review
Never before in human history has it been possible to communicate so quickly during a pandemic, social media platforms have been a key piece for the dissemination of information; however, there are multiple advantages and disadvantages that must be considered. Responsible use of these tools can help quickly disseminate important new information, relevant new scientific findings, share diagnostic, treatment, and follow-up protocols, as well as compare different approaches globally, removing geographic boundaries for the first time in history. In order to use these tools in a responsible and useful way, it is recommended to follow some basic guidelines when sharing information on social networks in the COVID-19 era. In this paper, we summarize the most relevant information on the influence, and advantages, and disadvantages of the use of social networks during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Topics: Betacoronavirus; COVID-19; Consumer Health Information; Coronavirus Infections; Humans; Information Dissemination; Pandemics; Pneumonia, Viral; SARS-CoV-2; Social Media
PubMed: 32550706
DOI: 10.1590/S1677-5538.IBJU.2020.S121 -
Current Psychiatry Reports Mar 2015The research-practice gap is of concern in the treatment of eating disorders. Despite the existence of empirically supported treatments, few receive them. The barriers... (Review)
Review
The research-practice gap is of concern in the treatment of eating disorders. Despite the existence of empirically supported treatments, few receive them. The barriers to wider dissemination and implementation of evidence-based treatment include clinician attitudes towards such treatments and the lack of sufficient numbers of suitably trained therapists to provide treatment. In this review we discuss these barriers in the context of the wider issue of the dissemination and implementation of psychological treatments and review the research with regard to the treatment of eating disorders. Particular emphasis is placed on examining recent efforts to expand the availability and reach of treatments by making treatment delivery and training more scalable. We highlight promising developments and areas where further research is needed.
Topics: Evidence-Based Medicine; Feeding and Eating Disorders; Health Personnel; Humans; Mental Health
PubMed: 25663154
DOI: 10.1007/s11920-015-0551-7 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2023Antibiotic resistance development and pathogen cross-dissemination are both considered essential risks to human health on a worldwide scale. Antimicrobial resistance... (Review)
Review
Antibiotic resistance development and pathogen cross-dissemination are both considered essential risks to human health on a worldwide scale. Antimicrobial resistance genes (AMRs) are acquired, expressed, disseminated, and traded mainly through integrons, the key players capable of transferring genes from bacterial chromosomes to plasmids and their integration by integrase to the target pathogenic host. Moreover, integrons play a central role in disseminating and assembling genes connected with antibiotic resistance in pathogenic and commensal bacterial species. They exhibit a large and concealed diversity in the natural environment, raising concerns about their potential for comprehensive application in bacterial adaptation. They should be viewed as a dangerous pool of resistance determinants from the "One Health approach." Among the three documented classes of integrons reported viz., class-1, 2, and 3, class 1 has been found frequently associated with AMRs in humans and is a critical genetic element to serve as a target for therapeutics to AMRs through gene silencing or combinatorial therapies. The direct method of screening gene cassettes linked to pathogenesis and resistance harbored by integrons is a novel way to assess human health. In the last decade, they have witnessed surveying the integron-associated gene cassettes associated with increased drug tolerance and rising pathogenicity of human pathogenic microbes. Consequently, we aimed to unravel the structure and functions of integrons and their integration mechanism by understanding horizontal gene transfer from one trophic group to another. Many updates for the gene cassettes harbored by integrons related to resistance and pathogenicity are extensively explored. Additionally, an updated account of the assessment of AMRs and prevailing antibiotic resistance by integrons in humans is grossly detailed-lastly, the estimation of AMR dissemination by employing integrons as potential biomarkers are also highlighted. The current review on integrons will pave the way to clinical understanding for devising a roadmap solution to AMR and pathogenicity. Graphical AbstractThe graphical abstract displays how integron-aided AMRs to humans: Transposons capture integron gene cassettes to yield high mobility integrons that target res sites of plasmids. These plasmids, in turn, promote the mobility of acquired integrons into diverse bacterial species. The acquisitions of resistant genes are transferred to humans through horizontal gene transfer.
PubMed: 37720149
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1231938 -
Frontiers in Endocrinology 2022Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is considered the deadliest gynecological disease and is normally diagnosed at late stages, at which point metastasis has already... (Review)
Review
Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is considered the deadliest gynecological disease and is normally diagnosed at late stages, at which point metastasis has already occurred. Throughout disease progression, EOC will encounter various ecosystems and the communication between cancer cells and these microenvironments will promote the survival and dissemination of EOC. The primary tumor is thought to develop within the ovaries or the fallopian tubes, both of which provide a microenvironment with high risk of causing DNA damage and enhanced proliferation. EOC disseminates by direct extension from the primary tumors, as single cells or multicellular aggregates. Under the influence of cellular and non-cellular factors, EOC spheroids use the natural flow of peritoneal fluid to reach distant organs within the peritoneal cavity. These cells can then implant and seed distant organs or tissues, which develop rapidly into secondary tumor nodules. The peritoneal tissue and the omentum are two common sites of EOC metastasis, providing a microenvironment that supports EOC invasion and survival. Current treatment for EOC involves debulking surgery followed by platinum-taxane combination chemotherapy; however, most patients will relapse with a chemoresistant disease with tumors developed within the peritoneum. Therefore, understanding the role of the unique microenvironments that promote EOC transcoelomic dissemination is important in improving patient outcomes from this disease. In this review article, we address the process of ovarian cancer cellular fate at the site of its origin in the secretory cells of the fallopian tube or in the ovarian surface epithelial cells, their detachment process, how the cells survive in the peritoneal fluid avoiding cell death triggers, and how cancer- associated cells help them in the process. Finally, we report the mechanisms used by the ovarian cancer cells to adhere and migrate through the mesothelial monolayer lining the peritoneum. We also discuss the involvement of the transcoelomic ecosystem on the development of chemoresistance of EOC.
Topics: Carcinoma, Ovarian Epithelial; Ecosystem; Epithelial Cells; Female; Humans; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Ovarian Neoplasms; Tumor Microenvironment
PubMed: 35574025
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.886533 -
Digital Health 2023During the COVID-19 pandemic, frontline workers have taken to social media platforms to discuss a variety of issues that concern their personal and professional lives....
INTRODUCTION/OBJECTIVE
During the COVID-19 pandemic, frontline workers have taken to social media platforms to discuss a variety of issues that concern their personal and professional lives. In particular, TikTok's increased prominence as a social media channel has proved significant for enhancing the public presence of healthcare workers and their ability to disseminate content to a wider audience. The ways that healthcare workers use TikTok draws attention to the type of health information disseminated to the public through social media platforms. This provides the public with succinct and often visually entertaining information that may not be otherwise distributed to them directly from elsewhere. This study also provides relevant insights into how social media-TikTok in particular-can be used as a tool for disseminating knowledge about COVID-19 related topics and combatting misinformation by using the credibility of frontline workers.
METHODS
This study collected a sample of over 2100 TikTok videos posted by healthcare workers that were coded according to the dominant overarching themes.
RESULTS
The themes that arose from this sample were: (1) healthcare workers' mental health and working conditions, (2) healthcare heroes/appreciation, (3) criticism against official authorities, (4) countering misinformation, (5) humor/satire, and (6) educational content.
CONCLUSION
Due to the rise in public appreciation for frontline workers, examining the effects of the pandemic through the eyes of frontline workers has drawn attention to their lived realities in various forms. This study provided some insight into how frontline workers use TikTok to disseminate information and education to the public, often relying on their perceived credibility.
PubMed: 36776404
DOI: 10.1177/20552076231152766 -
BMC Public Health Apr 2023Dissemination is a critical element of the knowledge translation pathway, and a necessary step to ensure research evidence is adopted and implemented by key end users in... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Dissemination is a critical element of the knowledge translation pathway, and a necessary step to ensure research evidence is adopted and implemented by key end users in order to improve health outcomes. However, evidence-based guidance to inform dissemination activities in research is limited. This scoping review aimed to identify and describe the scientific literature examining strategies to disseminate public health evidence related to the prevention of non-communicable diseases.
METHODS
Medline, PsycInfo and EBSCO Search Ultimate were searched in May 2021 for studies published between January 2000 and the search date that reported on the dissemination of evidence to end users of public health evidence, within the context of the prevention of non-communicable diseases. Studies were synthesised according to the four components of Brownson and colleagues' Model for Dissemination of Research (source, message, channel and audience), as well as by study design.
RESULTS
Of the 107 included studies, only 14% (n = 15) directly tested dissemination strategies using experimental designs. The remainder primarily reported on dissemination preferences of different populations, or outcomes such as awareness, knowledge and intentions to adopt following evidence dissemination. Evidence related to diet, physical activity and/or obesity prevention was the most disseminated topic. Researchers were the source of disseminated evidence in over half the studies, and study findings/knowledge summaries were more frequently disseminated as the message compared to guidelines or an evidence-based program/intervention. A broad range of dissemination channels were utilised, although peer-reviewed publications/conferences and presentations/workshops predominated. Practitioners were the most commonly reported target audience.
CONCLUSIONS
There is a significant gap in the peer reviewed literature, with few experimental studies published that analyse and evaluate the effect of different sources, messages and target audiences on the determinants of uptake of public health evidence for prevention. Such studies are important as they can help inform and improve the effectiveness of current and future dissemination practices in public health contexts.
Topics: Public Health Systems Research; Noncommunicable Diseases; Humans; Public Health; Health Communication; Information Dissemination
PubMed: 37095484
DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-15622-x -
Viruses Jul 2018Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a β-herpes virus that is a significant pathogen within immune compromised populations. HCMV morbidity is induced through viral... (Review)
Review
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a β-herpes virus that is a significant pathogen within immune compromised populations. HCMV morbidity is induced through viral dissemination and inflammation. Typically, viral dissemination is thought to follow Fenner's hypothesis where virus replicates at the site of infection, followed by replication in the draining lymph nodes, and eventually replicating within blood filtering organs. Although CMVs somewhat follow Fenner's hypothesis, they deviate from it by spreading primarily through innate immune cells as opposed to cell-free virus. Also, in vivo CMVs infect new cells via cell-to-cell spread and disseminate directly to secondary organs through novel mechanisms. We review the historic and recent literature pointing to CMV's direct dissemination to secondary organs and the genes that it has evolved for increasing its ability to disseminate. We also highlight aspects of CMV infection for studying viral dissemination when using in vivo animal models.
Topics: Animals; Chemokines; Cytomegalovirus; Cytomegalovirus Infections; Disease Models, Animal; Guinea Pigs; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Humans; Immunity, Innate; Liver; Mice; Monocytes; Neutrophils; Rats; Spleen; Viremia; Virus Replication
PubMed: 30037007
DOI: 10.3390/v10070383 -
Zoological Research Sep 2016In recent years, wildlife conservation has attracted great public attention. However, substantial distinctions can be found in the prevailing concepts of wildlife... (Review)
Review
In recent years, wildlife conservation has attracted great public attention. However, substantial distinctions can be found in the prevailing concepts of wildlife conservation, particularly with the recent notion that emphasizes animal rights. Wildlife welfare and wildlife rights are not synonymous, with welfare more compatible with the reasonable and legal utilization of wildlife. The key to scientific wildlife conservation is the appropriate awareness and appreciation of the relationship between wildlife conservation and utilization and the theoretical basis of holism. Nevertheless, rational biases regarding the public's understanding of wildlife conservation and the spread of information via social media still exist. As such, expansion of the concept of scientific wildlife conservation requires the application of several measures. Wildlife conservation researchers should be regarded as the most important disseminators of scientifically-based information, with education in schools and universities of growing importance. Furthermore, the media should shoulder the social responsibility for the accurate dissemination of conservation information.
Topics: Animals; Biological Evolution; Conservation of Natural Resources; Education; Humans; Information Dissemination; Science
PubMed: 27686785
DOI: 10.13918/j.issn.2095-8137.2016.5.270