-
Scientific Data Jan 2024Event-based cameras are commonly leveraged to mitigate issues such as motion blur, low dynamic range, and limited time sampling, which plague conventional cameras....
Event-based cameras are commonly leveraged to mitigate issues such as motion blur, low dynamic range, and limited time sampling, which plague conventional cameras. However, a lack of dedicated event-based datasets for benchmarking segmentation algorithms, especially those offering critical depth information for occluded scenes, has been observed. In response, this paper introduces a novel Event-based Segmentation Dataset (ESD), a high-quality event 3D spatial-temporal dataset designed for indoor object segmentation within cluttered environments. ESD encompasses 145 sequences featuring 14,166 manually annotated RGB frames, along with a substantial event count of 21.88 million and 20.80 million events from two stereo-configured event-based cameras. Notably, this densely annotated 3D spatial-temporal event-based segmentation benchmark for tabletop objects represents a pioneering initiative, providing event-wise depth, and annotated instance labels, in addition to corresponding RGBD frames. By releasing ESD, our aim is to offer the research community a challenging segmentation benchmark of exceptional quality.
PubMed: 38272894
DOI: 10.1038/s41597-024-02920-1 -
PLoS Pathogens Jan 2024Subverting the host immune response to inhibit inflammation is a key virulence strategy of Yersinia pestis. The inflammatory cascade is tightly controlled via the...
Subverting the host immune response to inhibit inflammation is a key virulence strategy of Yersinia pestis. The inflammatory cascade is tightly controlled via the sequential action of lipid and protein mediators of inflammation. Because delayed inflammation is essential for Y. pestis to cause lethal infection, defining the Y. pestis mechanisms to manipulate the inflammatory cascade is necessary to understand this pathogen's virulence. While previous studies have established that Y. pestis actively inhibits the expression of host proteins that mediate inflammation, there is currently a gap in our understanding of the inflammatory lipid mediator response during plague. Here we used the murine model to define the kinetics of the synthesis of leukotriene B4 (LTB4), a pro-inflammatory lipid chemoattractant and immune cell activator, within the lungs during pneumonic plague. Furthermore, we demonstrated that exogenous administration of LTB4 prior to infection limited bacterial proliferation, suggesting that the absence of LTB4 synthesis during plague contributes to Y. pestis immune evasion. Using primary leukocytes from mice and humans further revealed that Y. pestis actively inhibits the synthesis of LTB4. Finally, using Y. pestis mutants in the Ysc type 3 secretion system (T3SS) and Yersinia outer protein (Yop) effectors, we demonstrate that leukocytes recognize the T3SS to initiate the rapid synthesis of LTB4. However, several Yop effectors secreted through the T3SS effectively inhibit this host response. Together, these data demonstrate that Y. pestis actively inhibits the synthesis of the inflammatory lipid LTB4 contributing to the delay in the inflammatory cascade required for rapid recruitment of leukocytes to sites of infection.
Topics: Humans; Animals; Mice; Yersinia pestis; Plague; Type III Secretion Systems; Leukotriene B4; Leukocytes; Inflammation; Bacterial Proteins
PubMed: 38271464
DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011280 -
Emerging Infectious Diseases Feb 2024Pneumonic plague (PP) is characterized by high infection rate, person-to-person transmission, and rapid progression to severe disease. In 2017, a PP epidemic occurred in...
Pneumonic plague (PP) is characterized by high infection rate, person-to-person transmission, and rapid progression to severe disease. In 2017, a PP epidemic occurred in 2 Madagascar urban areas, Antananarivo and Toamasina. We used epidemiologic data and Yersinia pestis genomic characterization to determine the sources of this epidemic. Human plague emerged independently from environmental reservoirs in rural endemic foci >20 times during August-November 2017. Confirmed cases from 5 emergences, including 4 PP cases, were documented in urban areas. Epidemiologic and genetic analyses of cases associated with the first emergence event to reach urban areas confirmed that transmission started in August; spread to Antananarivo, Toamasina, and other locations; and persisted in Antananarivo until at least mid-November. Two other Y. pestis lineages may have caused persistent PP transmission chains in Antananarivo. Multiple Y. pestis lineages were independently introduced to urban areas from several rural foci via travel of infected persons during the epidemic.
Topics: Humans; Plague; Yersinia pestis; Madagascar; Epidemics; Genomics
PubMed: 38270131
DOI: 10.3201/eid3002.230759 -
Iranian Journal of Veterinary Research 2023Brucellosis is one of the most important zoonotic diseases caused by Gram-negative bacteria belonging to the genus . Detection of species in different countries is of...
BACKGROUND
Brucellosis is one of the most important zoonotic diseases caused by Gram-negative bacteria belonging to the genus . Detection of species in different countries is of utmost importance.
AIMS
This study aimed to detect and in domestic ruminant blood samples and their ticks in western Iran.
METHODS
Sampling was conducted on ruminants from August to September 2020 in four different counties of Kurdistan Province, including Divandareh, Marivan, Baneh, and Sanandaj. Totally, 250 blood samples were collected from 250 small ruminants. There were no ticks on the skin of six (2.4%) ruminants, and 244 ticks were isolated from 244 animals. After genomic DNA extraction from all the collected samples, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was performed to detect IS gene.
RESULTS
Based on qPCR results, genus was detected in two blood samples (0.8%) from female sheep and four ticks (1.6%) from male sheep, including three (1.22%) and one (0.4%). Although was not detected in any tick or blood sample, one tick sample () was positive for .
CONCLUSION
Considering the positivity of ticks for brucellosis in this study, there is a possibility of transmission from infected ticks to humans and animals through tick bites, nevertheless, in order to identify the transmission relationship between ticks and animals, serological tests should be used in future studies.
PubMed: 38269017
DOI: 10.22099/ijvr.2023.47192.6806 -
Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology 2024Plant-based insecticides offer advantages such as negligible residual effects, reduced risks to both humans and the environment, and immunity to resistance issues that...
Plant-based insecticides offer advantages such as negligible residual effects, reduced risks to both humans and the environment, and immunity to resistance issues that plague conventional chemicals. However, the practical use of monoterpenes in insect control has been hampered by challenges including their poor solubility and stability in aqueous environments. In recent years, the application of nanotechnology-based formulations, specifically nanoemulsions, has emerged as a prospective strategy to surmount these obstacles. In this study, we developed and characterized nanoemulsions based on cymene and myrcene and assessed their toxicity both in vitro using human keratinocytes (HaCAT) cells and in an in vivo model involving larvae. Additionally, we investigated the insecticidal efficacy of monoterpenes against the mosquito , the primary dengue vector, via larval bioassay. Employing a low-energy approach, we successfully generated nanoemulsions. The cymene-based nanoemulsion exhibited a hydrodynamic diameter of approximately 98 nm and a zeta potential of -25 mV. The myrcene-based nanoemulsion displayed a hydrodynamic diameter of 118 nm and a zeta potential of -20 mV. Notably, both nanoemulsions demonstrated stability over 60 days, accompanied by controlled release properties and low toxicity towards HaCAT cells and larvae. Moreover, the nanoemulsions exhibited significant lethality against third-instar larvae at a concentration of 50 mg/L. In conclusion, the utilization of nanoemulsions encapsulating cymene and myrcene presents a promising avenue for overcoming the limitations associated with poor solubility and stability of monoterpenes. This study sheds light on the potential of the nanoemulsions as effective and environmentally friendly insecticides in the ongoing battle against mosquito-borne diseases.
PubMed: 38264062
DOI: 10.3762/bjnano.15.10 -
Microorganisms Jan 2024The human pathogen is responsible for bubonic, septicemic, and pneumonic plague. A deeply comprehensive overview of its historical context, bacteriological... (Review)
Review
The human pathogen is responsible for bubonic, septicemic, and pneumonic plague. A deeply comprehensive overview of its historical context, bacteriological characteristics, genomic analysis based on ancient DNA (aDNA) and modern strains, and its impact on historical and actual human populations, is explored. The results from multiple studies have been synthesized to investigate the origins of plague, its transmission, and effects on different populations. Additionally, molecular interactions of , from its evolutionary origins to its adaptation to flea-born transmission, and its impact on human and wild populations are considered. The characteristic combinations of aDNA patterns, which plays a decisive role in the reconstruction and analysis of ancient genomes, are reviewed. Bioinformatics is fundamental in identifying specific lineages, and automated pipelines are among the valuable tools in implementing such studies. Plague, which remains among human history's most lethal infectious diseases, but also other zoonotic diseases, requires the continuous investigation of plague topics. This can be achieved by improving molecular and genetic screening of animal populations, identifying ecological and social determinants of outbreaks, increasing interdisciplinary collaborations among scientists and public healthcare providers, and continued research into the characterization, diagnosis, and treatment of these diseases.
PubMed: 38257973
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12010146 -
Microorganisms Jan 2024Crayfish plague is a devastating disease of European freshwater crayfish and is caused by the oomycete (), believed to have been introduced to Europe around 1860. All... (Review)
Review
Crayfish plague is a devastating disease of European freshwater crayfish and is caused by the oomycete (), believed to have been introduced to Europe around 1860. All European species of freshwater crayfish are susceptible to the disease, including the white-clawed crayfish . is primarily spread by North American crayfish species and can also disperse rapidly through contaminated wet gear moved between water bodies. This spread, coupled with competition from non-indigenous crayfish, has drastically reduced and fragmented native crayfish populations across Europe. Remarkably, the island of Ireland remained free from the crayfish plague pathogen for over 100 years, providing a refuge for . However, this changed in 1987 when a mass mortality event was linked to the pathogen, marking its introduction to the region. Fortunately, crayfish plague was not detected again in Ireland until 2015 when a molecular analysis linked a mass mortality event in the Erne catchment to Since then, the pathogen has appeared across the island. Between 2015 and 2023, was detected in 18 water catchments, revealing multiple genotypes. Intriguingly, the pathogen in Ireland is present without its natural host species. The uneven distribution of various genetic lineages strongly suggests the human-mediated transport of zoospores via contaminated water equipment as a primary cause of spread. This review details the timeline of these events, introduction into Ireland, and its rapid spread. As well, this review references the genotypes that have been determined, and discusses the issue of non-indigenous crayfish species in Ireland and management efforts.
PubMed: 38257929
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12010102 -
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Jan 2024Industry 4.0 is positioned at the junction of different disciplines, aiming to re-engineer processes and improve effectiveness and efficiency. It is taking over many...
Industry 4.0 is positioned at the junction of different disciplines, aiming to re-engineer processes and improve effectiveness and efficiency. It is taking over many industries whose traditional practices are being disrupted by advances in technology and inter-connectivity. In this context, enhanced agriculture systems incorporate new components that are capable of generating better decision making (humidity/temperature/soil sensors, drones for plague detection, smart irrigation, etc.) and also include novel processes for crop control (reproducible environmental conditions, proven strategies for water stress, etc.). At the same time, advances in model-driven development (MDD) simplify software development by introducing domain-specific abstractions of the code that makes application development feasible for domain experts who cannot code. XMDD (eXtreme MDD) makes this way to assemble software even more user-friendly and enables application domain experts who are not programmers to create complex solutions in a more straightforward way. Key to this approach is the introduction of high-level representations of domain-specific functionalities (called SIBs, service-independent building blocks) that encapsulate the programming code and their organisation in reusable libraries, and they are made available in the application development environment. This way, new domain-specific abstractions of the code become easily comprehensible and composable by domain experts. In this paper, we apply these concepts to a smart agriculture solution, producing a proof of concept for the new methodology in this application domain to be used as a portable demonstrator for MDD in IoT and agriculture in the Confirm Research Centre for Smart Manufacturing. Together with model-driven development tools, we leverage here the capabilities of the Nordic Thingy:53 as a multi-protocol IoT prototyping platform. It is an advanced sensing device that handles the data collection and distribution for decision making in the context of the agricultural system and supports edge computing. We demonstrate the importance of high-level abstraction when adopting a complex software development cycle within a multilayered heterogeneous IT ecosystem.
PubMed: 38257588
DOI: 10.3390/s24020495 -
Biomedicines Dec 2023SARS-CoV-2 caused the devastating COVID-19 pandemic, which, to date, has resulted in more than 800 million confirmed cases and 7 million deaths worldwide. The rapid...
SARS-CoV-2 caused the devastating COVID-19 pandemic, which, to date, has resulted in more than 800 million confirmed cases and 7 million deaths worldwide. The rapid development and distribution (at least in high-income countries) of various vaccines prevented these overwhelming numbers of infections and deaths from being much higher. But would it have been possible to develop a prophylaxis against this pandemic more quickly? Since SARS-CoV-2 belongs to the subgenus sarbecovirus, with its highly homologous SARS-CoV-1, we propose here that while SARS-CoV-2-specific vaccines are being developed, phase II clinical trials of specific SARS-CoV-1 vaccines, which have been in the pipeline since the early 20th century, could have been conducted to test a highly probable cross-protection between SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2.
PubMed: 38255169
DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12010062 -
BMC Infectious Diseases Jan 2024The healthcare system in Iran appears to overlook Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF) as an endemic disease, particularly in pediatric cases, indicating the need for...
BACKGROUND
The healthcare system in Iran appears to overlook Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF) as an endemic disease, particularly in pediatric cases, indicating the need for greater attention and awareness.
CASE PRESENTATION
A six-year-old patient with fever, abdominal pain, headache, skin rashes, diarrhea, vomiting, and black eschar (tache noire) from southeast Iran was identified as a rickettsiosis caused by Rickettsia conorii subsp. israelensis through clinical and laboratory assessments, including IFA and real-time PCR. The patient was successfully treated with doxycycline.
CONCLUSIONS
Symptoms like rash, edema, eschar, and abdominal pain may indicate the possibility of MSF during the assessment of acute febrile illness, IFA and real-time PCR are the primary diagnostic methods for this disease.
Topics: Humans; Child; Iran; Rickettsia; Exanthema; Boutonneuse Fever; Abdominal Pain; Fever
PubMed: 38254000
DOI: 10.1186/s12879-024-09002-y