JURNAL AGROTEKNOLOGI
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Editorial
No full textDeputy Editor-in-Chief, Aris T Papageorghiou, discusses his top articles from this issue in an audio podcast available at: https://soundcloud.com/bjog/march-editors-choice-2021
High-dose Mycobacterium tuberculosis aerosol challenge cannot overcome BCG-induced protection in Chinese origin cynomolgus macaques; implications of natural resistance for vaccine evaluation
No full textThis study describes the use of cynomolgus macaques of Chinese origin (CCM) to evaluate the efficacy and immunogenicity of the BCG vaccine against high dose aerosol Mycobacterium tuberculosis challenge. Progressive disease developed in three of the unvaccinated animals within 10 weeks of challenge, whereas all six vaccinated animals controlled disease for 26 weeks. Three unvaccinated animals limited disease progression, highlighting the intrinsic ability of this macaque species to control disease in comparison to macaques of other species and genotypes. Low levels of IFNγ were induced by BCG vaccination in CCM suggesting that IFNγ alone does not provide a sufficiently sensitive biomarker of vaccination in this model. An early response after challenge, together with the natural bias towards terminal effector memory T-cell populations and the contribution of monocytes appears to enhance the ability of CCM to naturally control infection. The high dose aerosol challenge model of CCM has value for examination of the host immune system to characterise control of infection which would influence future vaccine design. Although it may not be the preferred platform for the assessment of prophylactic vaccine candidates, the model could be well suited for testing post-exposure vaccination strategies and drug evaluation studies
Antimicrobial resistance diagnostic use accelerator: Behavioural determinants of point-of-care diagnostic uptake, and adherence to prescription
No full textProtein induced lipid demixing in homogeneous membranes
No full textSpecific lipid environments are necessary for the establishment of protein signaling platforms in membranes, yet their origin has been highly debated. We present a continuum, exactly solvable model of protein induced local demixing of lipid membranes. The coupling between a local composition and a local thickness of the membrane induces lipid domains around inclusions with hydrophobic mismatch, even for temperatures above the miscibility critical point of the membrane. The model qualitatively explains the experimentally observed formation of lipid domains induced by anchoring of reconstituted actin in flat supported lipid bilayers
The economic value of targeting aging
No full textDevelopments in life expectancy and the growing emphasis on biological and ‘healthy’ aging raise a number of important questions for health scientists and economists alike. Is it preferable to make lives healthier by compressing morbidity, or longer by extending life? What are the gains from targeting aging itself compared to efforts to eradicate specific diseases? Here we analyze existing data to evaluate the economic value of increases in life expectancy, improvements in health and treatments that target aging. We show that a compression of morbidity that improves health is more valuable than further increases in life expectancy, and that targeting aging offers potentially larger economic gains than eradicating individual diseases. We show that a slowdown in aging that increases life expectancy by 1 year is worth US367 trillion. Ultimately, the more progress that is made in improving how we age, the greater the value of further improvements
Enhancers predominantly regulate gene expression during differentiation via transcription initiation
No full textGene transcription occurs via a cycle of linked events, including initiation, promoter-proximal pausing, and elongation of RNA polymerase II (Pol II). A key question is how transcriptional enhancers influence these events to control gene expression. Here, we present an approach that evaluates the level and change in promoter-proximal transcription (initiation and pausing) in the context of differential gene expression, genome-wide. This combinatorial approach shows that in primary cells, control of gene expression during differentiation is achieved predominantly via changes in transcription initiation rather than via release of Pol II pausing. Using genetically engineered mouse models, deleted for functionally validated enhancers of the α- and β-globin loci, we confirm that these elements regulate Pol II recruitment and/or initiation to modulate gene expression. Together, our data show that gene expression during differentiation is regulated predominantly at the level of initiation and that enhancers are key effectors of this process
Maternal HIV infection is associated with distinct systemic cytokine profiles throughout pregnancy in South African women
No full textMaternal HIV infection is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, but the mechanisms remain unknown. The course of pregnancy is regulated by immunological processes and HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy (ART) impact key immune mechanisms, which may disrupt the immune programme of pregnancy. We evaluated a broad range of systemic cytokines at each trimester of pregnancy in 56 women living with HIV (WLHIV) and 68 HIV-negative women, who were enrolled in a prospective pregnancy cohort study in Soweto, South Africa. The pro-inflammatory cytokine IP-10 was detected in each trimester in all WLHIV, which was significantly more than in HIV-negative women. The anti-viral cytokine IFNλ1 was detected more frequently in WLHIV, whereas IFNβ and IFNλ2/3 were detected more frequently in HIV-negative women. Th1 cytokines IL-12 and IL-12p70, Th2 cytokine IL-5, and Th17 cytokine IL-17A were detected more frequently in WLHIV throughout pregnancy. Il-6, IL-9, and IL-10 were more commonly detected in WLHIV in the first trimester. Trends of increased detection of Th1 (IL-2, IL-12p70), Th2 (IL-4, Il-5, Il-13) and Th17 (IL-17A, Il-17F, IL-21, IL-22) cytokines were associated with small-for-gestational-age babies. Our findings indicate that maternal HIV/ART is associated with distinct systemic cytokine profiles throughout pregnancy
“Saving lives, protecting livelihoods, and safeguarding nature”: risk-based wildlife trade policy for sustainable development outcomes post-COVID-19
No full textThe COVID‐19 pandemic has caused huge loss of life, and immense social and economic harm. Wildlife trade has become central to discourse on COVID-19, zoonotic pandemics, and related policy responses, which must focus on “saving lives, protecting livelihoods, and safeguarding nature”. Proposed policy responses have included extreme measures such as banning all use and trade of wildlife, or blanket measures for entire Classes. However, different trades pose varying degrees of risk for zoonotic pandemics, while some trades also play critical roles in delivering other aspects of sustainable development, particularly related to poverty, hunger, decent work, responsible consumption and production, and life on land and below water. Here we describe how wildlife trade contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in diverse ways, with synergies and trade-offs within and between the SDGs. In doing so, we show that prohibitions could result in severe trade-offs against some SDGs, with limited benefits for public health via pandemic prevention. This complexity necessitates context-specific policies, with multi-sector decision-making that goes beyond simple top-down solutions. We encourage decision-makers to adopt a risk-based approach to wildlife trade policy post-COVID-19, with policies formulate via participatory, evidence-based approaches, which explicitly acknowledge uncertainty, complexity and conflicting values across different components of the SDGs. This could help to ensure that future use and trade of wildlife is safe, environmentally-sustainable and socially-just
High performance continuous-wave laser cavity enhanced polarimetry using RF-induced linewidth broadening
No full textWe present precise optical rotation measurements of gaseous chiral samples using near-IR continuous-wave cavity-enhanced polarimetry. Optical rotation is determined by comparing cavity ring-down signals for two counter-propagating beams of orthogonal polarisation which are subject to polarisation rotation by the presence of both an optically active sample and a magneto-optic crystal. A broadband RF noise source applied to the laser drive current is used to tune the laser linewidth and optimise the polarimeter, and this noise-induced laser linewidth is quantified using self-heterodyne beat-note detection. We demonstrate the optical rotation measurement of gas phase samples of enantiomers of α-pinene and limonene with an optimum detection precision of 10 µdeg per cavity pass and an uncertainty in the specific rotation of ∼0.1 deg dm−1 (g/ml)−1 and determine the specific rotation parameters at 730 nm, for (+)- and (−)-α-pinene to be 32.10 ± 0.13 and −32.21 ± 0.11 deg dm−1 (g/ml)−1, respectively. Measurements of both a pure R-(+)-limonene sample and a non-racemic mixture of limonene of unknown enantiomeric excess are also presented, illustrating the utility of the technique