1,720,978 research outputs found
First genetic detection and characterization of canine parvovirus type 2 (Carnivore protoparvovirus 1) in southwestern Ethiopia
Get PDFThe species Carnivore protoparvovirus 1 includes viruses, e.g. canine parvovirus (CPV-2) and feline panleukopenia virus (FPV), which are among the most relevant for pets, causing extremely severe clinical signs and high fatality rate in dogs and cats. Moreover, a broad range of wild hosts, including endangered ones, were proven to be susceptible. Currently, no data on CPV-2 molecular epidemiology and strain characterization are available in Ethiopia, also considering the frequent contacts between domestic and wild populations. In the present study, a molecular epidemiology survey was performed on 92 fecal samples collected from domestic (n = 84) and stray (n = 8) dogs in southwestern Ethiopia in 2021. Approximately, 10% of the samples tested positive and the complete VP2 sequences of 5 strains were obtained, classified within the CPV-2a (n = 1) and CPV-2c (n = 4) antigenic variants. In most instances, the closest genetic relatives were strains of Chinese origin, which is fully compatible with the intense relationships that have been developing between the two countries, involving human being travels and their pets as well. Considering the clinical relevance of this infection and the risk it poses to local domestic and wild carnivore populations, especially endangered ones, much stronger monitoring and surveillance activity on foreign incoming animals should be performed. More strict constraints on animal introduction, e.g. compulsory vaccination, should also be considered
Molecular Epidemiology and Genetic Characterization of PCV2 Circulating in Wild Boars in Southwestern Ethiopia
No full textPorcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is one of the most relevant infectious agents affecting domestic pigs. Recently, a surprising PCV2 genetic heterogenicity has been reported in Africa. Nevertheless, the knowledge of the epidemiology of PCV2 in African countries, in both domestic and wild species, is limited and sparse. Having this in mind, in the present study, the PCV2 circulation and its molecular epidemiology in Southwestern Ethiopia have been investigated by collecting 64 samples from domestic pigs, wild boars, and warthogs. PCV2 genome presence was detected and quantified using qPCR and ORF2 sequencing was attempted on positive samples. Ten samples, 8 wild boars, 1 domestic pig, and 1 warthog, tested PCV2 positive. Complete ORF2 sequences were obtained from 5 wild boars; 4 of those were classified as PCV2d and 1 as PCV2b. Both PCV2b and PCV2d were related to strains of Asian origin, most commonly from China. The role of this country in the exportation of PCV2 strains in Ethiopia, and Africa in general, might be supported by the crescent economic relationship between the two continents. The obtained evidence also testifies to the inadequacy and/or poor application of biosecurity measures separating wild and domestic animals. Further, extensive and systematic studies should be performed to more deeply characterize the molecular epidemiology of PCV2 in this region, in order to improve our understanding of these ecological niches in the evolution and dispersal of PCV2
Phylodynamic analysis of current Porcine circovirus 4 sequences: Does the porcine circoviruses evolutionary history repeat itself?
Get PDFFour porcine circoviruses (PCVs) have been discovered over time and seem to share a common history, particularly for PCV-2 and -3. Despite being reported as apparently new viruses, rapidly emerging as a threat for the worldwide swine industry, they were then proven to have been circulating and coexisting with domestic pigs undetected for decades, without causing relevant health issues. A similar scenario could be true for the most recently identified PCV-4. However, its detection in Asia only and the limited genetic variability could suggest a truly recent origin. To investigate which of the above-mentioned scenarios is more plausible, a phylodynamic analysis was performed on all available PCV-4 sequences for which adequate metadata were available to reconstruct the viral history and evolution. Obtained results suggest an ancient origin, at least decades ago, followed by a prolonged low-level circulation and a moderate increase in viral population size after the second half of the XX century, in parallel with a progressive rise in pig population and farming intensification. A relevant local geographical clustering was also highlighted. The reason behind such low spreading capacity and limited geographical distribution compared to other circoviruses is currently obscure and will require dedicated studies, involving a more extensive sampling and sequencing activity
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Get PDF“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Get PDFWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Get PDFWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
koamabayili/VECTRON-author-checklist: VECTRON author checklist
No full textWe have done our best to complete the author checklist relating to the use of animals in the hut study. Note that the objective for the hut study was to evaluate the IRS treatment applications for residual efficacy against Anopheles mosquitoes, including the local An. coluzzii mosquito population. Cows were only used to attract mosquitoes into the huts and no tests were carried out directly on the cows. The author checklist is intended for use with studies where experiments are carried out on animals, which is why we have had such difficulty in completing this for the hut study, as many of the questions do not relate to how the cows were used
- …
