Comprehensive immune profiling reveals that infection activates immune checkpoints during acute T cell immunosuppression.

Bluetongue virus (BTV) is an arbovirus transmitted by the bite of infected midges that affects domestic and wild ruminants producing great economic losses. The infection induces an IFN response, followed by an adaptive immune response that is essential in disease clearance. BTV can nonetheless impair IFN and humoral responses.

Real-time detection of freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease using multi-head convolutional neural networks and a single inertial sensor.

Background: Freezing of gait (FOG) is one of the most disabling symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD), contributing to poor quality of life and increased risk of falls. Wearable sensors represent a valuable means for detecting FOG in the home environment. Moreover, real-time feedback has proven to help reduce the duration of FOG episodes.

Non-replicative antibiotic resistance-free DNA vaccine encoding S and N proteins induces full protection in mice against SARS-CoV-2.

SARS-CoV-2 vaccines currently in use have contributed to controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. Notwithstanding, the high mutation rate, fundamentally in the spike glycoprotein (S), is causing the emergence of new variants. Solely utilizing this antigen is a drawback that may reduce the efficacy of these vaccines.

Adenoviral delivery of soluble ovine OX40L or CD70 costimulatory molecules improves adaptive immune responses to a model antigen in sheep.

The tumour necrosis factor superfamily OX40L and CD70 and their receptors are costimulatory signalling axes critical for adequate T and B cell activation in humans and mice. In this work we inoculated groups of sheep with human recombinant adenovirus type 5 (Ad) expressing (OX40L or CD70 or a control adenoviral vector to determine whether they could improve the immune response to the model antigen OVA. PBMCs and serum samples were obtained for analysis of the adaptive immune response to OVA at days 0, 15, 30 and 90 post-inoculation (pi).

A Morbillivirus Infection Shifts DC Maturation Toward a Tolerogenic Phenotype to Suppress T Cell Activation.

Viruses have evolved numerous strategies to impair immunity so that they can replicate more efficiently. Among those, the immunosuppressive effects of morbillivirus infection can be particularly problematic, as they allow secondary infections to take hold in the host, worsening disease prognosis. In the present work, we hypothesized that the highly contagious morbillivirus peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) could target monocytes and dendritic cells (DC) to contribute to the immunosuppressive effects produced by the infection.

A New Paradigm in Parkinson's Disease Evaluation With Wearable Medical Devices: A Review of STAT-ON.

In the past decade, the use of wearable medical devices has been a great breakthrough in clinical practice, trials, and research. In the Parkinson's disease field, clinical evaluation is time limited, and healthcare professionals need to rely on retrospective data collected through patients' self-filled diaries and administered questionnaires. As this often leads to inaccurate evaluations, a more objective system for symptom monitoring in a patient's daily life is claimed.

Arsenate and arsenite differential toxicity in Tetrahymena thermophila.

A comparative analysis of toxicities of both arsenic forms (arsenite and arsenate) in the model eukaryotic microorganism Tetrahymena thermophila (ciliate protozoa) has shown the presence of various detoxification mechanisms and cellular effects comparable to those of animal cells under arsenic stress. In the wild type strain SB1969 arsenate is almost 2.5 times more toxic than arsenite.

Interactions with Arsenic: Mechanisms of Toxicity and Cellular Resistance in Eukaryotic Microorganisms.

Arsenic (As) is quite an abundant metalloid, with ancient origin and ubiquitous distribution, which represents a severe environmental risk and a global problem for public health. Microbial exposure to As compounds in the environment has happened since the beginning of time. Selective pressure has induced the evolution of various genetic systems conferring useful capacities in many microorganisms to detoxify and even use arsenic, as an energy source.

Immunization With Bovine Herpesvirus-4-Based Vector Delivering PPRV-H Protein Protects Sheep From PPRV Challenge.

The peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) is the causal agent of a highly contagious disease that mostly affects sheep and goats and produces considerable losses in developing countries. Current PPRV control strategies rely on live-attenuated vaccines, which are not ideal, as they cannot differentiate infected from vaccinated animals (DIVA). Recombinant vector-based vaccines expressing viral subunits can provide an alternative to conventional vaccines, as they can be easily paired with DIVA diagnostic tools.

The Interplay between Bluetongue Virus Infections and Adaptive Immunity.

Viral infections have long provided a platform to understand the workings of immunity. For instance, great strides towards defining basic immunology concepts, such as MHC restriction of antigen presentation or T-cell memory development and maintenance, have been achieved thanks to the study of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) infections. These studies have also shaped our understanding of antiviral immunity, and in particular T-cell responses.

Diagnosing bluetongue virus in domestic ruminants: current perspectives.

This review provides an overview of current and potential new diagnostic techniques against bluetongue virus (BTV), an transmitted by arthropods that affects ruminants. Bluetongue is a disease currently notifiable to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), causing great economic losses due to decreased trade associated with bluetongue outbreaks and high mortality and morbidity. BTV cross-reacts with many antigenically related viruses including viruses that causes African Horse sickness and epizootic haemorrhagic disease of deer.

Peste des Petits Ruminants Virus Fusion and Hemagglutinin Proteins Trigger Antibody-Dependent Cell-Mediated Cytotoxicity in Infected Cells.

The adaptive immune system utilizes multiple effector mechanisms to clear viral infections. Among those antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) can help recognize and clear virus-infected cells. In the present work we evaluated ADCC contribution to immunity in two economically important viral diseases that affect ruminants: bluetongue and peste des petits ruminants.

A Kinematic Sensor and Algorithm to Detect Motor Fluctuations in Parkinson Disease: Validation Study Under Real Conditions of Use.

Background: A new algorithm has been developed, which combines information on gait bradykinesia and dyskinesia provided by a single kinematic sensor located on the waist of Parkinson disease (PD) patients to detect motor fluctuations (On- and Off-periods).

Objective: The goal of this study was to analyze the accuracy of this algorithm under real conditions of use.

Methods: This validation study of a motor-fluctuation detection algorithm was conducted on a sample of 23 patients with advanced PD.

Corrigendum: Analysis of Correlation between an Accelerometer-Based Algorithm for Detecting Parkinsonian Gait and UPDRS Subscales.

[This corrects the article on p. 431 in vol. 8, PMID: 28919877.

Quantity of Movement as a Measure of Engagement for Dementia: The Influence of Motivational Disorders.

Engagement in activities is crucial to improve quality of life in dementia. Yet, its measurement relies exclusively on behavior observation and the influence that behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) have on it is overlooked. This study investigated whether quantity of movement, gauged with a wrist-worn accelerometer, could be a sound measure of engagement and whether apathy and depression negatively affected engagement.

Analysis of Correlation between an Accelerometer-Based Algorithm for Detecting Parkinsonian Gait and UPDRS Subscales.

Background: Our group earlier developed a small monitoring device, which uses accelerometer measurements to accurately detect motor fluctuations in patients with Parkinson's (On and Off state) based on an algorithm that characterizes gait through the frequency content of strides. To further validate the algorithm, we studied the correlation of its outputs with the motor section of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale part-III (UPDRS-III).

Method: Seventy-five patients suffering from Parkinson's disease were asked to walk both in the Off and the On state while wearing the inertial sensor on the waist.

Reclassification of the Specialized Metabolite Producer Pseudomonas mesoacidophila ATCC 31433 as a Member of the Burkholderia cepacia Complex.

ATCC 31433 is a Gram-negative bacterium, first isolated from Japanese soil samples, that produces the monobactam isosulfazecin and the β-lactam-potentiating bulgecins. To characterize the biosynthetic potential of ATCC 31433, its complete genome was determined using single-molecule real-time DNA sequence analysis. The 7.

A Waist-Worn Inertial Measurement Unit for Long-Term Monitoring of Parkinson's Disease Patients.

Inertial measurement units (IMUs) are devices used, among other fields, in health applications, since they are light, small and effective. More concretely, IMUs have been demonstrated to be useful in the monitoring of motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). In this sense, most of previous works have attempted to assess PD symptoms in controlled environments or short tests.

Home detection of freezing of gait using support vector machines through a single waist-worn triaxial accelerometer.

Among Parkinson's disease (PD) symptoms, freezing of gait (FoG) is one of the most debilitating. To assess FoG, current clinical practice mostly employs repeated evaluations over weeks and months based on questionnaires, which may not accurately map the severity of this symptom. The use of a non-invasive system to monitor the activities of daily living (ADL) and the PD symptoms experienced by patients throughout the day could provide a more accurate and objective evaluation of FoG in order to better understand the evolution of the disease and allow for a more informed decision-making process in making adjustments to the patient's treatment plan.

Assessing Motor Fluctuations in Parkinson's Disease Patients Based on a Single Inertial Sensor.

Altered movement control is typically the first noticeable symptom manifested by Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. Once under treatment, the effect of the medication is very patent and patients often recover correct movement control over several hours. Nonetheless, as the disease advances, patients present motor complications.

Dopaminergic-induced dyskinesia assessment based on a single belt-worn accelerometer.

Background: After several years of treatment, patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) tend to have, as a side effect of the medication, dyskinesias. Close monitoring may benefit patients by enabling doctors to tailor a personalised medication regimen. Moreover, dyskinesia monitoring can help neurologists make more informed decisions in patient's care.

Detecting freezing of gait with a tri-axial accelerometer in Parkinson's disease patients.

Freezing of gait (FOG) is a common motor symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD), which presents itself as an inability to initiate or continue gait. This paper presents a method to monitor FOG episodes based only on acceleration measurements obtained from a waist-worn device. Three approximations of this method are tested.