Publications by authors named "J A Plante"
After decades of inactivity throughout the Americas, western equine encephalitis virus (WEEV) recently re-emerged in South America, causing a large-scale outbreak in humans and horses. WEEV binds protocadherin 10 (PCDH10) as a receptor; however, nonpathogenic strains no longer bind human or equine PCDH10 but retain the ability to bind avian receptors. Highly virulent WEEV strains can also bind the very low-density lipoprotein receptor (VLDLR) and apolipoprotein E receptor 2 (ApoER2) as alternative receptors.
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- Recent yellow fever outbreaks in Brazil were linked to mosquito transmission but showed no human outbreaks due to a lack of vaccination and presence of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.
- The study tested if immunity from dengue and Zika viruses impacts yellow fever virus (YFV) spread in monkeys, finding that prior infections reduced YFV levels in the blood.
- These findings suggest that immunity from other flaviviruses might help prevent the amplification and spread of yellow fever in populations already exposed to dengue and Zika.
Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) was isolated from humans in an outbreak of a febrile illness during July and August 2015 in the central valleys of Chiapas, Mexico. Sera obtained from 80 patients were tested for CHIKV RNA by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and for IgM and IgG antibodies by an enzyme linked immunoassay and a commercial indirect immunofluorescence test for CHIKV and dengue virus (DENV). Of the 80 patients, 67 were positive, including 50 for RNA and 17 for IgM.
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- First-generation COVID-19 vaccines based on the spike (S) protein have decreased in effectiveness against new Omicron variants, highlighting the need for more broadly protective vaccines.
- Researchers developed a new mRNA vaccine targeting the nucleocapsid (N) protein and tested its efficacy alone and in combination with the existing S-based vaccine in hamsters.
- Results showed that the combined mRNA vaccines (mRNA-S+N) provided complete protection against Omicron variants, suggesting their potential as a comprehensive COVID-19 vaccine.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to explore the relationship between maladaptive imaging beliefs and pain interference and physical function in individuals with musculoskeletal pain disorders.
- Conducted from April 2022 to August 2023 with 152 participants, it assessed various beliefs about imaging and found a positive correlation between these beliefs and increased pain interference, as well as a negative correlation with physical function.
- The results indicate that each additional maladaptive imaging belief slightly worsens pain interference over six weeks and decreases physical function at both the start and after six weeks, suggesting that these beliefs may affect treatment outcomes.