Quantifying Replication Slippage Error in Cryptosporidium Metabarcoding Studies.

Genetic variation in Cryptosporidium, a common protozoan gut parasite in humans, is often based on marker genes containing trinucleotide repeats, which differentiate subtypes and track outbreaks. However, repeat regions have high replication slippage rates, making it difficult to discern biological diversity from error. Here, we synthesized Cryptosporidium DNA in clonal plasmid vectors, amplified them in different mock community ratios, and sequenced them using next-generation sequencing to determine the rate of replication slippage with dada2.

Communication and collaboration skills training in radiation oncology: A quantitative validation survey.

Introduction: Communication and collaboration are integral in radiation oncology practice. A recently published qualitative study identified several deficiencies in skills development for Australian/New Zealand trainees. We aim to validate these findings to guide curriculum development.

Canis Familiaris Papillomavirus Type 26: A Novel Papillomavirus of Dogs and the First Canine Papillomavirus within the Genus.

Domestic dogs are currently recognized as being infected by 25 different canine papillomavirus (CPV) types classified into three genera. A short sequence from a novel CPV type was amplified, along with CPV1, from a papilloma (wart) from the mouth of a dog. The entire 7499 bp genome was amplified, and CPV26 contained putative coding regions that were predicted to produce four early proteins and two late ones.

Development of a non-infectious control for viral hemorrhagic fever PCR assays.

Assay validation is an essential component of disease surveillance testing, but can be problematic in settings where access to positive control material is limited and a safety risk for handlers. Here we describe a single non-infectious synthetic control that can help develop and validate the PCR based detection of the viral causes of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, Ebola virus disease, Lassa fever, Marburg virus disease and Rift Valley fever. We designed non-infectious synthetic DNA oligonucleotide sequences incorporating primer binding sites suitable for five assays, and a T7 promotor site which was used to transcribe the sequence.

Genomic Characterization of Canis Familiaris Papillomavirus Type 25, a Novel Papillomavirus Associated with a Viral Plaque from the Pinna of a Dog.

A 14-year-old West Highland White terrier dog developed multiple raised plaques that were confined to the concave surface of the right pinna. Histology allowed a diagnosis of viral plaque, although the lesions contained some unusual microscopic features. A papillomaviral (PV) DNA sequence was amplified from the plaque using consensus PCR primers.

Genetic characterisation of Felis catus papillomavirus type 7, a rare infection of cats that may be associated with skin cancer.

Six Felis catus papillomavirus (FcaPV) types have been fully sequenceed from domestic cats including some that have been associated with the development of neoplasia. A sequence from a novel FcaPV type was amplified from a basal cell carcinoma that contained unusual histological evidence of PV infection and intense p16 protein (p16) immunostaining. The entire 7467 bp genome was amplified using 'outward facing' primers.

Comparison of three analgesic regimens in women undergoing cervical brachytherapy.

Purpose: Effective periprocedural analgesia is an important aspect of cervical brachytherapy delivery, with implications for patient comfort and attendance for subsequent fractions. We compared the efficacy and safety of three analgesic modalities: intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV-PCA), continuous epidural infusion (CEI) and programmed-intermittent epidural bolus with patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PIEB-PCEA).

Methods And Materials: Ninety-seven brachytherapy episodes involving 36 patients between July 2016 and June 2019 in a single tertiary center were retrospectively reviewed.

Patterns of practice regarding use of radiation therapy following radical prostatectomy: A survey of Radiation Oncologists and Urologists in Australia and New Zealand.

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the patterns of practices of radiation oncologists (ROs) and urologists in Australia and New Zealand with respect to the utilisation of post-prostatectomy radiation therapy (RT) and help guide the development of an update to the existing Faculty of Radiation Oncology Genito-Urinary Group post-prostatectomy guidelines.

Methods: ROs and urologists with subspecialty practice in prostate cancer from Australia and New Zealand were invited to participate in an online survey comprised of clinical scenarios regarding post-prostatectomy RT.

Results: Sixty-five ROs and 28 urologists responded to the survey.

A novel, stain-free, natural auto-fluorescent signal, Sig M, identified from cytometric and transcriptomic analysis of infectivity of and .

Cryptosporidiosis is a worldwide diarrheal disease caused by the protozoan . The primary symptom is diarrhea, but patients may exhibit different symptoms based on the species of the parasite they are infected with. Furthermore, some genotypes within species are more transmissible and apparently virulent than others.

Abundant dsRNA picobirnaviruses show little geographic or host association in terrestrial systems.

Picobirnaviruses are double-stranded RNA viruses known from a wide range of host species and locations but with unknown pathogenicity and host relationships. Here, we examined the diversity of picobirnaviruses from cattle and gorillas within and around Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park (BIFNP), Uganda, where wild and domesticated animals and humans live in relatively close contact. We use metagenomic sequencing with bioinformatic analyses to examine genetic diversity.

Diagnosis of protozoa diarrhoea in Campylobacter patients increases markedly with molecular techniques.

Cryptosporidium and Giardia are major causes of diarrhoea globally, and two of the most notified infectious diseases in New Zealand. Diagnosis requires laboratory confirmation carried out mostly via antigen or microscopy-based techniques. However, these methods are increasingly being superseded by molecular techniques.

Molecular Evidence of Leptospira spp. in Isolated Fijian Bats.

Bats host several zoonotic pathogens. Island biogeography and epidemiologic theory predict small remote islands have lower infection diversity. Molecular studies of urine and feces from three species at 10 sites from three islands suggest multiple pathogenic Leptospira, but not coronavirus, paramyxovirus, or Histoplasma, circulate in isolated Pacific Fijian bat populations.

Genomic Characterisation of Canis Familiaris Papillomavirus Type 24, a Novel Papillomavirus Associated with Extensive Pigmented Plaque Formation in a Pug Dog.

Numerous large dark plaques developed over the ventrum, legs and head of a 9-year-old pug dog over a 4-year-period. Histology confirmed a diagnosis of viral pigmented plaque and a short section of a novel papillomavirus (PV) type was amplified using consensus PCR primers. Taking advantage of the circular nature of PV DNA, 'outward facing' PCR primers allowed amplification of the full sequence.

Uncovering the genetic diversity of Giardia intestinalis in isolates from outbreaks in New Zealand.

Background: Giardia intestinalis is one of the most common causes of diarrhoea worldwide. Molecular techniques have greatly improved our understanding of the taxonomy and epidemiology of this parasite. Co-infection with mixed (sub-) assemblages has been reported, however, Sanger sequencing is sometimes unable to identify shared subtypes between samples involved in the same epidemiologically linked event, due to samples showing multiple dominant subtypes within the same outbreak.

Community health and human-animal contacts on the edges of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda.

Cross-species transmission of pathogens is intimately linked to human and environmental health. With limited healthcare and challenging living conditions, people living in poverty may be particularly susceptible to endemic and emerging diseases. Similarly, wildlife is impacted by human influences, including pathogen sharing, especially for species in close contact with people and domesticated animals.

Estimating the age of the subfamily Orthocoronavirinae using host divergence times as calibration ages at two internal nodes.

Viruses of the subfamily Orthocoronavirinae can cause mild to severe disease in people, including COVID-19, MERS and SARS. Their most common natural hosts are bat and bird species, which are mostly split across four virus genera. Molecular clock analyses of orthocoronaviruses suggested the most recent common ancestor of these viruses might have emerged either around 10,000 years ago or, using models accounting for selection, many millions of years.

First report of novel assemblages and mixed infections of Giardia duodenalis in human isolates from New Zealand.

Giardia duodenalis (syn. G. intestinalis and G.

High-Yield Purification of Giardia intestinalis Cysts from Fecal Samples.

Giardia is an enteric protozoan parasite that causes gastroenteritis in all classes of vertebrates. It is ranked among the leading causes of death in children under 5 years of age. Giardiasis affects approximately 280 million people worldwide annually, a situation exacerbated by the low availability of effective treatments and the lack of a vaccine.

A Clinician's Guide to Cancer-Derived Exosomes: Immune Interactions and Therapeutic Implications.

Understanding of the role of immunity in the regulation of cancer growth continues to rapidly increase. This is fuelled by the impressive results yielded in recent years by immune checkpoint inhibitors, which block regulatory pathways to increase immune-mediated cancer destruction. Exosomes are cell-secreted membranous nanoscale vesicles that play important roles in regulating physiological and pathophysiological processes.

Investigating the Meat Pathway as a Source of Human Nontyphoidal Salmonella Bloodstream Infections and Diarrhea in East Africa.

Background: Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium are major causes of bloodstream infection and diarrheal disease in East Africa. Sources of human infection, including the role of the meat pathway, are poorly understood.

Methods: We collected cattle, goat, and poultry meat pathway samples from December 2015 through August 2017 in Tanzania and isolated Salmonella using standard methods.

Exosomes in Cancer Radioresistance.

Radiation is a mainstay of cancer therapy. Radioresistance is a significant challenge in the treatment of locally advanced, recurrent and metastatic cancers. The mechanisms of radioresistance are complicated and still not completely understood.

The Challenges of Analysing Highly Diverse Picobirnavirus Sequence Data.

The reliable identification and classification of infectious diseases is critical for understanding their biology and controlling their impact. Recent advances in sequencing technology have allowed insight into the remarkable diversity of the virosphere, of which a large component remains undiscovered. For these emerging or undescribed viruses, the process of classifying unknown sequences is heavily reliant on existing nucleotide sequence information in public databases.

Historical translocations by Māori may explain the distribution and genetic structure of a threatened surf clam in Aotearoa (New Zealand).

The population genetic structure of toheroa (Paphies ventricosa), an Aotearoa (New Zealand) endemic surf clam, was assessed to determine levels of inter-population connectivity and test hypotheses regarding life history, habitat distribution and connectivity in coastal vs. estuarine taxa. Ninety-eight toheroa from populations across the length of New Zealand were sequenced for the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I gene with analyses suggesting a population genetic structure unique among New Zealand marine invertebrates.

Endobronchial brachytherapy in the management of lung malignancies: 20 years of experience in an Australian center.

Objectives: Management of end-stage lung cancers focuses on symptom control, requiring multimodality management. Endobronchial brachytherapy (EBB) is an evidence-based approach allowing safe delivery of clinically meaningful radiation doses. We provide a summary of treatment characteristics and clinical outcomes of EBB in a single center.