Human and entomological determinants of malaria transmission in the Lihir Islands of Papua New Guinea: A cross-sectional study.

Background: The Lihir Islands of Papua New Guinea, located in an area with high burden of malaria and hosting a large mining operation, offer a unique opportunity to study transmission. There, we investigated human and vector factors influencing malaria transmission.

Methods: In 2019, a cross-sectional study was conducted on 2,914 individuals assessing malaria prevalence through rapid diagnostic tests (RDT), microscopy, and quantitative PCR (qPCR).

Investigating Indian oil sardine aggregation events in coastal waters of the southeastern Arabian sea.

The southwest coast of India experiences frequent Indian oil sardine (IOS) nearshore aggregation events, especially in the coastal waters off Kerala. These ephemeral dense IOS aggregation events are known as "Sardine Run". To investigate the reason and provide a scientific basis for these sporadic events, satellite/model-derived physical, meteorological, and biological parameters were analysed.

An integrated buoy-satellite based coastal water quality nowcasting system: India's pioneering efforts towards addressing UN ocean decade challenges.

The Indian coastal waters are stressed due to a multitude of factors, such as the discharge of industrial effluents, urbanization (municipal sewage), agricultural runoff, and river discharge. The coastal waters along the eastern and western seaboard of India exhibit contrasting characteristics in terms of seasonality, the magnitude of river influx, circulation pattern, and degree of anthropogenic activity. Therefore, understanding these processes and forecasting their occurrence is highly necessary to secure the health of coastal waters, habitats, marine resources, and the safety of tourists.

Veterinarians and zoonotic pathogens, infections and diseases - questionnaire study and case series, Finland.

Background: Veterinarians are at risk for numerous zoonotic infections. In this paper, we summarise descriptions of zoonotic infections from a questionnaire study and a series of work-related zoonotic cases, aiming to add to the knowledge on occupational zoonotic risks of veterinarians.

Methods: We collected data on zoonotic infections contracted by veterinarians in Finland in two studies:1) using a questionnaire in 2009, and 2) inviting veterinarians who had encountered an occupational zoonosis to report it in structured interviews in 2019.

A cross-sectional study to ascertain malaria prevalence among asymptomatic travellers arriving on the Lihir Group of Islands, Papua New Guinea: implications for elimination efforts.

Background: The Lihir Islands of Papua New Guinea host a mining operation that has resulted in a mine-impacted zone (MIZ) with reduced malaria transmission and a substantial influx of mine employees, informal cross-country traders, returning locals, and visitors. Prevalence of malaria parasites was assessed in travellers arriving on the Lihir Group of Islands to evaluate the risk of parasite importation.

Methods: In 2018, a cross-sectional study at the airport and main wharf was conducted, targeting asymptomatic travellers who had been away from Lihir for at least 12 days.

Status and conservation challenges of the second-largest seagrass bed in India: Chilika lagoon.

Studies related to seagrass ecology, conservation, and management are sparse and highly biased in India. Even though the geographical distribution of seagrass is diverse in India, about 74% of the scientific publications have been made from Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar from Tamilnadu. Chilika, the largest lagoon in Asia, harbors the second largest seagrass meadow in India 22% of the total.

Coverage, determinants of use and repurposing of long-lasting insecticidal nets two years after a mass distribution in Lihir Islands, Papua New Guinea: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Universal coverage with long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) is an essential component of malaria control programmes. Three-yearly mass distribution of LLINs in Papua New Guinea (PNG) has been successful in reducing infection transmission since 2009, but malaria prevalence ramped up from 2015 onwards. Although LLIN universal coverage is mostly achieved during these campaigns, it may not be related with net use over time.

Current food chain information provides insufficient information for modern meat inspection of pigs.

Meat inspection now incorporates a more risk-based approach for protecting human health against meat-borne biological hazards. Official post-mortem meat inspection of pigs has shifted to visual meat inspection. The official veterinarian decides on additional post-mortem inspection procedures, such as incisions and palpations.

Antimicrobial Resistance and Multilocus Sequence Types of Finnish Campylobacter jejuni Isolates from Multiple Sources.

Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined for 805 domestic Campylobacter jejuni isolates obtained from broilers (n = 459), bovines (n = 120), human patients (n = 95), natural waters (n = 80), wild birds (n = 35) and zoo animals/enclosures (n = 16) with known multilocus sequence types (MLST) for 450 isolates. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values for erythromycin, tetracycline, streptomycin, gentamicin and the quinolones ciprofloxacin and nalidixic acid were determined with the VetMIC method. MICs were compared with MLST types to find possible associations between sequence type and resistance.

Meat Juice Serology and Improved Food Chain Information as Control Tools for Pork-Related Public Health Hazards.

The seroprevalence of Salmonella spp., pathogenic Yersinia spp., Toxoplasma gondii and Trichinella spp.

Investigation of increased listeriosis revealed two fishery production plants with persistent Listeria contamination in Finland in 2010.

In 2010, a marked increase in listeriosis incidence was observed in Finland. Listeria monocytogenes PFGE profile 96 was responsible for one-fifth of the reported cases and a cluster of PFGE profile 62 was also detected. Investigations revealed two fishery production plants with persistent Listeria contamination.

Bovine chronic osteoarthritis causes minimal change in synovial fluid.

Chronic osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease of the articular cartilage. DNA-binding high mobility group protein B1 (HMGB1) is released on cellular death/activation and acts as an endogenous danger signal and a proinflammatory cytokine. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and in MMP-9 are induced to mediate proteolytic degradation/remodelling of joint tissues.

Human cases of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus CC398, Finland.

Nationwide surveillance identified 10 human isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus clonal complex (CC) 398. Further typing in comparison with animal isolates identified 4 clusters: 1 related to a horse epidemic and 3 to persons who had no direct contact with animals or each other. These findings may indicate unrecognized community transmission.

Simulated financial losses of classical swine fever epidemics in the Finnish pig production sector.

Rapid structural change and concentration of pig production in regions with most intensive production has raised concerns about whether the risk of large-scale disease losses has increased in Finland. This paper examines the pig industry's losses due to classical swine fever (CSF) epidemics. The work is based on economic and epidemiological models providing insights to the consequences of epidemics to infected and uninfected farms, government and meat processing.

Simulated detection of syndromic classical swine fever on a Finnish pig-breeding farm.

Although Finland has not experienced a classical swine fever (CSF) epidemic since 1917, the concern about early detection is relevant. The time until detection of CSF on a pig-breeding farm was predicted by simulation, and earlier detection of CSF-infected farms was assessed. Eight to 12 weeks will pass before CSF is detected on a Finnish pig-breeding farm, which resembles detection of the index farm for actual CSF epidemics in Europe.

Changes in MMP-2 and -9 activity and MMP-8 reactivity after amphotericin B induced synovitis and treatment with bufexamac.

The objective here was to evaluate the acute effects of induced arthritis on synovial fluid (SF) levels of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) -2, -8 and -9 in horses. To evaluate MMP-2 and -9 activities and the effect of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) bufexamac during remission from acute arthritis. Aseptic arthritis was induced in 24 Standardbred horses using 20 mg of amphotericin B as a single intra-articular (IA) injection in the right intercarpal joint.

In vitro inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase activity in tracheal epithelial lining fluid from horses with recurrent airway obstruction.

Objective: To evaluate inhibitory effects of synthetic matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) inhibitors in vitro on gelatinolytic and collagenolytic activities in tracheal epithelial lining fluid (TELF) of horses with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO).

Animals: 10 horses with RAO and 5 healthy control horses.

Procedures: Substrate-based functional assays, collagen I and gelatin degradation, were used to measure endogenous collagenolytic and gelatinolytic activities in TELF.

Increase in milk metalloproteinase activity and vascular permeability in bovine endotoxin-induced and naturally occurring Escherichia coli mastitis.

An endotoxin-induced mastitis model was used to study permeability changes associated with increased milk matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity in early inflammation. One quarter of two cows was inoculated with endotoxin (Escherichia coli 055:B5). Blood, milk, and whey were collected before and repeatedly after inoculation for 48 h.

Inhalation of organic dusts and lipopolysaccharide increases gelatinolytic matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in the lungs of heaves horses.

We report the effects of mouldy hay/straw exposure, inhaled hay dust suspension (HDS) and inhaled lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) gelatinolytic matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) levels and degree of activation in healthy (n = 6) and heaves- (previously termed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) affected (n = 6 or 7) horses. Gelatinolytic MMPs in BALF were quantified by zymography, and gelatinases were shown by Western immunoblotting to be MMP-2 and MMP-9. Hay/straw and HDS challenges increased BALF total gelatinolytic activity only in heaves horses, with the majority of gelatinolytic activity comprising pro- and active MMP-9.

Evaluation of collagenase activity, matrix metalloproteinase-8, and matrix metalloproteinase-13 in horses with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Objectives: To determine collagenase activity and evaluate matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-8 and MMP-13 in horses with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Animals: 12 horses with COPD and 12 healthy control horses.

Procedure: Collagenase activity was determined by use of an assay for degradation of type-I collagen.

MMP-9 as a marker of inflammation in tracheal epithelial lining fluid (TELF) and in bronchoalveolar fluid (BALF) of COPD horses.

Gelatinolytic activity was analysed to study whether elevated activity previously found at the tracheal level of the respiratory tract of horses with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) could also be found at the lower part of the respiratory tract. Furthermore, presence and significance of the gelatinolytic matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) MMP-2 and MMP-9 in respiratory secretions of healthy and COPD horses were determined. Elevated gelatinolytic matrix metalloproteinases were detected in bronchoalveolar and tracheobronchial secretions from COPD horses.

Concentrations of elastinolytic metalloproteinases in respiratory tract secretions of healthy horses and horses with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Objectives: To determine whether samples of tracheal epithelial lining fluid (TELF) obtained from horses have elastinolytic activity characteristic of metalloproteinases, to compare elastinolytic activity in TELF obtained from healthy horses and horses with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and to determine whether chemically modified tetracycline-3 (CMT-3) inhibits elastinolytic activity in TELF ANIMALS: 10 horses with COPD and 10 healthy control horses.

Procedure: Zymography and fluorometry were used to measure elastinolytic activity, and EDTA was used to inhibit elastinolytic activity and verify that the activity was attributable to metalloproteinases. Possible inhibition of elastinolytic activity with CMT-3 was studied in vitro.

Gelatinolytic activity in tracheal epithelial lining fluid and in blood from horses with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Objectives: To determine whether gelatinolytic activity in tracheal epithelial lining fluid (TELF), blood neutrophils, and blood lymphocytes from horses was metalloprotease activity, and to compare, for healthy horses and horses with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, gelatinolytic activity in neutrophils, lymphocytes, and serum with activity in TELF.

Animals: 7 horses with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and 4 healthy control horses.

Procedure: Neutrophils and lymphocytes were obtained by means of Percoll separation.