Publications by authors named "Stephen Preston"

Avian influenza viruses (AIVs) are a major economic burden to the poultry industry and pose serious zoonotic risks, with human infections being reported every year. To date, the vaccination of birds remains the most important method for the prevention and control of AIV outbreaks. Most national vaccination strategies against AIV infection use whole virus-inactivated vaccines, which predominantly trigger a systemic antibody-mediated immune response.

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The microbiome is a key factor in the health, well-being, and success of vertebrates, contributing to the adaptive capacity of the host. However, the impact of geographic and biotic factors that may affect the microbiome of wild birds in polar environments is not well defined. To address this, we determined the bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequence profiles in faecal samples from pygoscelid penguin populations in the Scotia Arc, focusing on gentoo penguins.

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In this article we propose a novel geometric model to study the motion of a physical flag. In our approach, a flag is viewed as an isometric immersion from the square with values in satisfying certain boundary conditions at the flag pole. Under additional regularity constraints we show that the space of all such flags carries the structure of an infinite dimensional manifold and can be viewed as a submanifold of the space of all immersions.

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Article Synopsis
  • The 2023 Duke-ISCVID IE Criteria update new diagnostic methods and imaging techniques for infective endocarditis, reflecting advancements in microbiology and epidemiology since the original guidelines were published in 1994 and modified in 2000.* -
  • Key changes include new tests for detecting specific bacteria, the introduction of intraoperative inspection as a major criterion, and an expanded list of microorganisms considered typical for IE, especially with certain heart implants.* -
  • Additionally, the updated criteria simplify blood culture requirements and emphasize the need for ongoing updates to these guidelines, proposing that they be maintained as a "Living Document" for continued relevance.*
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Microbial colonisation is paramount to the normal development of the immune system, particularly at mucosal sites. However, the relationships between the microbiome and the adaptive immune repertoire have mostly been explored in rodents and humans. Here, we report a high-throughput sequencing analysis of the chicken TCRβ repertoire and the influences of microbial colonisation on tissue-resident TCRβ+ cells.

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Introduction: Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is an underdiagnosed disease of uncertain etiology. Altered endothelial homeostasis, defective angiogenesis and inflammation are implicated. Angiopoietin 2 (Ang2) impairs acute thrombus resolution and is associated with vasculopathy in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension.

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Although sarcoidosis is an established cause of multiorgan dysfunction, acute presentation with thrombotic microangiopathy resulting in severe renal and hematological sequelae has not been reported. We describe the case of a patient presenting with hypercalcemia, pancreatitis, and acute renal failure, followed by microangiopathic hemolytic anemia. Although there were no significant respiratory symptoms, thoracic radiology and mediastinal lymph node biopsy results were in keeping with sarcoidosis as the underlying cause of this multisystem presentation.

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Contaminated chicken meat is a major source of human Campylobacteriosis and rates of infection remain high, despite efforts to limit the colonisation of broiler (meat) chicken flocks on farms. Using conventional testing methods of culture or qPCR, Campylobacter is typically detected amongst broiler flocks from 3 wk of age, leading to the assumption that infection is introduced horizontally into chicken rearing houses at this time. In this study, we use parallel sequencing of a fragment of the Campylobacter outer membrane protein, encoded by the porA gene, to test for presence of Campylobacter DNA amongst fresh fecal samples collected from broiler flocks aged 23 to 28 d.

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Aim: In intestinal failure, delineation of both structure and function are key to controlling symptoms and planning further intervention. We have developed a template for developing an 'anatomy at a glance' patient-specific map to aid decision making and counselling.

Method: A core dataset was developed and used to create an editable template to demonstrate the gastrointestinal tract, its relationship to the genitourinary tract, and specific anterior abdominal wall features.

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Background: Despite increasing interest in γδ T cells and their non-classical behaviour, most studies focus on animals with low numbers of circulating γδ T cells, such as mice and humans. Arguably, γδ T cell functions might be more prominent in chickens where these cells form a higher proportion of the circulatory T cell compartment. The TCR repertoire defines different subsets of γδ T cells, and such analysis is facilitated by well-annotated TCR loci.

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Neutrophils play an important role in the lung tumour microenvironment. We hypothesised that radiolabelled neutrophils coupled to single-photon emission CT (SPECT) may non-invasively quantify neutrophil uptake in tumours from patients with non-small cell lung cancer. We demonstrated increased uptake of radiolabelled neutrophils from the blood into tumours compared with non-specific uptake using radiolabelled transferrin.

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Helminth infections are among the World Health Organization's top neglected diseases with significant impact in many Less Economically Developed Countries. Despite no longer being endemic in Europe, the widespread presence of helminth eggs in archaeological deposits indicates that helminths represented a considerable burden in past European populations. Prevalence of infection is a key epidemiological feature that would influence the elimination of endemic intestinal helminths, for example, low prevalence rates may have made it easier to eliminate these infections in Europe without the use of modern anthelminthic drugs.

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The poor outcomes in esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) prompted us to interrogate the pattern and timing of metastatic spread. Whole-genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of 388 samples across 18 individuals with EAC showed, in 90% of patients, that multiple subclones from the primary tumor spread very rapidly from the primary site to form multiple metastases, including lymph nodes and distant tissues-a mode of dissemination that we term 'clonal diaspora'. Metastatic subclones at autopsy were present in tissue and blood samples from earlier time points.

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Ischemic heart disease is one of the leading causes of morbidity and death worldwide. Consequently, myocardial infarctions are often encountered in clinical and forensic autopsies, and diagnosis can be challenging, especially in the absence of an acute coronary occlusion. Precise histopathological identification and timing of myocardial infarction in humans often remains uncertain while it can be of crucial importance, especially in a forensic setting when third person involvement or medical responsibilities are in question.

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A 36-year-old woman presented with recurrent pulmonary emboli (PE) despite oral anticoagulation. She was a type I diabetic with severe gastroparesis requiring insertion of multiple long-term peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC) over a 10-year period. Imaging at presentation demonstrated a PICC-associated mobile mass in the right atrium and signs of pulmonary hypertension (PH).

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We report a case of lung adenocarcinoma-associated hypercoagulability leading to venous limb gangrene, managed successfully with argatroban and then dabigatran. Use of idarucizumab permitted diagnostic investigations, leading to targeted antineoplastic therapy with crizotinib, surgical resection with curative intent, and continued survival over 2 years after the index event.

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Chicken meat represents an important source of Campylobacter infections of humans world-wide. A better understanding of Campylobacter epidemiology in commercial chicken flocks will facilitate the development of more effective intervention strategies. We developed a gene-specific parallel sequencing approach that efficiently indicated genetic diversity in farm-derived samples and revealed Campylobacter genotypes that would not be detected using microbiological culture.

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Throughout history, humans have been afflicted by parasitic worms, and eggs are readily detected in archaeological deposits. This study integrated parasitological and ancient DNA methods with a large sample set dating between Neolithic and Early Modern periods to explore the utility of molecular archaeoparasitology as a new approach to study the past. Molecular analyses provided unequivocal species-level parasite identification and revealed location-specific epidemiological signatures.

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Two crystal structures of Japanin, an 18 kDa immune-modulatory lipocalin from the Brown Ear Tick (Rhipicephalus appendiculatus), have been determined at 2.2 and 2.4 Å resolution.

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Background: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare disease with an emerging genetic basis. Heterozygous mutations in the gene encoding the bone morphogenetic protein receptor type 2 () are the commonest genetic cause of PAH, whereas biallelic mutations in the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 alpha kinase 4 gene () are described in pulmonary veno-occlusive disease/pulmonary capillary hemangiomatosis. Here, we determine the frequency of these mutations and define the genotype-phenotype characteristics in a large cohort of patients diagnosed clinically with PAH.

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The European badger is recognised as a wildlife reservoir for bovine tuberculosis (bTB); the control of which is complex, costly and controversial. Despite the importance of badgers in bTB and the well-documented role for macrophages as anti-mycobacterial effector cells, badger macrophage (bdMφ) responses remain uncharacterised. Here, we demonstrate that bdMφ fail to produce nitric oxide (NO) or upregulate inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA following Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonist treatment.

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Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) remains the treatment of choice for end-stage osteoarthritis of the knee. With an aging population, the demand for TKA continues to increase, placing a significant burden on a health care system that must function with limited resources. Although generally accepted as a successful procedure, 15-30 % of patients report persistent pain following TKA.

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