Brands sometimes enter into co‐branding agreements and major events can occur to one of the brands which can have either negative or positive consequences for the brands involved in the partnership. ...The current study investigates as yet unanswered research questions regarding whether and how positive and negative events happening to one brand in a co‐branding partnership affect the brand equities of the other brands in the partnership. The authors provide and test a new integrated attribution‐diagnosticity framework to explain the process that underlies the magnitude of these spillover effects. Findings show that while positive and negative event‐related spillover effects occur between the co‐brand and both parent brands, they were surprisingly absent between the parent brands. Further, the (a)symmetry of parent brand equity before the event influences the magnitude of event‐related spillover the parent brands receive from the co‐brand. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
We describe a multifactorial investigation of a SARS‐CoV‐2 outbreak in a large meat processing complex in Germany. Infection event timing, spatial, climate and ventilation conditions in the ...processing plant, sharing of living quarters and transport, and viral genome sequences were analyzed. Our results suggest that a single index case transmitted SARS‐CoV‐2 to co‐workers over distances of more than 8 m, within a confined work area in which air is constantly recirculated and cooled. Viral genome sequencing shows that all cases share a set of mutations representing a novel sub‐branch in the SARS‐CoV‐2 C20 clade. We identified the same set of mutations in samples collected in the time period between this initial infection cluster and a subsequent outbreak within the same factory, with the largest number of confirmed SARS‐CoV‐2 cases in a German meat processing facility reported so far. Our results indicate climate conditions, fresh air exchange rates, and airflow as factors that can promote efficient spread of SARS‐CoV‐2 via long distances and provide insights into possible requirements for pandemic mitigation strategies in industrial workplace settings.
Synopsis
There has been considerable debate about the factors contributing to SARS‐CoV‐2 outbreaks in food processing facilities around the world. This multifactorial investigation of an outbreak in a German meat processing plant shows that transmission occurred in a confined working area over long distances.
Analysis of infection event timing, spatial, climate and ventilation conditions, living quarters and transport, and viral genome sequences suggests a super spreading event that originated from a single employee.
Infections among workers over a distance of 8 m from the index case suggest aerosol transmission of SARS‐CoV-2.
The facilities’ environmental conditions such as low temperature, low air exchange rates, and constant air recirculation, together with relatively close distance between workers and demanding physical work, may have promoted efficient aerosol transmission.
In contrast to work‐related exposure, shared apartments, bedrooms, or carpools appear not to have played a major role in the initial outbreak.
Viral genome sequencing reveals a characteristic set of mutations that was also observed in samples collected during a later, much larger outbreak occurring in the same processing plant.
There has been considerable debate about the factors contributing to SARS‐CoV‐2 outbreaks in food processing facilities around the world. This multifactorial investigation of an outbreak in a German meat processing plant shows that transmission occurred in a confined working area over long distances.
Absctract
Context
In vitro and in vivo evidence has supported the role of angiotensin II blockade in reducing leiomyoma cell proliferation and growth. However, no population-based study to date has ...investigated this potential association.
Objective
This work aims to determine whether prior angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEi) use is associated with a reduced odds of leiomyoma development.
Design
A nested case-control study was conducted.
Setting
The population was assembled from the Truven Health MarketScan Research Database, which includes private health insurance claims from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2017.
Patients or Other Participants
We included (n = 353 917) women age 18 to 65 with hypertension. Cases (n = 13 108) with a leiomyoma diagnosis were matched to controls (n = 340 808) with no such diagnosis at a 1:26 ratio by age and region of origin within the United States.
Intervention
Prior ACEi use was determined from outpatient drug claims.
Main Outcome Measure
Leiomyoma development was indicated by a first-time diagnosis code.
Results
Women on an ACEi experienced a 31.8% reduced odds of developing clinically recognized leiomyoma compared to nonusers (odds ratio OR 0.68; 95% CI, 0.65-0.72). This association was significant for each age group: 30 to 39 years (OR 0.86; 95% CI, 0.74-0.99), 40 to 49 years (OR 0.71; 95% CI, 0.66-0.76), 50 to 59 years (OR 0.63; 95% CI, 0.58-0.69), and 60 to 65 years (OR 0.58; 95% CI, 0.50-0.69). Of the ACEis, lisinopril (OR 0.67; 95% CI, 0.64-0.71), quinapril (OR 0.62; 95% CI, 0.41-0.92), and ramipril (OR 0.35; 95% CI, 0.23-0.50) demonstrated a significant association with reduced leiomyoma incidence.
Conclusions
ACEi use was associated with a reduced odds of developing clinically recognized leiomyoma in adult hypertensive women.
INTRODUCTION:Uterine leiomyomas are the most common benign pelvic tumor in women. Angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) are a drug-class used for the treatment of hypertension and work by ...inhibiting the production of angiotensin, an enzyme that promotes blood vessel constriction and tumorigenesis. Angiotensin receptors are expressed in human uterine fibroids and blocking these receptors in animal models has been shown to inhibit leiomyoma cell proliferation. The aim of this population-based study is to examine the association between ACEi use and risk of uterine fibroids and fibroid-related symptoms.
METHODS:This nested-case control study included women (n=5,563,980) aged 19–64 with a diagnosis of hypertension during 2010. Cases (n=1,390,995) with a uterine fibroid diagnosis were matched to controls (n=4,172,985) at a 1:3 ratio by age. A conditional logistic regression model was used to calculate odds ratios (OR) and confidence intervals (CI) correlating ACEi use with the risk of uterine fibroid development. An unconditional logistic regression was used to relate ACEi use with fibroid-related symptoms.
RESULTS:The cohort with previous exposure to ACEi demonstrated a decreased risk of uterine fibroid development (OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.85–0.86) compared to those who were not exposed to ACEi. ACEi use was associated with lowered risk of experiencing fibroid-related symptoms like anemia (OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.88–0.89) and pelvic pain (OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.90–0.91).
CONCLUSION:Angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitor use is associated with a reduced risk of the development of uterine fibroids and fibroid-related symptoms. Our findings demonstrate a potential novel therapy for uterine fibroids.
Is prior beta blocker (BB) use associated with reduced odds of the clinical incidence of leiomyomas?
In-vitro and in-vivo evidence has supported the role of beta receptor blockade in reducing ...leiomyoma cell proliferation and growth. However, no population-based study to date has investigated this potential association.
A nested case-control study was conducted in a population of women aged 18–65 with arterial hypertension (n = 699,966). Cases (n = 18,918) with a leiomyoma diagnosis were matched to controls (n = 681,048) with no such diagnosis at a 1:36 ratio by age and region of origin within the United States.
This population was assembled from the Truven Health MarketScan® Research Database, which includes health insurance claims from January 1st, 2012 to December 31st, 2017. Prior use of BB wasdetermined fromoutpatient drug claims and leiomyoma development was indicated by a first-time diagnosis code. We conducted a conditional logistic regression to determine the odds of uterine fibroid development in women with prior use of BB compared to women with no such history. We then conducted subset analyses, stratifying the women by age group and by type of BB.
Women on a BB experienced 15% reduced odds of developing clinically recognized leiomyoma compared to non-users (OR 0.85, 95% CI 0.76–0.94). This association was significant for the 30–39 age group (OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.40–0.93) but no other age group. Of the BBs, propranolol (OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.36–95) demonstrated a significant association with reduced leiomyoma incidence and metoprolol (OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.70–0.97) was associated with lower uterine fibroid incidence after adjustment for comorbidities.
Hypertensive women with prior BB use experienced reduced odds of developing clinically recognized leiomyoma compared to non-users. A key predisposing risk factor for uterine leiomyoma is elevated blood pressure. Thus, the results of this analysis may have clinical relevance to women with hypertension, as the use of this drug may introduce a dual benefit of managing hypertension as well as curbing an increased risk of leiomyomas.
Beginning in May 2022, a rising number of monkeypox cases were reported in non-monkeypox-endemic countries in the Northern Hemisphere. We adapted 2 published quantitative PCRs for use as a ...dual-target monkeypox virus test on widely used automated high-throughput PCR systems. We determined analytic performance by serial dilutions of monkeypox virus reference material, which we quantified by digital PCR. We found the lower limit of detection for the combined assays was 4.795 (95% CI 3.6-8.6) copies/mL. We compared clinical performance against a commercial manual orthopoxvirus research use only PCR kit by using clinical remnant swab samples. Our assay showed 100% positive (n = 11) and 100% negative (n = 56) agreement. Timely and scalable PCR tests are crucial for limiting further spread of monkeypox. The assay we provide streamlines high-throughput molecular testing for monkeypox virus on existing broadly established platforms used for SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic testing.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, ODKLJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Th17 cells are most abundant in the gut, where their presence depends on the intestinal microbiota. Here, we examined whether intestinal Th17 cells contribute to extra-intestinal Th17 responses in ...autoimmune kidney disease. We found high frequencies of Th17 cells in the kidneys of patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmatic antibody (ANCA)-associated glomerulonephritis. We utilized photoconversion of intestinal cells in Kaede mice to track intestinal T cell mobilization upon glomerulonephritis induction, and we found that Th17 cells egress from the gut in a S1P-receptor-1-dependent fashion and subsequently migrate to the kidney via the CCL20/CCR6 axis. Depletion of intestinal Th17 cells in germ-free and antibiotic-treated mice ameliorated renal disease, whereas expansion of these cells upon Citrobacter rodentium infection exacerbated pathology. Thus, in some autoimmune settings, intestinal Th17 cells migrate into target organs, where they contribute to pathology. Targeting the intestinal Th17 cell “reservoir” may present a therapeutic strategy for these autoimmune disorders.
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•Pathogenic TH17 cells migrate from the gut to the kidney in autoimmunity•TH17 cells egress the intestine in a S1PR1-dependent manner in glomerulonephritis•Targeting microbiota-induced TH17 cells ameliorates extraintestinal TH17 responses
By photolabelling intestinal cells, Krebs and colleagues provide direct evidence that microbiota-induced TH17 cells egress from the gut S1PR1-dependently and infiltrate the kidney via CCL20/CCR6 in immune-mediated diseases. This finding will build the basis for therapies targeting the intestinal TH17 cell “reservoir” to treat extraintestinal TH17 autoimmunity.
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) continues to represent one of the most significant threats to human health. In recent years, HCV-related sequences have been found in bats, rodents, horses, and dogs, ...indicating a widespread distribution of hepaciviruses among animals. By applying unbiased high-throughput sequencing, a novel virus of the genus Hepacivirus was discovered in a bovine serum sample. De novo assembly yielded a nearly full-length genome coding for a polyprotein of 2,779 amino acids. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed that the virus represents a novel species within the genus Hepacivirus. Viral RNA screening determined that 1.6% (n = 5) of 320 individual animals and 3.2% (n = 5) of 158 investigated cattle herds in Germany were positive for bovine hepacivirus. Repeated reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) analyses of animals from one dairy herd proved that a substantial percentage of cows were infected, with some of them being viremic for over 6 months. Clinical and postmortem examination revealed no signs of disease, including liver damage. Interestingly, quantitative RT-PCR from different organs and tissues, together with the presence of an miR-122 binding site in the viral genome, strongly suggests a liver tropism for bovine hepacivirus, making this novel virus a promising animal model for HCV infections in humans.
Livestock animals act as important sources for emerging pathogens. In particular, their large herd size and the existence of multiple ways of direct and food-borne infection routes emphasize their role as virus reservoirs. Apart from the search for novel viruses, detailed characterization of these pathogens is indispensable in the context of risk analysis. Here, we describe the identification of a novel HCV-like virus in cattle. In addition, determination of the prevalence and of the course of infection in cattle herds provides valuable insights into the biology of this novel virus. The results presented here form a basis for future studies targeting viral pathogenesis of bovine hepaciviruses and their potential to establish zoonotic infections.
Abstract
During mammalian pregnancy, immune cells are vertically transferred from mother to fetus. The functional role of these maternal microchimeric cells (MMc) in the offspring is mostly unknown. ...Here we show a mouse model in which MMc numbers are either normal or low, which enables functional assessment of MMc. We report a functional role of MMc in promoting fetal immune development. MMc induces preferential differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells in fetal bone marrow towards monocytes within the myeloid compartment. Neonatal mice with higher numbers of MMc and monocytes show enhanced resilience against cytomegalovirus infection. Similarly, higher numbers of MMc in human cord blood are linked to a lower number of respiratory infections during the first year of life. Our data highlight the importance of MMc in promoting fetal immune development, potentially averting the threats caused by early life exposure to pathogens.
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