Dynamics of information diffusion and disease transmission in time-varying multiplex networks with asymmetric activity levels

While the interaction between information and disease in static networks has been extensively investigated,many studies have ignored the characteristics of network evolution.In this study,we construct a new two-layer coupling model to explore the interactions between information and disease.The upper layer describes the diffusion of disease-related information,and the lower layer represents the disease transmission.We then use power-law distributions to examine the influence of asymmetric activity levels on dynamic propagation,revealing a mapping relationship characterizing the interconnected propagation of information and diseases among partial nodes within the network.Subsequently,we derive the disease outbreak threshold by using the microscopic Markov-chain approach(MMCA).Finally,we perform extensive Monte Carlo(MC)numerical simulations to verify the accuracy of our theoretical results.Our findings indicate that the activity levels of individuals in the disease transmission layer have a more significant influence on disease transmission compared with the individual activity levels in the information diffusion layer.Moreover,reducing the damping factor can delay disease outbreaks and suppress disease transmission,while improving individual quarantine measures can contribute positively to disease control.This study provides valuable insights into policymakers for developing outbreak prevention and control strategies.

Studying the co-evolution of information diffusion,vaccination behavior and disease transmission in multilayer networks with local and global effects

Today,with the rapid development of the internet,a large amount of information often accompanies the rapid transmission of disease outbreaks,and increasing numbers of scholars are studying the relationship between information and the disease transmission process using complex networks.In fact,the disease transmission process is very complex.Besides this information,there will often be individual behavioral measures and other factors to consider.Most of the previous research has aimed to establish a two-layer network model to consider the impact of information on the transmission process of disease,rarely divided into information and behavior,respectively.To carry out a more in-depth analysis of the disease transmission process and the intrinsic influencing mechanism,this paper divides information and behavior into two layers and proposes the establishment of a complex network to study the dynamic co-evolution of information diffusion,vaccination behavior,and disease transmission.This is achieved by considering four influential relationships between adjacent layers in multilayer networks.In the information layer,the diffusion process of negative information is described,and the feedback effects of local and global vaccination are considered.In the behavioral layer,an individual's vaccination behavior is described,and the probability of an individual receiving a vaccination is influenced by two factors:the influence of negative information,and the influence of local and global disease severity.In the disease layer,individual susceptibility is considered to be influenced by vaccination behavior.The state transition equations are derived using the micro Markov chain approach(MMCA),and disease prevalence thresholds are obtained.It is demonstrated through simulation experiments that the negative information diffusion is less influenced by local vaccination behavior,and is mainly influenced by global vaccination behavior;vaccination behavior is mainly influenced by local disease conditions,and is less influenced by global disease conditions;the disease transmission threshold increases with the increasing vaccination rate;and the scale of disease transmission increases with the increasing negative information diffusion rate and decreases with the increasing vaccination rate.Finally,it is found that when individual vaccination behavior considers both the influence of negative information and disease,it can increase the disease transmission threshold and reduce the scale of disease transmission.Therefore,we should resist the diffusion of negative information,increase vaccination proportions,and take appropriate protective measures in time.

Transmission Dynamics and Optimal Control Strategies of a Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease Model with Treatment and Vaccination Interventions

In this article, the transmission dynamics of a Hand-Foot-Mouth disease model with treatment and vaccination interventions are studied. We calculated the basic reproduction number and proved the global stability of disease-free equilibrium when R0 R0 > 1. Meanwhile, we obtained the optimal control strategies minimizing the cost of intervention and minimizing the infected person. We also give some numerical simulations to verify our theoretical results.

The origin, transmission and clinical therapies on coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) outbreak——an update on the status

An acute respiratory disease,caused by a novel coronavirus(SARS-CoV-2,previously known as 2019-nCoV),the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)has spread throughout China and received worldwide attention.On 30 January 2020,World Health Organization(WHO)officially declared the COVID-19 epidemic as a public health emergency of international concern.The emergence of SARS-CoV-2,since the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus(SARSCoV)in 2002 and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus(MERS-CoV)in 2012,marked the third introduction of a highly pathogenic and large-scale epidemic coronavirus into the human population in the twenty-first century.As of 1 March 2020,a total of 87,137 confirmed cases globally,79,968 confirmed in China and 7169 outside of China,with 2977 deaths(3.4%)had been reported by WHO.Meanwhile,several independent research groups have identified that SARS-CoV-2 belongs toβ-coronavirus,with highly identical genome to bat coronavirus,pointing to bat as the natural host.The novel coronavirus uses the same receptor,angiotensin-converting enzyme 2(ACE2)as that for SARS-CoV,and mainly spreads through the respiratory tract.Importantly,increasingly evidence showed sustained human-tohuman transmission,along with many exported cases across the globe.The clinical symptoms of COVID-19 patients include fever,cough,fatigue and a small population of patients appeared gastrointestinal infection symptoms.The elderly and people with underlying diseases are susceptible to infection and prone to serious outcomes,which may be associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS)and cytokine storm.Currently,there are few specific antiviral strategies,but several potent candidates of antivirals and repurposed drugs are under urgent investigation.In this review,we summarized the latest research progress of the epidemiology,pathogenesis,and clinical characteristics of COVID-19,and discussed the current treatment and scientific advancements to combat the epidemic novel coronavirus.

Vertically acquired hepatitis C virus infection:Correlates oftransmission and disease progression

The worldwide prevalence of hepatitis C virus(HCV)infection in children is 0.05%-0.4% in developed countries and 2%-5% in resource-limited settings, where inadequately tested blood products or un-sterile medical injections still remain important routes of infection. After the screening of blood donors, motherto-child transmission(MTCT) of HCV has become the leading cause of pediatric infection, at a rate of 5%. Maternal HIV co-infection is a significant risk factor for MTCT and anti-HIV therapy during pregnancy seemingly can reduce the transmission rate of both viruses. Conversely, a high maternal viral load is an important, but not preventable risk factor, because at present no anti-HCV treatment can be administered to pregnant women to block viral replication. Caution is needed in adopting obstetric procedures, such as amniocentesis or internal fetal monitoring, that can favor fetal exposure to HCV contaminated maternal blood, though evidence is lacking on the real risk of single obstetric practices. Mode of delivery and type of feeding do not represent significant risk factors for MTCT. Therefore, there is no reason to offer elective caesarean section or discourage breast-feeding to HCV infected parturients. Information on the natural history of vertical HCV infection is limited. The primary infection is asymptomatic in infants. At least one quarter of infected children shows a spontaneous viral clearance(SVC) that usually occurs within 6 years of life. IL-28 B polymorphims and genotype 3 infection have been associated with greater chances of SVC. In general, HCV progression is mild or moderate in children with chronic infection who grow regularly, though cases with marked liver fibrosis or hepatic failure have been described. Non-organ specific autoantibodies and cryoglobulins are frequently found in children with chronic infection, but autoimmune diseases or HCV associated extrahepatic manifestations are rare.

Donor-Derived CD19-Targeted T Cell Infusion Eliminates B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Minimal Residual Disease with No Response to Donor Lymphocytes after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Leukemia relapse is still the leading cause of treatment failure after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) for B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). Relapsed patients with BALL after allo-HSCT have a very short median survival. Minimal residual disease (MRD) is predictive of forthcoming hematological relapse after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT);furthermore, eliminating MRD effectively prevents relapse. Donor lymphoblastic infusion (DLI) is the main established approach to treat B-ALL with MRD after allo-HSCT. However, about one-third of patients with MRD are non-responsive to DLI and their prognosis worsens. Although donor-derived cluster of differentiation (CD)19-directed chimeric antigen receptor-modified (CAR) T cells (CART19s) can potentially cure leukemia, the efficiency and safety of infusions with these cells have not yet been investigated in patients with MRD after HSCT. Between September 2014 and February 2018, six patients each received one or more infusions of CART19s from HSCT donors. Five (83.33%) achieved MRD-negative remission, and one case was not responsive to the administration of CAR T cells. Three of the six patients are currently alive without leukemia. No patient developed acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD), and no patient died of cytokine release syndrome. Donor-derived CAR T cell infusions seem to be an effective and safe intervention for patients with MRD in B-ALL after allo-HSCT and for those who were not responsive to DLI.

Blunt dopamine transmission due to decreased GDNF in the PFC evokes cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease

Studies have found that the absence of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor may be the primary risk factor for Parkinson’s disease. However, there have not been any studies conducted on the potential relationship between glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor and cognitive performance in Parkinson’s disease. We first performed a retrospective case-control study at the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University between September 2018 and January 2020 and found that a decreased serum level of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor was a risk factor for cognitive disorders in patients with Parkinson’s disease. We then established a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease induced by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine and analyzed the potential relationships among glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor in the prefrontal cortex, dopamine transmission, and cognitive function. Our results showed that decreased glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor in the prefrontal cortex weakened dopamine release and transmission by upregulating the presynaptic membrane expression of the dopamine transporter, which led to the loss and primitivization of dendritic spines of pyramidal neurons and cognitive impairment. In addition, magnetic resonance imaging data showed that the long-term lack of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor reduced the connectivity between the prefrontal cortex and other brain regions, and exogenous glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor significantly improved this connectivity. These findings suggested that decreased glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor in the prefrontal cortex leads to neuroplastic degeneration at the level of synaptic connections and circuits, which results in cognitive impairment in patients with Parkinson’s disease.

A General Model for Hepatitis B Disease with Age-Dependent Susceptibility and Transmission Probabilities

A SEI model for hepatitis B is constructed where the susceptibility and other crucial transmission probabilities depend on the chronological age and the basic reproduction rate R0 is derived. Under suitable (biological and mathematical) assumptions in a closed population, results of Houpa D. D. E. et al. [1] are extended from constant case of p and q to age-dependent case: the disease-free equilibrium is globally asymptotically stable (GAS) if R0 . On the other hand, R0 > 1 induces that endemic equilibrium is GAS and the system is uniformly persistent.

Mouth shield to minimize airborne transmission risk of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases in the dental office

Transmission of coronavirus disease(COVID-19)and other infectious diseases is a significant risk during dental procedures because most dental interventions involve aerosols or droplets that could contaminate the surrounding environment.Current protection guidelines to address the high risk of droplets,aerosols,and airborne particle transmission of COVID-19 in the dental office recommend minimizing aerosol-generating procedures.In this paper,an innovative mouth shield is presented that should minimize water backsplash from the air-water syringe during dental treatment.The mouth shield can be added to the personal protective equipment to provide the dental team with extra protection.It can be made of different materials,is straightforward,inexpensive,and safe to fabricate,and is easy to use.

Tick-borne Diseases,Transmission,Host Immune Responses,Diagnosis and Control

Present review article explains tick-borne diseases,transmission,host immune responses,diagnosis and control in relation to climatic variations.Ticks are hematophagous ectoparasites which suck large volumes of blood from livestock and humans.They release large numbers of protozoans,bacteria,rickettsia and viral pathogens during blood feeding and transmit disease pathogens through saliva.Due to heavy blood sucking by ticks animals face significant blood and weight loss that affect their overall health.Due to more severe illness,high economic losses were noted in livestock.This article highlights medically important tick borne diseases in man and livestock,its pathogenesis,diagnosis and treatment methods.The present article emphasizes invasion of hosts,host-pathogen interactions,tick saliva toxin induced host immune responses and biological effects.This article highlighted various tick control methods i.e.physical killing,acaricidal,biological,hormonal,genetic and immunological methods such as administration of protective antibody and vaccines for disease control in human being and his livestock.The authors suggest non-chemical environmentally safe methods for successful control of tick borne diseases to kill cattle,bird and canine invading ticks.

Assessing the Role of Environmental Factors in the Transmission of Infectious Diseases in Communal Spaces

Communal spaces provide different facilities for users while they are the primary place for the spread of diseases,especially respiratory.Transmission is possible through human behaviors,the way they communicate with each other and breathe in an environment by airborne pathogenic particles.Experts from various fields have gained valuable experience and achievements regarding how to prevent these diseases by means of environmental factors.Due to the spread of the corona virus in the past years,environmental planners and designers seriously considered the need to review the design and use of spatial components.This study provides a framework for decision making and design of communal spaces based on how environmental components can be effective in preventing the spread of respiratory diseases such as coronavirus and influenza.The research method used in this article is logical reasoning combined with ANP method and focus group discussion.According to the results of this research,indoor air quality plays the most crucial role in preventing the transmission of viruses(contagious respiratory diseases)based on expert groups.

Morphological and biochemical characteristics associated with autophagy in gastrointestinal diseases

Autophagy is a cellular catabolic process characterized by the formation of double-membrane autophagosomes.Transmission electron microscopy is the most rigorous method to clearly visualize autophagic engulfment and degradation.A large number of studies have shown that autophagy is closely related to the digestion,secretion,and regeneration of gastrointestinal(GI)cells.However,the role of autophagy in GI diseases remains controversial.This article focuses on the morphological and biochemical characteristics of autophagy in GI diseases,in order to provide new ideas for their diagnosis and treatment.

Classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy and chronic wasting disease:two sides of the prion coin

Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies(TSEs)are a group of progressive and ultimately fatal neurologic diseases of man and animals,all resulting from the propagated misfolding of the host's normal cellular prion protein.These diseases can be spontaneous,heritable,anthropogenic/iatrogenic,or in some cases horizontally transmissible,and include such notable TSEs as bovine spongiform encephalopathy(BSE)of cattle and chronic wasting disease(CWD)of cervids.Although they are both unequivocally protein misfolding disorders,they differ markedly in their pathogenesis,transmissibility,and zoonotic potential.While the BSE epidemic has largely abated over the past three decades following global feed bans on ruminant meat and bone meal,CWD,which is readily transmitted through various forms of excreta,has rapidly expanded from its original endemic zone to encompass much of North America,along with recently identified foci in Scandinavia.Most importantly,although the classical form of BSE has proven transmissible to humans consuming contaminated beef or beef products,so far there have been no conclusive reports on the zoonotic transmission of cWD to humans.The underlying basis for these differences-whether host or agent directed-are not well understood,though may be due to inherent differences in the three-dimensional structure of the misfolded BSE or CWD prion proteins or the expression levels and tissue distribution of respective cellular prion proteins.With the uncontrolled geographic spread of CWD,it is imperative that we improve our understanding of the factors governing prion disease pathogenesis,transmission,and zoonotic potential.

Transplacental transmission of dengue infection

We specifically addressed the persistent challenge of dengue in endemic regions,highlighting the potential seriousness of dengue infection through vertical trans-mission.Vertical dengue transmission has been well documented,particularly in hyper-endemic regions,including Ecuador.Herein,we present a neonate diagno-sed with congenital dengue and review similar cases from previously published reports.Although congenital dengue is commonly infected with severe serotypes of DENV(DENV-1 and DENV-2)infections,favorable outcomes are generally observed.

Addressing Chagas disease from a One Health perspective:risk factors,lessons learned and prevention of oral transmission outbreaks in Colombia

Background:Chagas disease(CD)is transmitted by vectors but can also be transmitted orally through contaminated food,drinks,or meat.The One Health perspective aims to understand the complex interaction between human,animal,and environmental health in controlling disease.This study analyzed risk factors and drew lessons from past outbreaks of orally transmitted CD to develop effective preventive strategies.Methods:A simultaneous mixed methods study was conducted.The study consisted of two phases:an ecological epidemiological analysis at the municipal level using secondary data spanning from 1992 to 2023,and semistructured interviews with health providers and policymakers at the national level in Colombia.The results from both phases were triangulated to gain a comprehensive understanding of the topic.Results:A total of 64 outbreaks,infecting 302 individuals,were reported.Most of these outbreaks(89.2%)were classified as family-related,and they occurred most frequently during the months of April to June(46.6%).It is worth noting that a significant number of these outbreaks took place in municipalities that lacked vector control plans.Risk factors for oral transmission included the location of food preparation,poor housing quality,food preparation water source,the presence of vectors/marsupials,forest type,and climatic variables.Interviews conducted emphasized the importance of implementing outbreak plans and providing staff training to effectively address the issue.Conclusion:A One Health approach strengthening prevention,surveillance,case management and cross-sectoral collaboration is needed to control outbreaks and reduce transmission in Colombia.Preparedness plans and education of health professionals are also important.This study identified modifiable risk factors to guide public health interventions.

A prospective study of vertical transmission of hepatitis C virus

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Vertical transmission of hepatitis C virus: Current knowledge and perspectives

Hepatitis C virus(HCV) infection is a major global health issue.Infection by the HCV can cause acute and chronic liver diseases and may lead to cirrhosis,hepatocellular carcinoma or liver failure.The World Health Organization estimates that approximately 3% of the world population have been infected with HCVand the worldwide prevalence is between 1% and 8% in pregnant women and between 0.05% and 5% in children.Following the introduction of blood product screening,vertical transmission becomes the leading cause of childhood HCV infection.The prevalence of pediatric HCV infection varies from 0.05% to 0.36% in developed countries and between 1.8% and 5% in the developing world.All children born to women with antiHCV antibodies should be checked for HCV infection.Though universal screening is controversial,selective antenatal HCV screening on high-risk populations is highly recommended and should be tested probably.Multiple risk factors were shown to increase the possibility of HCV vertical transmission,including coinfections with human immunodeficiency virus,intravenous drug use and elevated maternal HCV viral load,while breastfeeding and HCV genotypes have been studied to have little impact.At present,no clinical intervention has been clearly studied and proved to reduce the HCV vertical transmission risk.Cesarean section should not be recommended as a procedure to prevent vertical transmission,however,breastfeeding is generally not forbidden.The high prevalence of global HCV infection necessitates renewed efforts in primary prevention,including vaccine development,as well as new approaches to reduce the burden of chronic liver disease.Future researches should focus on the interruption of vertical transmission,developments of HCV vaccine and directacting antivirals in infancy and early childhood.

Brain-derived neurotropic factor and GABAergic transmission in neurodegeneration and neuroregeneration

Neurotoxicity induced by stress,radiation,chemicals,or metabolic diseases,is commonly associated with excitotoxicity,oxidative stress,and neuroinflammation.The pathological process of neurotoxicity induces neuronal death,interrupts synaptic plasticity in the brain,and is similar to that of diverse neurodegenerative diseases.Animal models of neurotoxicity have revealed that clinical symptoms and brain lesions can recover over time via neuroregenerative processes.Specifically,brain-derived neurotropic factor（BDNF） and gamma-aminobutyric acid（GABA）-ergic transmission are related to both neurodegeneration and neuroregeneration.This review summarizes the accumulating evidences that suggest a pathogenic role of BDNF and GABAergic transmission,their underlying mechanisms,and the relationship between BDNF and GABA in neurodegeneration and neuroregeneration.This review will provide a comprehensive overview of the underlying mechanisms of neuroregeneration that may help in developing potential strategies for pharmacotherapeutic approaches to treat neurotoxicity and neurodegenerative disease.

Aerosol transmission of human pathogens:From miasmata to modern viral pandemics and their preservation potential in the Anthropocene record

Ongoing uncertainty over the relative importance of aerosol transmission of COVID-19 is in part rooted in the history of medical science and our understanding of how epidemic diseases can spread through human populations. Ancient Greek medical theory held that such illnesses are transmitted by airborne pathogenic emanations containing particulate matter(“miasmata”). Notable Roman and medieval scholars such as Varro, Ibn al-Khatib and Fracastoro developed these ideas, combining them with early germ theory and the concept of contagion. A widely held but vaguely defined belief in toxic miasmatic mists as a dominant causative agent in disease propagation was overtaken by the science of 19th century microbiology and epidemiology, especially in the study of cholera, which was proven to be mainly transmitted by contaminated water. Airborne disease transmission came to be viewed as burdened by a dubious historical reputation and difficult to demonstrate convincingly. A breakthrough came with the classic mid-20th century work of Wells, Riley and Mills who proved how expiratory aerosols(their “droplet nuclei”)could transport still-infectious tuberculosis bacteria through ventilation systems. The topic of aerosol transmission of pathogenic respiratory diseases assumed a new dimension with the mid-late 20th century “Great Acceleration” of an increasingly hypermobile human population repeatedly infected by different strains of zoonotic viruses, and has taken centre stage this century in response to outbreaks of new respiratory infections that include coronaviruses. From a geoscience perspective, the consequences of pandemic-status diseases such as COVID-19, produced by viral pathogens utilising aerosols to infect a human population currently approaching 8 billion, are far-reaching and unprecedented. The obvious and sudden impacts on for example waste plastic production, water and air quality and atmospheric chemistry are accelerating human awareness of current environmental challenges. As such, the “anthropause”lockdown enforced by COVID-19 may come to be seen as a harbinger of change great enough to be preserved in the Anthropocene stratal record.