Deciphering the evolutionary landscape of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus across East Asia.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) poses a significant public health challenge in East Asia, necessitating a deeper understanding of its evolutionary dynamics to effectively manage its spread and pathogenicity. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the genetic diversity, recombination patterns, and selection pressures across the SFTSV genome, utilizing an extensive dataset of 2041 sequences from various hosts and regions up to November 2023. Employing maximum likelihood and Bayesian evolutionary analysis by sampling trees (BEAST), we elucidated the phylogenetic relationships among nine distinct SFTSV genotypes (A, B1, B2, B3, B4, C, D, E, and F), revealing intricate patterns of viral evolution and genotype distribution across China, South Korea, and Japan. Furthermore, our analysis identified 34 potential reassortments, underscoring a dynamic genetic interplay among SFTSV strains. Genetic recombination was observed most frequently in the large segment and least in the small segment, with notable recombination hotspots characterized by stem-loop hairpin structures, indicative of a structural propensity for genetic recombination. Additionally, selection pressure analysis on critical viral genes indicated a predominant trend of negative selection, with specific sites within the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and glycoprotein genes showing positive selection. These sites suggest evolutionary adaptations to host immune responses and environmental pressures. This study sheds light on the intricate evolutionary mechanisms shaping SFTSV, offering insights into its adaptive strategies and potential implications for vaccine development and therapeutic interventions.

Another market segment: sport event tourism by disabled athletes.

Sports and tourism are connected in various parts of economies, cultures, and nations. However, there has been a limited understanding of sports event tourism involving disabled athletes. This study explored the behavioral and socio-demographic implications of the disabled sports event tourism and investigated the motivational factors involved. An in-person survey was administered to 108 disabled athletes who attended the summer and winter Paralympics. A Structural Equation Model was used to determine the association between the factors of life satisfaction, emotional happiness, escapism, perceived value, and future intention, using the Monte Carlo parametric bootstrapping method to test significance of direct and indirect effects. Cronbach was acceptable because it exceeds 0.70 which satisfies the cut-off of confirmatory factor analysis. In addition, the individual values of average variance extracted (AVE), were greater than 0.50 (0.72) which meets the requirement and the convergent validity of all the constructs. The results showed that life satisfaction had a significant direct effect on future intentions. Emotional happiness had a significant direct effect on the perceived value of an event. Escapism had significant direct effects on perceived value and future intentions. Perceived value significantly influenced future intentions. The relationship between emotional happiness and future intention was fully mediated by perceived value. However, the relationship between escapism and future intention was only partially mediated by perceived value. The results of this study are valuable for developing future management and marketing policies for disabled athletes and tourists to advance the existing sports event tourism and disabled athlete's behavior studies.

Identification of protein phosphatase 4 catalytic subunit as a Wnt promoting factor in pan-cancer and Xenopus early embryogenesis.

Protein Phosphatase 4 Catalytic Subunit (PPP4C) is an evolutionarily conserved protein involved in multiple biological and pathological events, including embryogenesis, organogenesis, cellular homeostasis, and oncogenesis. However, the detailed mechanisms underlying these processes remain largely unknown. Thus, we investigated the potential correlation between PPP4C and biological processes (BPs) and canonical Wnt signaling using pan-cancer analysis and Xenopus laevis (X. laevis) embryo model. Our results indicate that PPP4C is a potential biomarker for specific cancer types due to its high diagnostic accuracy and significant prognostic correlation. Furthermore, in multiple cancer types, PPP4C-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were significantly enriched in pattern specification, morphogenesis, and canonical Wnt activation. Consistently, perturbation of Ppp4c in X. laevis embryos interfered with normal embryogenesis and canonical Wnt responses. Moreover, biochemical analysis of X. laevis embryos demonstrated that both endogenous and exogenous Ppp4c negatively regulated AXIN1 (Wnt inhibitor) abundance. This study provides novel insights into PPP4C roles in pattern specification and Wnt activation. The similarities in BPs and Wnt signaling regulation regarding PPP4C support the intrinsic link between tumorigenesis and early embryogenesis.

Development and Characterization of a Reverse Genetics System for a Human-Derived Severe Fever With Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus Isolate From South Korea.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) is an emerging, tick-borne Bandavirus that causes lethal disease in humans. As there are no licensed vaccines and therapeutics for SFTSV, there is an urgent need to develop countermeasures against it. In this respect, a reverse genetics (RG) system is a powerful tool to help achieve this goal. Herein, we established a T7 RNA polymerase-driven RG system to rescue infectious clones of a Korean SFTSV human isolate entirely from complementary DNA (cDNA). To establish this system, we cloned cDNAs encoding the three antigenomic segments into transcription vectors, with each segment transcribed under the control of the T7 promoter and the hepatitis delta virus ribozyme (HdvRz) sequences. We also constructed two helper plasmids expressing the nucleoprotein (NP) or viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) under the control of the T7 promoter and the encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) internal ribosome entry site (IRES). After co-transfection into BHK/T7-9 cells with three transcription and two helper plasmids, then passaging in Vero E6 or Huh-7 cells, we confirmed efficient rescue of the recombinant SFTSV. By evaluating the in vitro and in vivo virological properties of the parental and rescued SFTSVs, we show that the rescued virus exhibited biological properties similar to those of the parental virus. This system will be useful for identifying molecular viral determinants of SFTSV infection and pathogenesis and for facilitating the development of vaccine and antiviral approaches.

Detection of Rickettsia lusitaniae Among Ornithodoros sawaii Soft Ticks Collected From Japanese Murrelet Seabird Nest Material From Gugul Island, Republic of Korea.

In a follow-up to the investigations of soft ticks identified from seabird nest soil and litter collected from coastal islands of the Republic of Korea (ROK), Ornithodoros sawaii and Ornithodoros capensis were assessed for the presence and identification of rickettsiae. Ticks collected from samples of 50-100 g of nest litter and soil from seabird nests were identified individually by morphological techniques, and species confirmed by sequencing of the mt-rrs gene. Subsequently, tick DNA preparations were screened for the presence of rickettsiae using a genus-specific nested PCR (nPCR) assay targeting the 17 kDa antigen gene. The amplicons from the 17 kDa assay and two additional nPCR assays targeting the gltA and ompB gene fragments were sequenced and used to identify the rickettsiae. A total of 134 soft ticks belonging to two species, O. sawaii Kitaoka & Suzuki 1973 (n = 125) and O. capensis Neumann 1901 (n = 9), were collected. Rickettsia lusitaniae DNA was detected and identified among O. sawaii ticks (n = 11, 8.8%) collected from nest litter and soil of the Japanese murrelet (Synthliboramphus wumizusume Temminck 1836) at Gugul Island along the western coastal area of the ROK. This study confirmed for the first time the presence of R. lusitaniae associated with O. sawaii collected from migratory seabird nests in the ROK.

Genetic and pathogenic diversity of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) in South Korea.

To investigate nationwide severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) infection status, we isolated SFTSVs from patients with suspected severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) in 207 hospitals throughout South Korea between 2013 and April 2017. A total of 116 SFTSVs were isolated from 3137 SFTS-suspected patients, with an overall 21.6% case fatality rate. Genetic characterization revealed that at least 6 genotypes of SFTSVs were co-circulating in South Korea, with multiple reassortments among them. Of these, the genotype B-2 strains were the most prevalent, followed by the A and F genotypes. Clinical and epidemiologic investigations revealed that genotype B strains were associated with the highest case fatality rate, while genotype A caused only one fatality among 10 patients. Further, ferret infection studies demonstrated varying clinical manifestations and case mortality rates with different strains of SFTSV, which suggests this virus could exhibit genotype-dependent pathogenicity.

Influence of pilates training on the quality of life of chronic stroke patients.

[Purpose] This study was to observe the influence of Pilates training on the quality of life in chronic stoke patients. [Subjects and Methods] Forty chronic stroke patients participated in this study. They were divided into same number of experimental group (EG) and control group (CG). EG participated in a 60-min Pilates training program, twice a week for 12 weeks, while the CG did not participate in any exercise-related activities for the duration and participating in general occupational therapy without any exercise-related activities. Then the MMSE-K was performed before and after Pilates training to observe the influence of Pilates training on the quality of life in chronic stroke patients. [Results] Statistically significant improvement in the physical, social, and psychological domains was found in EG after the training. No statistically significant difference was found in all three quality of life domains for the CG. EG experienced a statistically significant improvement in all quality of life domains compared with that of CG. [Conclusion] Therefore, participation in Pilates training was found to effectively improve the quality of life in stroke patients. Pilates training involves low and intermediate intensity resistance and repetition that match the patient's physical ability and can be a remedial exercise program that can improve physical ability and influence quality of life.

Molecular genomic characterization of tick- and human-derived severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus isolates from South Korea.

BACKGROUND: Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging tick-borne viral disease caused by the SFTS virus (SFTSV) from Bunyaviridae that is endemic in East Asia. However, the genetic and evolutionary characteristics shared between tick- and human-derived Korean SFTSV strains are still limited. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In this study we identify, for the first time, the genome sequence of a tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis)-derived Korean SFTSV strain (designated as KAGWT) and compare this virus with recent human SFTSV isolates to identify the genetic variations and relationships among SFTSV strains. The genome of the KAGWT strain is consistent with the described genome of other members of the genus Phlebovirus with 6,368 nucleotides (nt), 3,378 nt, and 1,746 nt in the Large (L), Medium (M) and Small (S) segments, respectively. Compared with other completely sequenced human-derived Korean SFTSV strains, the KAGWT strain had highest sequence identities at the nucleotide and deduced amino acid level in each segment with the KAGWH3 strain which was isolated from SFTS patient within the same region, although there is one unique amino acid substitution in the Gn protein (A66S). Phylogenetic analyses of complete genome sequences revealed that at least four different genotypes of SFTSV are co-circulating in South Korea, and that the tick- and human-derived Korean SFTSV strains (genotype B) are closely related to one another. Although we could not detect reassortant, which are commonly observed in segmented viruses, further large-scale surveillance and detailed genomic analysis studies are needed to better understand the molecular epidemiology, genetic diversity, and evolution of SFTSV. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Full-length sequence analysis revealed a clear association between the genetic origins of tick- and human-derived SFTSV strains. While the most prevalent Korean SFTSV is genotype B, at least four different genotypes of SFTSV strains are co-circulating in South Korea. These findings provide information regarding the molecular epidemiology, genetic diversity, and evolution of SFTSV in East Asia.

Ornithodoros sawaii (Ixodida: Argasidae) Larvae Collected from Hydrobates monorhis on Sogugul and Gaerin Islands, Jeollanam-do (Province), Republic of Korea.

The 65th Medical Brigade and Public Health Command District-Korea, in collaboration with the Migratory Bird Research Center, National Park Research Institute, conducted migratory bird tick surveillance at Sogugul and Gaerin Islands (small rocky bird nesting sites), Jeollanam-do (Province), Republic of Korea (ROK), on 30 July and 1 August 2009. Breeding seabirds captured by hands in their nesting burrows were banded, identified to species, and carefully examined for ticks during the nesting season. A total of 9 Ornithodoros sawaii larvae were removed from 4 adult Hydrobates monorhis (Swinhoe's storm petrel). The identification of the larvae of O. sawaii collected from migratory seabirds were molecularly confirmed using mitochondrial 16S rDNA primer sets.

Molecular detection of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome and tick-borne encephalitis viruses in ixodid ticks collected from vegetation, Republic of Korea, 2014.

Ticks play an important role in transmission of arboviruses responsible for emerging infectious diseases, and have a significant impact on human, veterinary, and wildlife health. In the Republic of Korea (ROK), little is known about information regarding the presence of tick-borne viruses and their vectors. A total of 21,158 ticks belonging to 3 genera and 6 species collected at 6 provinces and 4 metropolitan areas in the ROK from March to October 2014 were assayed for selected tick-borne pathogens. Haemaphysalis longicornis (n=17,570) was the most numerously collected, followed by Haemaphysalis flava (n=3317), Ixodes nipponensis (n=249), Amblyomma testudinarium (n=11), Haemaphysalis phasiana (n=8), and Ixodes turdus (n=3). Ticks were pooled (adults 1-5, nymphs 1-30, and larvae 1-50) and tested by one-step reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) or nested RT-PCR for the detection of severe fever with thrombocytopenia virus (SFTSV), tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), Powassan virus (POWV), Omsk hemorrhagic fever virus (OHFV), and Langat virus (LGTV). The overall maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) [estimated numbers of viral RNA positive ticks/1000 ticks] for SFTSV and TBEV was 0.95 and 0.43, respectively, while, all pools were negative for POWV, OHFV, and LGTV. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of SFTSV, TBEV, POWV, OHFV, and LGTV in ixodid ticks collected from vegetation in the ROK to aid our understanding of the epidemiology of tick-borne viral diseases. Results from this study emphasize the need for continuous tick-based arbovirus surveillance to monitor the emergence of tick-borne diseases in the ROK.

Detection of SFTS Virus in Ixodes nipponensis and Amblyomma testudinarium (Ixodida: Ixodidae) Collected From Reptiles in the Republic of Korea.

A survey of reptile-associated ticks and their infection status with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) virus was conducted to determine the relative abundance and distribution among lizards, skinks, and snakes in the Republic of Korea (ROK). In total, 132 reptiles, including 49 lizards (two species), 15 skinks (one species), and 68 snakes (eight species) were collected. In total, 84 ixodid ticks belonging to two genera (Ixodes and Amblyomma) were collected from 28/132 (21.2%) lizards, skinks, and snakes. Ixodes nipponensis Kitaoka & Saito was only collected from lizards and skinks, while Amblyomma testudinarium Koch was only collected from snakes. Takydromus wolteri had the highest tick index (0.7; total number ticks/total number collected hosts) among lizards and skinks, while Rhabdophis tigrinus had the highest tick index (2.2) among the snakes. Ixodes nipponensis larvae and nymphs accounted for 11.1% and 88.9%, respectively, of all ticks collected from lizards and skinks, while only A. testudinarium nymphs were collected from snakes. Nymphs of both species of ticks were collected from lizards and skinks from April to October, while I. nipponensis larvae were collected only from September to October. Ixodes nipponensis larvae and nymphs were preferentially attached to the lateral trunk (83.3%) and the foreleg axillae (16.7%) of lizards and skinks. SFTS virus was detected in both I. nipponensis and A. testudinarium collected from lizards and snakes. Phylogenetic analysis of SFTS viruses of ticks collected from two lizards and one snake demonstrated close relationships with SFTS virus strains observed from humans and ticks in the ROK, China, and Japan. These results implicate lizards and snakes as potential hosts of SFTS virus.

First Isolation of Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus from Haemaphysalis longicornis Ticks Collected in Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Outbreak Areas in the Republic of Korea.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging tick-borne infectious disease that is endemic to China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea (ROK). In this study, 8313 ticks collected from SFTS outbreak areas in the ROK in 2013 were used to detect the SFTS virus (SFTSV). A single SFTSV was isolated in cell culture from one pool of Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks collected from Samcheok-si, Gangwon Province, in the ROK. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the SFTSV isolate was clustered with the SFTSV strain from Japan, which was isolated from humans. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first isolation in the world of SFTSV in ticks collected from vegetation.

Cloning and Expression of Recombinant Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus-like Particles in Pichia pastoris.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to verify the feasibility of using the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAP) promotor based Pichia pastoris expression system to produce tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) virus-like particles (VLPs). METHODS: The complementary DNA encoding the TBEV prM signal peptide, prM, and E proteins of TBEV Korean strain (KrM 93) was cloned into the plasmid vector pGAPZɑA, then integrated into the genome of P. pastoris, under the control of the GAP promoter. Expression of TBEV VLPs was determined by Western blotting using monoclonal antibody against TBEV envelope (E) protein. RESULTS: Recombinant TBEV VLPs consisting of prM and E protein were successfully expressed using the GAP promoter-based P. pastoris expression system. The results of Western blotting showed that the recombinant proteins were secreted into the culture supernatant from the P. pastoris and glycosylated. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that recombinant TBEV VLPs from P. pastoris offer a promising approach to the production of VLPs for use as vaccines and diagnostic antigens.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus, South Korea, 2013.

During 2013, severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome was diagnosed in 35 persons in South Korea. Environmental temperature probably affected the monthly and regional distribution of case-patients within the country. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the isolates from Korea were closely related to isolates from China and Japan.

Spine-like nanostructured carbon interconnected by graphene for high-performance supercapacitors.

Recent studies on supercapacitors have focused on the development of hierarchical nanostructured carbons by combining two-dimensional graphene and other conductive sp(2) carbons, which differ in dimensionality, to improve their electrochemical performance. Herein, we report a strategy for synthesizing a hierarchical graphene-based carbon material, which we shall refer to as spine-like nanostructured carbon, from a one-dimensional graphitic carbon nanofiber by controlling the local graphene/graphitic structure via an expanding process and a co-solvent exfoliation method. Spine-like nanostructured carbon has a unique hierarchical structure of partially exfoliated graphitic blocks interconnected by thin graphene sheets in the same manner as in the case of ligaments. Owing to the exposed graphene layers and interconnected sp(2) carbon structure, this hierarchical nanostructured carbon possesses a large, electrochemically accessible surface area with high electrical conductivity and exhibits high electrochemical performance.

Prevalence of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus in Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks in South Korea.

Haemaphysalis longicornis a vector that harbors severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) is a major species of tick in South Korea. To investigate the existence and prevalence of SFTSV in Korea, we collected ticks from nine provinces in South Korea for detecting SFTSV. In all, we collected 13,053 ticks, and H. longicornis (90.8%, 11,856/13,053) was the most abundant among them. The minimum infection rate (MIR) of SFTSV in H. longicornis was 0.46% (55 pools). SFTSV was detected in ticks during all the developmental stages, showing MIR in larvae (2/350, 0.57%), nymphs (38/10,436, 0.36%), males (2/221, 0.90%), and females (13/849, 1.53%), respectively. Viruses were detected in ticks collected between April and September. A higher MIR was detected in ticks from the southern part of the country. We amplified the M and S segment partial genes from a sample and analyzed the nucleotide sequence. The results showed a 93-98% homology to Chinese and Japanese strains registered in Genbank. In this study, we confirmed the existence of SFTSV for the first time in South Korea. The SFTSV prevalence data from the studies are essential for raising the awareness of SFTS in South Korea.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus in ticks collected from humans, South Korea, 2013.

We investigated the infection rate for severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) among ticks collected from humans during May-October 2013 in South Korea. Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks have been considered the SFTSV vector. However, we detected the virus in H. longicornis, Amblyomma testudinarium, and Ixodes nipponensis ticks, indicating additional potential SFTSV vectors.

Calibration between color camera and 3D LIDAR instruments with a polygonal planar board.

Calibration between color camera and 3D Light Detection And Ranging (LIDAR) equipment is an essential process for data fusion. The goal of this paper is to improve the calibration accuracy between a camera and a 3D LIDAR. In particular, we are interested in calibrating a low resolution 3D LIDAR with a relatively small number of vertical sensors. Our goal is achieved by employing a new methodology for the calibration board, which exploits 2D-3D correspondences. The 3D corresponding points are estimated from the scanned laser points on the polygonal planar board with adjacent sides. Since the lengths of adjacent sides are known, we can estimate the vertices of the board as a meeting point of two projected sides of the polygonal board. The estimated vertices from the range data and those detected from the color image serve as the corresponding points for the calibration. Experiments using a low-resolution LIDAR with 32 sensors show robust results.

Seroprevalence of hantaviruses in small wild mammals trapped in South Korea from 2005 to 2010.

The seroprevalence of Hantaan virus (HTNV) in wild rodents in South Korea was analyzed. Wild rodents were trapped in 18 cities in eight provinces during 2005-2007 and on three islands and four mountains during 2008-2010. Sera were collected from 629 out of 933 trapped wild animals and examined for immunoglobulin G antibodies to HTNV using indirect immunofluorescence assays. Apodemus agrarius (80.1%) was the most frequently captured species at almost all trapping sites. The overall prevalence of HTNV antibodies was 0.26 (162/629). Seropositive individuals were more frequent in cities (32.2%, n=410) than on islands (14.0%, n=57) or mountains (13.6%, n= 162). HTNV antibody-positive rate was higher in the fall (29.6%, n=253) than in the spring (23.1%, n=376). A. agrarius had the highest prevalence of HTNV antibodies (26.9%, n=561) of all tested species. Considering all the individuals, the prevalence of HTNV antibodies was higher in males (29.2%, n=250) than in females (22.3%, n=305). Our results show that HTNV is widely distributed throughout South Korea, and that HTNV infection of wild rodents is affected by their habitat, species, sex, and season.

Prevalence of tick-borne encephalitis virus in ixodid ticks collected from the republic of Korea during 2011-2012.

OBJECTIVES: In this study, we demonstrated that TBEV-infected ticks have been distributed in the ROK, combined with our previous results. These results suggest that TBEV may exist in the ROK, and H. longicornis, H. flava, and I. nipponensis may be potential vectors of TBEV. In addition, these results emphasize the need for further epidemiological research of TBEV. METHODS: We examined for the presence of RNA of TBEV by reverse transcriptase-nested polymerase chain reaction (RT-nested PCR) using ixodid ticks captured in 25 localities of 10 provinces. Ticks were collected by the flagging and dragging method or using sentinel BG traps at forests, grass thickets, and grassland. A total of 13,053 ticks belonging to two genera and four species were collected and pooled (1292 pools), according to collection site, species of tick, and developmental stage. RESULTS: Among 1292 pools, the envelope (E) protein gene of TBEV was detected using RT-nested PCR in 10 pools (3 pools of the 1,331 adult ticks and 7 pools of the 11,169 nymph ticks) collected from Gangwon-do province, Jeonrabuk-do province, and Jeju Island. The minimum infection rates for TBEV of Haemaphysalis longicornis, Haemaphysalis flava, and Ixodes nipponensis were 0.06%, 0.17%, and 2.38%, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis based on the partial E protein gene was performed to identify relationships between the TBEV strains. This showed that 10 Korean strains clustered with the Western subtype. CONCLUSION: In this study, we investigated the prevalence of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) in ixodid ticks from various regions of the Republic of Korea (ROK) during 2011-2012 to identify whether TBEV is circulating and to determine the endemic regions of TBEV.